It has been a complicated week for the Vuelta a Espana peloton as now daily there are riders abandoning the race with Covid-19, and this morning it was Wout Poels who has tested positive.
The Bahrain-Victorious rider had not been widely present in the race. With the GC responsibilities falling on Gino Mäder, Poels had been set to be in an important support role for the Swiss, aswell as chasing stage wins alongside Mikel Landa and Santiago Buitrago later in the race. Poels had been sitting on 28th spot in the overall classification, but Bahrain will set off today with only seven riders.
All others have tested negative and the team expects to not see any more cases. Gino Mäder has been consistent throughout the opening week and is currently in 15th position in the overall classification. Fred Wright has also been very active and will be an important card to chase a stage win.
🏥 @WoutPoels will not start stage 9 of @lavuelta due to a positive Covid-19 test with mild symptoms. All other riders and staff have returned negative tests. The team will start the race today with 7 riders. Get well soon Wout! #RideAsOne #LaVuelta22 📸 @therussellellis
