Olympic mountain bike champion Jolanda Neff and Marlen Reusser, the reigning Olympic time trial silver medalist, have withdrawn from the Paris Games, dealing a double blow to the hopes of the Swiss cycling team.

The Swiss Cycling Federation announced on Monday that the two riders will not compete at the Summer Games, which begin with the opening ceremony on July 26, due to illnesses they have been dealing with. Neff has been experiencing breathing issues for several years, while Reusser has been recovering from an illness but will not be ready to compete in Paris.

Neff’s spot in the mountain bike competition at Elancourt Hill will be taken by Olympic silver medalist Sina Frei, who will join Alessandra Keller, the world’s No. 1 ranked rider. Elena Hartmann will replace Reusser in the time trial and road race.

Neff underwent a series of tests in early June to develop a plan for her recovery. While the team has noted that the 31-year-old rider has shown improvements, they are not sufficient for her to compete in Paris in two weeks’ time. Neff, a three-time World Cup overall winner, also won the world championship in 2017.

Despite the absence of Neff and Reusser, the Swiss team, which holds the No. 1 ranking in the world, is still expected to be a strong contender in the mountain bike race. Keller has consistently finished on the podium on the World Cup circuit, and Frei secured third place at the European championships.

Reusser revealed in a social media post that she had contracted COVID-19 in February and later suffered fractures to her face and teeth after falling during the Tour of Flanders. She underwent surgery and subsequently experienced “several viral infections.” She has not fully recovered from these setbacks.

Reusser’s professional team, SD Worx-Protime, has stated that she had a tooth extracted and is currently on antibiotics in the hopes of being able to compete in Paris. However, she acknowledged that a significant part of her treatment now involves rest, and she must plan and hope for the longer term to ensure that she can compete in top form at the world championships in Zurich.

Hartmann, who recently clinched her third consecutive Swiss time trial title in June, finished sixth in the opening time trial at the Giro d’Italia Women last week. She will compete in the time trial on July 27, as well as the road race. She will be joined by Elise Chabbey, Noemi Rüegg, and Linda Zanetti in the road race as part of the Swiss team.