OFFICIAL: Matthew Brennan out of Milano-Sanremo; Visma led by Wout Van Aert, Matteo Jorgenson and Christophe Laporte

Team Visma | Lease a Bike have made a last-minute change to their plans for Milano-Sanremo. Whilst Wout Van Aert remains the team's headliner, its main sprinting option in Matthew Brennan has fallen ill and will skip the first monument of the season.

The 20-year old rider won Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne, his last race day, and was to begin here the most important part of the spring classics. He will still race multiple cobbled classics including both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, but not Sanremo where on paper, his climbing and sprinting abilities would make him a dangerous outsider.

Visma will be well covered however, as Brennan was to be one of four cards that could be played. Wout Van Aert remains in the lead of the lineup, which has been confirmed this morning. Christophe Laporte will act as a second option whilst Matteo Jorgenson will be a more diverse card to play, taking into consideration his current form and how the Cipressa may be raced.

What matters the most for all three riders will be positioning into Cipressa, but the team carries tremendous amounts of firepower for this. Brennan is being replaced by Victor Campenaerts who recently showed formidable form at Paris-Nice and last year already had spectacular legs on Sanremo's climbs.

He and Timo Kielich might be saved a little as they can climb quite well; the positioning duties will be carried out mostly by Edoardo Affini and Owain Doull, two powerhouse rouleurs. It is a very strong lineup taking into consideration the race's needs. Visma have said at the start of the season they aim to win a monument and this is the one that is more open and thus has the potential for the Dutch team to succeed.