Team DSM and Jumbo-Visma have withdrawn from the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana before the start of stage 4 after members of the teams tested positive for COVID-19. The teams did not specify if the two cases involved riders or staff.
On Friday, the BikeExchange-Jayco team withdrew from the Spanish stage race after two members of the squad tested positive for COVID-19. Movistar also announced that two of their riders – Juri Hollmann and Einer Rubio – had left the race after positive tests, but the other riders continued in the race.
Team DSM said they suffered three COVID-19 positive cases in their group for the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and opted to leave the race after close consultation with the race organisers and in compliance with UCI regulations.
Their team members were reported to have developed "mild complaints during the morning and are now in quarantine," with the team careful to follow the advice and rules from the local government.
The Jumbo-Visma line-up for the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana included Sam Oomen, Eduardo Affini and Milan Vader. The Dutch team were forced to close down their training camp in Alicante in early January after a positive COVID-19 case was identified via daily internal testing. Similar tests identified the latest positive cases.
“Since it cannot be ruled out that more people will test positive, the decision has been taken to protect others, inside and outside the team,” Jumbo-Visma explained when announcing their withdrawal from the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana.
“From three days before the start, all team members, riders and staff alike, were subjected to daily corona tests to be able to act appropriately in the interest of everyone’s health. In addition, compartments were used as much as possible to limit the number of so-called close contacts.
"The infected team members go into isolation, close contacts go into quarantine and the rest return home.”
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Stephen is one of the most experienced members of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. Before becoming Editor-at-large, he was Head of News at Cyclingnews. He has previously worked for Shift Active Media, Reuters and Cycling Weekly. He is a member of the Board of the Association Internationale des Journalistes du Cyclisme (AIJC).
