Maxim van Gils' second Tour de France experience is over after 15 stages. The 24-year-old Belgian of Lotto Dstny has abandoned the Grand Tour on the second rest day after testing positive for Covid.
"Unfortunately Maxim Van Gils has to leave this Tour de France, after having tested Covid positive," writes the Lotto Dstny team in an official announcement via their social media pages this Monday afternoon. "Van Gils woke up with very mild symptoms this morning. We wish him a speedy recovery!"
The coronavirus has made a very unwelcome return to the professional peloton at the 2024 Tour de France, with a number of big name riders such as former Alpe d'Huez stage winner Tom Pidcock, one of Tadej Pogacar's key mountain domestiques Juan Ayuso and Mark Cavendish's Astana Qazaqstan Team leadout supremo, Michael Morkov all being forced to abandon the race over the first two weeks of racing.
There are reports of a number of riders continuing on in the peloton despite having tested positive however. Pidcock's INEOS Grenadiers teammate, Geraint Thomas has also been battling Covid over the past few days but the former Maillot Jaune winner continues on regardless, with a number of other riders reportedly in a similar situation, but no so forthcoming as to admit they are Covid positive via the press.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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🇫🇷 #TDF2024 Unfortunately @maximvangils has to leave this Tour de France, after having tested covid positive. Van Gils woke up with very mild symptoms this morning. We wish him a speedy recovery!
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