Giro d'Italia: More COVID-19 positives as Pozzovivo, Bystrøm, Scotson withdraw

Six riders out of the Giro d'Italia after testing positive for COVID-19 turned into nine on Tuesday morning after Israel-Premier Tech announced their GC leader Domenico Pozzovivo wouldn't take the start of stage 10.

Moments later, Intermarché-Circus-Wanty announced that their rider Sven Erik Bystrøm would also leave the race, despite the rider having earlier been cleared to race on following a positive COVID-19 test. Jayco-AlUla rider Callum Scotson is also a DSN on Tuesday due to COVID-19.

Norwegian rider Bystrøm tested positive for the virus during the first week of the race but was set to continue in the race after his team consulted with the UCI and the chief medical officer of Giro organisers RCS Sport.

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During Monday's rest day, Intermarché-Circus-Wanty confirmed Bystrøm's continued participation in the race, stating that the 31-year-old was asymptomatic and had undergone several medical tests amid consultation with the UCI and Giro organisers before the decision was taken.

However, ahead of Tuesday's 196km stage 10, the team stated that Bystrøm had developed symptoms overnight, leading to his withdrawal from the race.

"As a reminder, Bystrøm received the green lights from the medical teams of the UCI & RCS to continue the race after testing positive for COVID, in absence of symptoms and in accordance to the UCI protocol," Intermarché-Circus-Wanty announced via Twitter.

"However, Sven Erik Bystrøm started to develop symptoms on the night of Monday to Tuesday. As a precautionary measure and in order to preserve his health, he will return home to rest."

Bystrøm's teammate Rein Taaramäe is also out the race after the rest day with stomach problems.

Meanwhile, Israel-Premier Tech announced that Pozzovivo "tested positive this morning" with teammate Mads Würtz Schmidt also heading home following an illness. Jayco-AlUla announced that Scotson had "mild symptoms", taking him out of the race following his positive test.

Later on Tuesday morning, Alpecin-Deceuninck announced that Oscar Riesebeek had a lung infection and was unable to carry on in the Giro. Alpecin-Deceuninck have already lost Ramon Sinkeldam and Nicola Conci.

UCI COVID-19 health protocols eased for the 2023 season, with the worst of the pandemic in the rear-view mirror. Requirements for rider testing were lifted, though measures such as wearing masks and distancing or restricting access in communal space and race starts/finishes remained 'desirable' and 'recommended'.

The UCI protocol also confirmed it would also be no longer mandatory for riders to withdraw from races following a positive test, with decisions taken 'in a collegial manner' by doctors from the team, race organisation, and UCI.

Contrary to his team's statement, Bystrøm told Norwegian Eurosport on Monday that he already showed mild symptoms following his positive test.

"It's been a bit slow the last few days. It's just been about getting through, it's been hard," he said. 

"You have to make a judgement based on symptoms. If I had a fever and felt sick, it would have been something, but I have light symptoms and felt tired. That's normal on stages 6, 7, and 8 of a three-week race.

"I'm looking brighter now and hope to be in the break one day. I feel better today and feel that the illness is out of my body."

The impact of keeping symptomatic riders in the Giro peloton remains to be seen – last year, a study conducted by The Lancet showed that those with COVID-19 were still infectious five days after the start of symptoms, with symptoms showing three days ahead of peak viral load.

Bystrøm, however, suggested that many riders in the peloton have tested positive, saying "If everyone with a positive test went home then almost no riders would arrive in Rome."

Tightening restrictions

Giro d'Italia organisers RCS Sport announced on Monday following race leader Remco Evenepoel's withdrawal that COVID-19 rules at the race would be tightened. Face masks are now compulsory in various areas at the start and finish of stages.

Teams have conducted testing according to their own internal rules on testing, with Jumbo-Visma and Soudal-QuickStep among those testing regularly during the race. Ineos Grenadiers are also set to step up testing.

"We all perhaps stopped focusing on it too soon. We've got to lift our guard, and we’ll start from this week," race director Mauro Vegni said. "We'll again introduce the rules that were dropped, such as the obligation to wear masks when coming into contact with the riders at the start and finish.

"We won't limit the way people can work on the race, but whoever wants to interact with the riders will have to wear a mask. Should we have done it earlier? Probably."

Following Evenepoel's withdrawal, Vegni and Giro organisers were blasted by Soudal-QuickStep doctor Yvan Vanmol. The Belgian cited "negligence and a lack of professionalism" in organising the race.

"Remco is very unhappy," he told Belgian Radio 1, as reported by Het Nieuwsblad. "You make so many sacrifices, but due to negligence and a lack of professionalism from the organisation you have to leave the Giro as leader.

"For example, the press conferences were held in rooms that were far too small. That pisses me off.

"It was impossible for the organisation," he added, referring to the team's proposal to do virtual press conferences. "I'm not saying that it would have been prevented, but the chance would certainly be reduced.

"Of course, Remco had the most encounters with other people. It remains to be seen whether there will be more infections in the team."

Pozzovivo, Bystrøm and Scotson join Clément Russo (Arkéa-Samsic), Giovanni Aleotti (Bora-Hansgrohe), Nicola Conci (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), and Rigoberto Urán (EF Education-EasyPost) and former maglia rosa Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) on the list of riders who have left the race following COVID-19 positives.