Harsh criticism for INEOS Grenadiers for keeping two riders in Tour de France despite having Covid-19: "You can still get the virus"

Egan Bernal saw his Tour de France aspirations dashed after losing more than 42 minutes on Sunday's 15th stage. The Colombian cyclist, who until that moment was competing for a place in the top ten, was dropped early in the day, and it was later revealed that he had contracted COVID-19, according to Marca. He

The coronavirus has significantly affected the peloton, especially the INEOS Grenadiers riders. Geraint Thomas and Tom Pidcock had already been isolated in separate vehicles at the start of the stages, and Tom Pidcock had to abandon the competition after testing positive. Then Geraint Thomas tested positive, but has been kept in the race. Now, Bernal joins the list of infected riders. However, this does not necessarily mean that he must withdraw from the competition. Bernal has the option to continue if his symptoms are not too serious. In fact, the 27-year-old climber took the start of stage 16 on Tuesday.

On the other hand, Tim Declercq, Belgian rider of the Lidl-Trek team, expressed his incomprehension about teams that allow their riders to compete despite being infected with COVID-19. Declercq decided not to start stage 11 after testing positive. Speaking to Sporza, he expressed his doubts about the policies of other teams: "You can disinfect your hands and wear masks, but you can still get the virus. Also, the public has close access to us. At the start in Italy, we were not protected from spectators. There are riders who continue to compete despite a positive test, which facilitates the rapid spread of infection in the peloton."

At Lidl-Trek, things have been handled differently, something Declercq deeply appreciates. Now 35, the cyclist, who suffered from pericarditis in 2022, is cautious. "You can worry a lot about where you contracted the virus, but I didn't want to take any risks after what I experienced a few years ago. I thank my team for maintaining this policy."

As for other teams, Jayco-AlUla made the decision to send Chris Harper home before the start of Stage 16 due to a COVID-19 infection. According to medical advice, Harper will return home to recover and focus on future goals.

Health remains a sensitive issue in other teams as well. UAE Team Emirates took additional health measures and sent Tim Wellens and Adam Yates to the stage start podium separately from the team. It was not reported whether both riders are showing symptoms. Tadej Pogacar's squad has stepped up health measures after Juan Ayuso had to pull out of the Tour because of COVID-19. Pogacar himself reportedly developed immunity after overcoming an infection before the Tour de France.