It is the first major stop in the world of cycling because of the coronavirus. The UAE Tour, which was contested in the United Arab Emirates, with notably the Groupama-FDJ team or the Englishman Christopher Froome was stopped definitively after the fifth stage. "The remaining stages of the UAE Tour are canceled after two masseurs from an Italian team tested positive for the new coronavirus," said the Abu Dhabi Sports Council.
For a long time, a rumor within the peloton reported two contaminated cyclists before the organizers denied it. "The runners are all confined to their hotel," explains an observer. Organizers and journalists are in another. All the teams had the right to circulate in their hotel, on condition of respecting hygiene rules such as not shaking hands with other people. But they are not allowed to leave the establishment. In the other hotel, the followers are forbidden to leave their rooms.
Until 8 a.m. (5 a.m. in Abu Dhabi), all runners and staff took turns to undergo a coronavirus screening test in a hotel lounge. The teams were called one after the other to undergo the test. The results are obviously not yet known. "It is a disappointment that the UAE Tour is canceled, reacted on Twitter Christopher Froome who contested on this occasion his return race. But public health must be the priority. I hope those affected will recover quickly and there will be no new cases. ”
