Covid "can ruin the whole Tour" Tadej Pogacar fears

Tour de France leader UAE Team Emirates Tadej Pogacar is having the risk of Covid-19 within the team, and has been asked on his thoughts regarding the developing situation which is currently seeing several riders abandon the Tour.

"it's a big scare. It can ruin the whole Tour, but the rivals are from the other teams like Jumbo and Ineos," the Slovenian told French media at the line in Lausanne. "Every day on the road, on the climbs, there are so many people screaming at you, cheering, which I like but it increases the possibility that you get infected by viruses. I hope this was it [and] that we don't go home because of it and we stay safe until the end," the Tour leader said.

UAE Team Emirates lost João Almeida in the final week of the Giro d'Italia due to a positive result, a scenario which is the team is looking to avoid but faces the risk at the Tour. The positive case of Vegard Stake Laengen has brought a lot of tension within the team, who are hoping that there was no transmission across the riders and staff.

"We lost Laengen today. He was the big guy of the team. He was really strong, in good shape, pulling on the flat, hills, everywhere. He's like a train in the team. It's going to be hard without him, but I think we can manage with seven riders to make it to Paris," Pogacar concluded.

With a team that is seemingly at a slightly lower level to that of INEOS Grenadiers and Jumbo-Visma in terms of depth, the Norwegian's departure comes as bad news as Pogacar will find himself slightly more isolated ahead of the mountains.