Fernando Gaviria tests positive for Covid-19 for the third time and will miss UAE Tour

The Colombian sprinter had just gone off a successful stint at the Tour of Oman where he's won two stages but upon briefly returning to his home in Monaco he's tested positive for the third time. Fernando Gaviria will now miss the UAE Tour which he was set to start this weekend.

Two years ago in this exact race, Gaviria was one of the first riders in the peloton to get infected with Covid-19 and had to stay in quarintine for several weeks at the UAE. Later that year, Gaviria caught the virus once again during the Giro d'Italia which he had to abandon for safety reasons. That would not be his last contact with Covid however, as he is now seeing himself isolated once again. Pascal Ackermann will replace him at the race in hopes of abtaining a win in the many sprint stages that are to come.

The team will be led by Tadej Pogačar who will be looking to add another UAE Tour to his palmares, with the support of the likes of João Almeida, George Bennett and Rafal Majka in the mountains. As for Ackermann he will benefit from the riders that were coming in to assist Gaviria in the sprints, they will be Max Richeze and Mikkel Bjerg.