The 2021 Giro d’Italia has recorded no COVID-19 cases after its latest round of mass testing on the race bubble at the start of the race's third and final week.
On Tuesday evening, with five stages remaining, cycling’s governing body, the UCI, and race organiser RCS Sport stated in a communiqué that no riders or staff on the Giro had tested positive for COVID-19 after 592 PCR tests were carried out on Monday, May 24.
“In accordance with the Giro d’Italia health protocol [….] and in compliance with the measures of the Italian Health Ministry, all teams (riders and staff) were tested (COVID-19 testing using PCR tests),” the joint statement said.
The race bubble at the Giro had already undergone UCI-mandated PCR testing before the Grande Partenza in Turin, and a first round of mass testing at the beginning of the second week, with no positive cases for the 600 team staff and riders tested.
The Italian government had recently placed much of the country in the lower ‘yellow’ category, with restaurants and shops open but outdoor dining allowed until the 10 p.m. curfew. Face masks and social distancing continue to be obligatory outdoors in Italy.
Last October's Giro saw Jumbo-Visma and Mitchelton-Scott withdraw from the race after coronavirus cases were confirmed on their teams during PCR testing on the first rest day. One of this year’s favourites, Simon Yates, was among those that tested positive to COVID-19 on the Mitchelton-Scott team, as well as four staff members. On last year's Jumbo-Visma squad, Steven Kruijswijk tested positive.
The news means that the Giro d’Italia’s peloton and teams can proceed as normal with the final segment of the race, starting with Wednesday’s 193-kilometre high mountain stage from Canazei to Sega di Ala.
