Remco Evenepoel annoyed at lack of protection at Tour de France against Covid: "Covid doesn't come into the peloton by itself"

Remco Evenepoel, who recently survived another day at the Tour de France without incident, has called for a return to precautionary measures in the face of Covid-19. After completing the stage between Agen and Pau with an outstanding performance, the Soudal Quick-Step leader expressed concern about the relaxation of health safety measures at the sporting event and is one of the riders who is consistently wearing a mask.

He would know, as last year he was leading the Giro d'Italia when a positive Covid-19 took him out of the race, essentially ending months of work in a split second. The Soudal - Quick-Step is having the best Tour de France anyone could've hoped for and does not want to lose it for circumstances outside of the race.

Evenepoel, who wears the best young rider's white jersey and currently sits second overall before facing the stages in the Pyrenees, commented on the need to return to the precautions of 2021 and 2022. "I think we should go back to situations like those years," he said, emphasizing the importance of minimizing the risks of being infected. Juan Ayuso and Michael Morkov have been confirmed to have it, but rumours of it circulate within the peloton with growing intensity this week.

During an interview, the second placed in the overall classification not only spoke about his expectations for the upcoming stages, but also about his decision to wear a mask in the mixed zone. "Because you guys don't wear them," he replied to journalists, stressing that the intention is to avoid any possible external infection. "We want to stay as safe as possible. Covid doesn't come into the peloton by itself, it comes from outside," he pointed out.

In addition to his comments on Covid-19, Evenepoel reflected on the accumulated fatigue in the peloton after days of intense racing, which could influence the results and strategies of the upcoming stages. "The last two days have introduced a lot more fatigue into the peloton's legs. That can change the results, the race situations and the way of racing. And I think that's not bad for me. Let the race begin," he said optimistically.

Today he was very much called for action as Team Visma | Lease a Bike tried to split the peloton - successfully - early on and taking no passengers. Evenepoel required an all-out effort to close the gap and worked with the Dutch team at the time, but ultimately the attack was not successful.

The issue of safety in the race was also addressed, especially after the withdrawal of Primoz Roglic due to a crash. Evenepoel mentioned the responsibility of riders to be aware of their position in the peloton, as well as the need for better signage to avoid accidents. "It won't be the first or the last crash caused by street furniture. It is part of the race. We race on public roads and we have to adapt," he commented.