Covid, masks in contact with riders return to the Giro

The organization of the Giro d'Italia has decided to reintroduce the obligation of masks in areas where riders come into contact with other people. This was announced by the director of the race, Mauro Vegni, in Scandiano (Reggio Emilia), on the occasion of the first day of rest, after the positive case of Covid of the pink jersey, Remco Evenepoel, who retired. Neither the organization nor the International Cycling Union have Covid protocols, the decision to stop positive cyclists is entirely in the hands of the teams that have no obligations. The decision of the Giro was taken as a form of protection for the participants.

ANSA Agency

Giro: Swiss media, snow on the Gran S.Bernardo, Coppi peak jump - Cycling

Skip the Cima Coppi at the 2,469 meters of the Gran San Bernardo pass of the 2023 edition of the Giro d'Italia. (ANSA)

The teams present at the Giro d'Italia provide, in their internal protocols, periodic tests on riders to see if they are positive for Covid, regardless of symptoms. This is why yesterday, after winning the time trial in Cesena and regaining the pink jersey, Remco Evenepoel was stopped, who today returns home to Belgium and tomorrow will not start again from Scandiano (Reggio Emilia) where the tour is observing the first day of rest. Unlike what happened in previous years, in fact, there is no protocol imposed either by the International Cycling Union, nor by the organization of the race, especially after the declaration of the World Health Organization that declared the end of the pandemic. Each team can behave as it sees fit to protect its athletes. In practice, each team periodically tests all the athletes, but has no obligations of any kind, not even related to communication: it is the health staff that decides independently how and when to do the tests and whether to stop the riders who should test positive, as happened to Evenepoel yesterday, but as happened in recent days also to Filippo Ganna of Ineos, Giovanni Aleotti (Bora) and Nicola Conci (Alpecin). When it comes to a decision of this type it is purely health: the team doctor has reasons to believe that, even if the positive rider is asymptomatic, subjecting him to a physical effort as exhausting as running the Giro d'Italia as positive for the virus, may represent a risk that it is more prudent not to run.