Cycling: COVVI-19 catches up with peloton of Tour de Switzerland

Nearly thirty runners had to give up taking the start of the 6th stage of the race, this Friday between Locarno and Moosalp, after positive tests at Sars-Cov-2.

Le Monde

The intrigue of the Tour of Switzerland cycling was completely relaunched, Friday, June 17. The Danish Jakob Fuglsang (Israel-Prime Tech) recovers the leader’s leading jersey even before the departure of the 6 step, whose arrival is planned at the top of the Moosalp. No facts of racing to work, but the return of an actor who had already turned the calendar of events well since 2020: the COVVI-19.

After the abandonment of the Dutch team Jumbo-Visma and Adam Yates, the leader of the British training Ineos-Grenadiers, the day before, the peloton was relieved this Friday of almost thirty runners of Suites of positive tests at SARS-COV-2.

The hecatombe concerns Russian Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) Tom Pidcock (ineos-grenadiers), Alex Aranburu (Movistar), Gianluca Brambilla (Trek-Segafredo) and Louis Vervaeke (Quick-Step), list ‘Add the packages of four EF Education-Easy Post runners, two from Israel-Prime Tech and all of the Alpecin-Fenix, Bahrain-Victorious and Uae-Team Emirates teams. There are only 92 runners left out of the 154 committed from Küsnacht, on June 12.

of cases also at the Tour de Slovenie, a race in China canceled

“It is a difficult situation that saddens us, but everyone knows the rules, reacted Olivier Senn, the director of the test with the team . The eighteen teams that remain all agreed to continue and there will be no cancellation of the event today. “

A new point is scheduled for Saturday to decide on this race, considered with the Critérium du Dauphiné as one of the best preparations for the Tour de France, whose big departure is planned in two weeks, 1 Er July in Copenhagen. The Tour of Switzerland must be completed on June 19.

At the Tour de Slovenia, the UAE-Team Emirates of Tadej Pogacar was also affected by the COVVI-19: two runners (Mikkel Bjerg, tested positive, and Vegard Stake Laengen, contact case) had to leave Friday the ‘test in which the double winner of the Tour de France participates.

Furthermore, the organizers of the Tour du Guangxi (China), the last World Tour – Elite Division of Cycling on Road – of the season, scheduled from October 13 to 18, said that it does not would not take place for the third year in a row. Again, due to the health situation.

/Media reports.