The coronavirus detection tests carried out this Sunday on the cyclists participating in the 109th Tour de France were negative, the International Cycling Union (UCI) announced on Monday.
The international federation specifies that, following the health protocol established in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, “all the cyclists participating in the Tour de France were tested on the night of July 10.”
“All the tests were negative,” completes the UCI, warning, however, of the need for “all participants” to continue “wearing a mask, maintaining sufficient physical distance and disinfecting their hands frequently.”
The three cases of Covid-19 detected in cyclists of the 109 Grande Boucle this weekend raised fears of a new wave of the disease similar to that recorded in the Tour of Switzerland, less than two weeks before the start of the Tour, which It led to dozens of deaths, dropouts and questioned the participation of several runners, such as the Portuguese Nelson Oliveira (Movistar), in the French competition.
This is the first battery of tests carried out on the cyclists of the Tour de Franceafter the change in protocols announced by the UCI three days before the Grand Start, on July 1, in Denmark, which “essentially” focused on the Grand Tours.
In this update of the health regulations related to Covid-19, the international federation dropped the one that authorized the organizers of the great Tours to exclude a team that had two cases in seven days.
COVID-19. The UCI abandons the rule that allowed teams with two cases in seven days to be excluded from three days of the Tour
Among the mandatory measures, the UCI included the presentation of “at least one negative antigen test” by all team members two days before the start of the race and reantigen tests on rest days, including stewards, delegates and anti-doping personnel.
In the event that a case of covid-19 is confirmed in a team by means of an antigen test and later by means of a PCR (either a runner or a member of the staff), the decision to potentially isolate this case must be made jointly by the doctor of the team in question, the doctor responsible for Covid-19 at the event and the UCI medical director, based on the available clinical elements,” he said. .
This measure was put into practice on Sunday morning, with a collegiate decision to withdraw Frenchman Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), one of the top 10 candidates, from the race before the start of the ninth stage.
In the June 28 rules update, the UCI also began “strongly recommending” that during the race, “daily if possible, but at least every two or three days”, antigen tests be carried out on members of the team. team, excluding riders. as well as commissioners and delegates.
The Tour de France squad completes the second rest day of the 109th edition, returning to the road on Tuesday, in stage 10, a 148.1-kilometre link between Morzine and Megève.
Source: Observadora
