The noose of COVID-19 has tightened a little more around the yellow jersey of the Tour de France, the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, who lost Tuesday morning for this reason a second teammate, the New Zealander George Bennett, before the 10th stage in Morzine.
Pogacar had already seen the Norwegian Vegard Stake Laengen leave on Saturday morning within the UAE formation which had eight riders at the start of the event like its rivals.
The day after the announcement of all negative tests on Sunday evening for the competitors of the Tour, two riders had the opposite result. Australian Luke Durbridge (BikeExchange), who has mild symptoms, also left the race.
The French Geoffrey Bouchard and Guillaume Martin had to leave the Tour for this reason last weekend.
In addition to the regulatory controls carried out by the International Cycling Union (UCI), in accordance with the protocol revised at the end of June, the various teams frequently carry out internal tests. Every day for some, at intervals of two or three days for others.
“COVID-19 can ruin everything”
“We test ourselves every three days, some even every two days,” said Pogacar on Saturday after leaving Laengen. “It is truly a worrying situation. COVID-19 can ruin everything on the Tour”.
“This pandemic is here and unfortunately we are not spared”, estimated the yellow jersey and favorite of the Tour. “We can’t risk running sick so we have to take it seriously. We are on the road every day. In the mountains, there are many people shouting encouragement. It is something that I really like but it increases the possibilities of being infected with the virus”.
Following the cascade of retirements recorded at the Tour de Suisse in mid-June, the anti-COVID protocol was updated before the start of the Tour by the International Cycling Union (UCI).
In the event of a positive result, the protocol provides that “the decision on possible isolation will be taken collectively by the doctor of the team concerned, the COVID-19 doctor of the event and the medical director of the UCI”.
After the first cases, several team bosses, in particular Marc Madiot (Groupama-FDJ), asked the organizers for additional measures to reduce the risks.
Before the start in Copenhagen, Tour director Christian Prudhomme had urged Tour riders to avoid autographs and selfies. But, on the Tour, wearing a mask is only compulsory for those accredited who have to deal with the runners.
“There is a discrepancy between life in general, with people who put COVID-19 a little behind, and the need to be more careful on the Tour”, admitted the director of the Tour on Monday during the day of rest.
If teams are calling for stricter measures, their daily guests are far from all wearing a mask, noted an AFP journalist present on Saturday.