It is the most invisible, and yet the most dangerous, enemy of the riders on the Tour de France. The Covid-19, whose shadow hung over the Grande Boucle, finally hit the runners. Twenty-four hours after Geoffrey Bouchard (AG2R Citroën) and a teammate of Tadej Pogacar, Vegard Stake Laengen (UAE-Emirates), Frenchman Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) was declared positive for coronavirus, Sunday July 10, forcing him to leave the race before the start of the 9th stage.
These three cases are the first concerning the riders of the peloton during this Tour, but the new wave of Covid-19 had already caused departures in the management of several teams. The peloton now fears that the cases will multiply, compromising the rest of this 109th edition. Franceinfo: sport takes stock on the eve of Monday’s rest day.
What measures are in place?
Four teams and around thirty riders forced to leave the race at the start of the 6th stage… After the cascade of abandonments recorded at the Tour de Suisse in mid-June due to positive tests for Covid-19, the Union international cyclist (UCI) has updated the anti-Covid-19 protocol for the 2022 edition of the Tour de France.
The tests are compulsory before the start and during the two rest days of the event, riders and team personnel included. The whole peloton is therefore tested on Sunday evening by the organisation, before the rest day and the stages in the Alps. Any positive cases will be communicated Tuesday morning before departure. For their part, the teams practice internal tests, every day for some.
What happens when a runner tests positive?
In case of positivity, the protocol provides that “the decision on possible isolation will be taken collectively by the doctor of the team concerned, the Covid-19 doctor for the event and the medical director of the UCI”. The same goes for asymptomatic runners. On the other hand, in the event of symptoms, the runner cannot continue the race.
Guillaume Martin, asymptomatic, had to decide to leave the race because of his viral load, considered too risky. “I had a very slight sore throat, as it can happen to me 25 times a year. I conscientiously asked the doctor to take an antigen test which came back positive”explains the Cofidis training runner. “It had to be a control test to reassure me and I hope we learned about it in time so as not to contaminate the rest of the team. It’s quite frustrating insofar as I don’t have any symptoms, I feel good and the proof is in my performance in the last two stages.”he noted Sunday morning.
This distinction makes the teams cringe. “It is important that anyone who is positive goes home”insisted the sporting director of UAE Team Emirates, Andrej Hauptman, whose formation dismissed a runner for this reason.
In addition, the UCI has waived the rule present in 2021, of the automatic exclusion of a team with two riders positive for Covid-19 within seven days.
What does the peloton think?
In the event of a positive test, everything can change for the riders, more than one of whom have made the Tour de France their main objective. “It’s a bit scary to think that we can be put out of the race with the Covid. We all have a sword of Damocles over our heads. These are the rules of the game. We are very careful with the team , we have a strict protocol”explains David Gaudu, 5th and first French overall.
All walk on eggshells, because chain contamination can happen at any time despite all measures to create a bubble. “We do everything we need to do, we do everything 100%. We can’t do better”explains Andrej Hauptman, sports director of the UAE-Emirates training.
However, Marc Madiot, the manager of Groupama-FDJ, notes a relaxation of barrier gestures during this edition compared to the previous two. “I find that we are in a much more delicate situation, because for the past two years, the public included was in the risk zone, so everyone was careful as best as possible. Today, we are in something where the population has no more rules, which is logical and normal. And us, if our runners are positive, they go home”he explained.
How will the sequel be?
The riders undergo a mandatory test from the organization on the occasion of the rest day, to which should be added that of their team. Will this be enough to contain the virus? “For us, it is impossible to raise the level of precaution, it is at the maximum”, assures the boss of Jumbo-Visma, Richard Plugge. From air purifiers at the hotel to cleaning the rooms, the Dutch formation ensures that it has not loosened its vigilance compared to 2020 and 2021.
The fear of seeing the Tour de Suisse cluster reform on the Tour de France is in everyone’s mind, while the mountain stages, with an audience ever closer to the runners in the passes, arrive from Tuesday. “We live with something that can blow up on us at any time. We saw what happened at the Tour de Suisse. We mustn’t have any illusions: it’s going to be the same thing”believes Marc Madiot.
The UCI for its part, underlines that no modification of the Covid-19 regulations would take place on the Grande Boucle. A change would only occur from the Tour of Spain, from August 19. In the meantime, everyone should see more clearly about the rest of the race on Monday, after the results of the tests carried out on Sunday evening.