There was a major disappointment for Geraint Thomas and the INEOS Grenadiers this morning as Filippo Ganna was forced to abandon the Giro d'Italia after a positive covid test.
"It's a big loss for the team," the Welshman revealed prior to the start of stage 8 in conversation with Sporza. “It's disappointing. Ganna was an important link in the team, he has already brought me back into the peloton twice this Giro after I had bad luck. It is very unfortunate."
As always when discussing a positive covid diagnosis for a teammate, the questions quickly turn to whether or not Thomas himself now feels at risk of testing positive. "No, not that. We just have to do everything we can regarding hygiene. I'm not going to a disco anyway, right now," he says despite the fact they INEOS riders all shared a ride down the mountain after stage 7.
“We were all crammed into it," Thomas explains. "We had masks on, but there was nothing else we could do.”
Filippo Ganna will regrettably not line up to contest today’s Stage 8 of the 2023 #Giro, after testing positive for Covid-19 and displaying mild, flu-like symptoms. Filippo will now rest and recover fully before resuming his remaining 2023 race programme.
