Simon Yates abandons Vuelta a Espana with Covid-19 leaving BikeExchange in dangerous relegation risk

Team BikeExchange-Jayco will today start the eleventh stage of the Vuelta a España decapitated. Overall classification contender and team leader Simon Yates was forced to abandon the race following a positive Covid-19 test.

Team doctor has said in a press release: "During the night our rider Simon Yates had some COVID-19 symptoms with a light fever and body aches. We carried out a COVID-19 test this morning and unfortunately, he has returned a positive test result, and will therefore not be taking to the start line of today’s 11th stage, with rider health and wellbeing our priority.”

Yates was sitting in fifth position in the overall classification after a strong time-trial on stage 10. The Briton had been leading the team and carried it's GC aspirations, and the points the team need to remain at World Tour level were widely expected to come from the Vuelta. This abandon comes as a big hit, as suddenly Yates will not be scoring further points in the race, and will be in a vulnerable position against Enric Mas' Movistar Team and Lotto Soudal which have been scoring away from the Vuelta.