After two years under corona conditions, a Tour de France like before the pandemic seemed possible. But in cycling there is fear.
Increasing numbers of infections in Europe Tour de Suisse as a farce and a defending champion Tadej Pogacar, wearing a mask again: before the start of the Tour de France On July 1st there is a high alarm mood in cycling. The Corona summer wave makes the industry tremble.
“For the sake of our sport, I don’t hope it will just be a lottery”said team boss Ralph Denk from the Bora-hansgrohe racing team: “The concern is there. It can take effect.”
More than 40 professionals got out of the Tour de Suisse
After numerous Corona cases, more than 40 professional cyclists had to Tour de Suisse end early in the last few days. There were also three cases in the Bora team, including that of Russia’s Alexander Vlasov, who had to drop out a day after his stage win and capture of the yellow jersey.
The immediate environment of Pogacar, who won the Tour of Slovenia in his home country as a dress rehearsal for the tour on Sunday (June 19th, 2022), was also affected. A teammate tested positive and another was taken out of the race to be on the safe side.
It can hit
“We isolate ourselves as best we can”said Pogacar, noting: “For the first two days we signed autographs and took photos with people. Now we keep our distance because we want to be at the start of the tour.”
The teams were startled, especially in Switzerland, the drivers had tested positive in rows. “We actually thought we put all that behind us”said Geraint Thomasthe winner of the 2018 Tour of France.
“I cross my fingers”
Four teams left the race completely because of the cases, others only made up a skeleton team in the end, like Bora-hansgrohe. “I cross my fingers that I don’t get Corona”, said the German champion Maximilian Schachmann, who had already been thrown back at the beginning of the year after a corona disease and a serious infection. According to Denk, his three colleagues who tested positive only have mild symptoms, “which makes us positive towards the Tour de France”.
Mandatory PCR tests before the start of the tour
Wlasow was intended as a man for the general classification in the Tour of France. “We haven’t given up. There’s still a chance. You have to wait a week now. If he’s negative, he can get back on the bike. He’s not training at the moment.”explained Denk.
Pogacar’s rival Primoz Roglic’s team was also affected. After Corona cases in the team, Jumbo-Visma was the first to leave the race, which is why no driver from the Swiss squad followed Roglic to the training camp Tignes will travel.
According to Denk, all drivers must submit a mandatory PCR test before the start of the tour, after which testing should be carried out on the rest days, as in the last two years.
Tour two years without a positive case
There was no positive case in the 2020 and 2021 editions, but the tour entourage was strictly isolated at the time and moved in its own bubble. Since this season, the world association UCI has relaxed the rules again.
At Bora you try that “use common sense” allow. “If we isolate ourselves again from the fans, from the journalists, then at some point the flair of the sport will be lost. I have a stomach ache.”said Denk. Cycling has to come to terms with the virus.