After the retirements of Geoffrey Bouchard (AG2R-Citroën) and Vegard Stake Laengen (UAE Team Emirates) On Saturday, the Covid-19 continues to spread within the Tour de France 2022 peloton. On Sunday July 10, it was the leader of the Cofidis formation, Guillaume Martin, who tested positive to the virus, before the start of the ninth stage between Aigle and Châtel. The French rider is forced to retire.
“I had a very slight sore throat, like it can happen to me 25 times a yearhe confided to the microphone of France Télévisions. I dutifully asked the doctor for an antigen test which came back positive. It was supposed to be a control test to reassure me and I hope we found out in time so as not to contaminate the rest of the team.”
“It’s still a bike race, I don’t have any serious symptoms, I don’t think I’ve infected anyone and the main thing is still there.”
Guillaume Martin, leader of the Cofidis team forced to retireat France Televisions
Placed in solitary confinement upon receipt of the positive test, Guillaume Martin went through all the emotions: “I had good feelings on arrival in Lausanne and an hour later I learned that I was probably going to have to abandon the Tour. It’s frustrating as I don’t have any symptoms, I feel fine, proof of that is with my performance in the last two stages.. I even felt that I was mounting physical pressure and that there were great things to do on the rest of this Tour, on stages that suited me better. Everything was going well until then, I had avoided falls on this first week of Tour. So I finally arrived on a ground where I knew I was going to have fun. The current situation has decided otherwise.”
Fourteenth in the general classification three minutes from the yellow jersey, Guillaume Martin, a pure climber, will not defend his chances in the Alps and in the mountains, where he had the opportunity to shine. He had “until the last moment a little hope, but reason wanted me not to leave today.”
Eighth in the last edition of the Tour de France and first Frenchman (as in 2020), he was once again aiming for a good place in the general classification. The runners will all be tested again on the rest day on Monday.