Simon Pellaud opens up about how long-Covid affected racing ability for 14 months

Simon Pellaud is one of the most popular riders in the peloton. Now in Trek - Segafredo, he's been given a two-year contract to show off the American team's colours, however Covid-19 has come in the way of his plans.

"No, my legs are still not at 100 percent. Many have problems with the heat, I have other concerns. I couldn't really enjoy the Tour de Suisse. I try to stay positive. But it is not easy," Pellaud told 'Blick'. He reports the effects of long-Covid, as he explains the position he's been for the past year.  "I've been in a shitty situation for a year. In April 2021 I had Corona for the first time, it caught me on the Tour of the Basque Country. Then in August I broke my rib in a crash."

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The Trek - Segafredo rider says this is an ongoing issue and was the case too during the off-season, which hampered his ability to prepare for 2022. "In the winter I had huge difficulties, my legs hurt and I was powerless... Then I went down to breakfast and realized: I'm broken, just empty. I could hardly believe it. Bike training was out of the question, I just lay in bed or on the sofa," he added.

Pellaud only has one pro win from back in 2018 at the Tour of Hainan but he has made his career out of his combative spirit. His constant aggressive style of racing and popularity earned him a spot in the World Tour this year, but he aknowledges that things are not going the right way.

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"Sometimes it got better, sometimes worse. It was particularly bad at Christmas. My whole family had Corona and I had a fever of 40 degrees. It was difficult for me to breathe, I had diarrhea and a runny nose. This went on for months. I made progress, but then it hit me again. On average, I'm sick once every five years, in the last few months it's been seven or eight times," the Swiss rider explained in detail.

He had to give up on racing the Tour de Romandie, but has in the meantime picked up competition, having completed the recent Tour de Suisse - albeit without ever being in a breakaway.

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"I felt like I didn't have enough energy to get through the day. I couldn't organize my day the way I wanted. I was desperate," he justified, whilst interviewed during the race. You know, when you break a bone, you know how long it will take to heal. But not with Long Covid – that’s tough. I've had so many tests, so many blood draws. But nothing was found," he said.