"I’m going to stay far away from him" - Evenepoel looking to avoid Juan Ayuso following Covid-19 infection

Covid-19 has been spreading throughout the Vuelta a Espana very noticeably, and having the red jersey means extra precaution for Remco Evenepoel and Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team as they attempt to stay as safe as possible - even if it means steering clear of Juan Ayuso.

“I’m going to stay far away from him at the start,” Evenepoel said of Ayuso at the end of yesterday's 13th stage where both arrived safely in the peloton to keep their respective positions in the general classification. “I think it’s risky. There is a good chance that he will still give up because corona slowly builds up in the body".

Quick-Step riders are said to be sleeping in individual rooms, and Rémi Cavagna - former roommate of Pieter Serry who abandoned with a Covid infection - has not been having dinner with his teammates. The Belgian team are putting on all the stops to prevent an infection from derailing the race, and with Juan Ayuso testing positive but remaining in the Vuelta a Espana peloton, Evenepoel was adamant on keeping his distance to the Spaniard.

“It's not up to me to say anything about it. It's nice for him that he feels better. But I would advise him to think carefully about it, as he could be seriously ill within a few days. That's how it went for my teammate Pieter Serry," the 22-year old said. Both are however likely to go head to head at Sierra de la Pandera today where the GC will be played out once again in the final ascent.