COVID-19 has struck the peloton once again in the run-up to the Giro d'Italia, with Bahrain Victorious the latest team forced to change their plans after suffering a case of the virus, while Jumbo-Visma have also been forced into another reshuffle.
The Dutch squad have called up climber Sam Oomen to fill in for Jos Van Emden, who himself was a late replacement after Robert Gesink and Tobias Foss caught COVID-19 earlier this week. Oomen himself missed last month's Liège-Bastogne-Liège after coming down with the virus.
At Bahrain, meanwhile, Gino Mäder, a 2021 stage winner in Ascoli and key lieutenant for GC hopeful Jack Haig, is a late scratch from the team's eight-man lineup. The Swiss rider was ruled out of contention on Thursday morning following a positive test and will be replaced by Yukiya Arashiro.
Mäder joins Trek-Segafredo's GC hopeful Giulio Ciccone, DSM youngster Henri Vandenabeele and the Jumbo-Visma duo on the list of riders to miss the Giro following positive COVID-19 tests. Arkéa-Samsic leader Warren Barguil was also hit by the virus after Liège. However, he's set to start the Giro following a swift recovery.
"Most likely not going to announce my goals next year," Mäder wrote on Twitter after the news was announced. "Let's see if COVID still manages to ruin my hopes then. For now, I'll rest and enjoy home.
"Yukiya Arashiro, hope you enjoy the last-minute three weeks Italy all-inclusive trip."
The rise in cases follows on from the recent Tour de Romandie, where numerous riders were forced to leave the race after falling ill. Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Qazaqstan) was affected, as were Arkéa-Samsic duo Kévin Vauquelin and Andrii Ponomar, plus Cofidis pair Anthony Perez and Ion Izagirre.
With symptomatic cases and illnesses on the rise in the peloton, it seems inevitable that the Giro d'Italia will once again be affected by the virus. The spectre of COVID-19 comes three years on from the pandemic-delayed edition of the race which saw several teams pull out midway through amid numerous positive cases with race director Mauro Vegni threatening legal action against teams following the withdrawals.
Jumbo-Visma directeur sportif Arthur Van Dongen told De Telegraaf on Thursday morning (before Van Emden's positive test was announced) that COVID-19 is a concern going into the race. He said that anti-COVID measures which have gradually been toned down (such as regular testing), will make a reappearance at the race.
"Of course, this worries us, but not only us," Van Dongen said about the spread of the virus. "We came to Italy with the team on Wednesday on a flight with many riders.
"The world around us has forgotten Corona but everyone from the cycling teams on the plane wore a face mask. Other measures will also be restarted, like testing every day."
Van Dongen said that the riders who have been forced out of his team's selection have actually fallen quite ill with the virus – these are not asymptomatic cases.
"Maybe some people will think it's not a big deal, and for some, it may not be. Sam Oomen also tested positive and only suffered a bit of a runny nose, but Robert and Tobias were very sick with a severe fever."
Team leader and GC contender Primož Roglič is "very relaxed" despite the worries, Van Dongen added. Beyond taking the necessary precautions to avoid illness and continue taking the fight to Remco Evenepoel and the other GC men, there's little he can do to affect the virus spreading, after all.
"Primož is very relaxed. He knows by now that anything can happen in cycling and that it's out of your control. That is happening to us now and he's someone who can handle that very well.
"There's one goal we are focussing on and that is winning the Giro with Primož. It will be difficult to beat Evenepoel, but there are also many other competitors. Anyway, despite the problems in the run-up, we are ready for it."
