Greg Van Avermaet (AG2R Citroën Team) insists he is 'clear' to race a full spring campaign without receiving his third COVID-19 vaccine dose, despite the latest rules introduced by the UCI and the French government.
The former Olympic champion contracted COVID-19 in November, which, he says, will count as a substitute for a booster shot in his 'passport' paperwork.
Van Avermaet has attracted attention for his perceived vaccine hesitancy, after suggesting his second dose last summer affected his performances and caused a slump in the second half of the season. When he indicated he would delay his third dose until after the 2022 Classics campaign, he was branded 'the Novak Djokovic of cycling' in certain sections of the media.
Speaking during a press conference on Tuesday ahead of his season debut at the Etoile de Bessèges, Van Avermaet was clearly uncomfortable with all the attention that has come his way.
"I don't know why I'm always getting these questions about vaccination," he said. "But I’m all fine. I'm fine. I have my COVID passport. I'm clear. I'm vaccinated. No worries."
Since Van Avermaet indicated his desire to delay his third dose, the rules surrounding athletes' vaccination status have changed. The UCI has updated its own protocols, which appear not to pose any concern to the Belgian, but the French government has introduced new regulations of its own.
Professional athletes wishing to compete in France will have to have proof of full vaccination procedure which, from February 15, will include a third dose four months after the second dose. This does not affect the Etoile de Bessèges this week, but would, as it stands, be in force for Paris-Roubaix on April 17.
"I have my certificate of recovery," was Van Avermaet's response when asked about the new regulations. "It covers Roubaix, so there’s no problem."
French government guidelines appear to state that proof of prior infection within the past six months would count for a valid 'vaccine pass'. Van Avermaet had COVID-19 in November so would fall within that timeframe.
In an earlier Flemish-language section of the press conference, according to Sporza, he said: "It would be stupid if I had to get a booster shot immediately after my infection. It's a bit too crazy for words to have to keep protecting me against something that didn't make me sick."
Van Avermaet would, however, need to receive a booster ahead of the Tour de France, but has already indicated that he will do this once the Classics are out of the way in late April.
Asked about the comparisons with tennis star Djokovic, who was deported from Australia last month prior to competing in the Australian Open, Van Avermaet denied that he was hurt or upset by the focus on his vaccination status.
"No, no, I just don’t understand, because I’m vaccinated and have my thing of having COVID myself, so I don’t understand," he said. "I don't know why people ask me. It's probably because I said that I was having lesser performances after my vaccination."
