As the number of Covid-19 cases quickly starts to rise in the peloton, so does the tension. After Ruben Guerreiro announced his departure from the race earlier this morning, another high quality climber Guillaume Martin has tested positive and will have to abandon the race.
The Cofidis rider had said that the overall classification was unlikely to be his goal for the race, however after resisting the tricky stages of the opening week, Martin found himself in 14th place in the GC. He was the French team's only option, and the team will now exclusively focus on stage wins.
With Ion Izagirre for the mountainous stages; Simon Geschke, Benjamin Thomas and Victor Lafay for the hilly days and Max Walscheid for the flat stages, Cofidis still bear a chance to succeed at the Tour, however they've had their chances cut slightly.
Guillaume Martin quitte le Tour de France en raison d'un test positif au Covid. Le Français de la Cofidis met fin à son incroyable série de 362 jours de course sans le moindre abandon. Il était classé 14e au général avant cette neuvième étape. #TDF2022
