Covid outbreak at the Giro, 6 other riders leave

CAMAIORE – Now the Tour of Italy is a real hotbed of Covid. On today’s morning, the one before the start of the eleventh stage from Camaiore to Viareggio, six riders had to raise the white flag for coronavirus. The Soudal-Quick Step of Remco Evenepoel, who went home in the pink jersey on Sunday night. Hirt, Cattaneo, Vervaeke and Cerny must stop after experiencing symptoms and receiving positive tests. The Belgian team remains in the running with only three men: Ballerini, Serry and Van Wilder.

Giro, already 16 withdrawals due to Covid

But the virus has also affected Stefano Gandin (Corratec) e Andrea Vendrame (Ag2r). Moreover, Russian too Alexander Vlasov, withdrawn in the tenth stage at the foot of Passo delle Radici due to “extreme fatigue”, tested this morning and received a positive result. Seven in one day, in addition to the 9 of the first stages: the count has reached 16, exactly how many positives were in the 2020 Giro, the one that took place in October in the midst of the pandemic and was characterized by mass withdrawals of some teams and requests to close out the race at the end of the second week.

The eleventh stage is the halfway point of a race already ruined by the retirement of the pink jersey and great favorite Remco Evenepoel. With the controversies that followed, the mutual accusations, the suspicions and the masks, back in all the snapshots of this race destined to be remembered above all for all this.