An end was put speculations about Marcel Kittel’s possible participation in this season’s edition of the Milan-San Remo Classic.

Team Giant-Shimano has verified that the German sprint ace will not race the Italian Classic later this month. Kittel, who walked away with three stage wins at the inaugural Dubai Tour last month, has started the season in imposing form and following the organisers’ enforced alteration of the race route, sprint rivals Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) and André Greipel (Lotto Belisol) have both corroborated their participations.

John Degenkolb, who won three consecutive stages at the Tour de Méditerranéen last month, will lead the team in Kittel’s absence. Degenkolb finished 5th in 2012 and 18th in last year’s rainsoaked edition of the race.

“Kittel will not ride. Degenkolb is our leader. We do not change the line-up,” a team spokesperson told Cyclingnews on Tuesday morning.

The much feared Pompeiana climb was removed from the route last week due to anxieties over safety and possible landslides. Following the exclusion of the Le Manie climb mid-way through the parcours, the race route returns to a flatter, more traditional and much more sprinter-friendly profile, with only the Poggio and Cipressa featuring in the critical final section before San Remo.

The Milan-San Remo Classic will take place on March 23.