➡️ Aumenta el blindaje de los equipos en el Tour de Francia y también se ven numerosas mascarillas #TdF2024 🚲 Según pudo saber @diarioas, Adam Yates y Tim Wellens llegaron por separado y no en el autobús a la salida 📹 @danimiranda9 (Gruissan)
Covid-19 in UAE Team Emirates? Two of Tadej Pogacar's teammates separated from race leader into key stages
CyclingTuesday, 16 July 2024 at 13:05
A sight that has been seen on a few occasions this week. About a week ago Tom Pidcock and Geraint Thomas were seen being transported to the start of Tour de France stages in team cars and not on the bus, and later showed symptoms and tested positive for Covid-19 respectively. Two of Tadej Pogacar's teammates travelled to today's stage start outside of the team bus sparking big questions.
This morning Team Jayco AlUla's Chris Harper tested positive and withdrew from the race, whilst the same has happened yesterday with Lotto Dstny's Maxim van Gils. It isn't just a rumour that there is Covid in the peloton, Geraint Thomas of INEOS Grenadiers is literally in the race after having tested positive, and UAE itself has had Juan Ayuso pull out because of the illness that continues to be well present in pro cycling still in 2024.
A sport where respiratory function is absolutely vital, having a Covid infection can prove absolutely deadly for the chances of any rider, even if currently riders are not forced to abandon the race because of it. Ordinarily, that still happens, so as to protect teammates, staff and fans who may not be so lucky with symptoms. This morning, as reported by AS, both Adam Yates and Tim Wellens travelled to the start of stage 16 in team cars, separated from the rest of their teammates on the team bus.
This is bad news for the race leader who has seemingly cemented his Tour victory this weekend in the Pyrenees, if he manages to avoid a bad day as in the previous two Tours. The team was said to have significantly increased the amount of masks and protection as well in comparison to previous days, most likely confirming fear of Covid within it's bubble - and possible infections within staff.
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- Oh Lordspock12319-12-2024
- Interesting suggestion, fo you think testing Tadej’s (or Bolts’ or so many others’) parents would have given us a preview of his potential then or what criteria do you have to pick parents with?Mistermaumau19-12-2024
- Even amateur teams suffer this sort. But this is also largely due to the precarious sponsorship, in very few sports do you find kit with so many sponsors having to be integrated and changing so regularly.Mistermaumau19-12-2024
- I think it’s pretty obvious what was responsible for destroying interest that used to be there.Mistermaumau19-12-2024
- This has been stated repeatedly, MVDP for CX, road and if it already counts, gravel. Lavreysen for track. I expect as a cycling fan you’ve heard of them?Mistermaumau19-12-2024
- The same thing was said when Tadej announced that he would ride the Giro: "he goes to Il Giro because he knows he can't win the Tour". Always negative speculations. Maybe Primoz, near to the final of his career, simply wants to try this experience.
maria2024202419-12-2024 - If Valentino Rossi could never win during his period of dominance, and massive personality, then Pogacar not winning isn't a massive surprise. Cycling isn't a Premier League global sport......only one event reaches the mainstream every year - and that's not good enough.wipperman9519-12-2024
- I don't think it's only a British thing; the biggest talents aren't usually drawn to CX. Where are all the top Italian, French, Spanish, Slovenian CX riders? Apart from Belgium, and Netherlands, it's not really a target for up and coming cyclists - as there's no career unless you move to Belgium. Other countries can't support a proper professional series, like an international sport should be able to do. Lets not forget, since 2016, British riders have won plenty of World championships; with Pidcock, Richards, Tulett & Backstedt all winning more than one..... And, there was a time when Belgium didn't rule the roost in CX; that was Switzerland, but since the advent of XC MTB, their top off-road talents race there instead of CX - and the 2nd raters not good enough for XC MTB, race CX.wipperman9519-12-2024
- "25-34 are only 13% of USA Cyclings membership" Wow. I own a bike shop, and that number comports both with what I see in the business as well as on the road and trails, but it's somehow hugely demoralizing to see it quantified. Thirteen percent?verve82519-12-2024
- What super dutch talent are we talking about?awp18-12-2024