tour reporter
Tadej Pogacar extends his lead by four seconds on stage 8 of the Tour. But the most important topic afterwards is a corona case in his team.
Five questions were allowed to the man in the yellow jersey. Tadej Pogacar crouched, microphone in hand, on the small podium they set up inside a truck at the finish area. Because of the corona pandemic, the press conferences of the stage winner and the leader in the overall standings will be broadcast from there via video conference.
The “locomotive” is positive
In Lausanne, the destination of the 8th stage of the Tour de France, this time four of the five questions addressed to Pogacar revolved around the corona virus. His third place in Lausanne Behind Wout van Aert and Michael Matthews and four more bonus seconds played only a minor role.
In the morning the news had made the rounds that the Frenchman Geoffrey Bouchard and the Norwegian Vergard stake lengths had to leave the race because of a positive corona test. lengths is a teamcolleague of Pogacar, one who can keep the captain out of the wind for a long time, especially on the flat.
“He is our engine”Pogacar said of the 33-year-old. “It will be difficult without him.” But the sporting loss should be far less of a headache for the Slovenian than the concern that the virus will now continue to make its way through the UAEteam is working.
Testing is done on the rest day
In the Tour de Suisse in June, several teams were taken out of the race because of this. That team EF Education EasyPost finished the tour with only two riders – the German professional cyclist Jonasrutsch and the American Neilson Powless.
Such a scenario would be fatal for Pogacar. Because with just one helper at his side, even he couldn’t win the tour – despite his superiority. And a positive test of his own could even completely stop his journey to the third tour victory in a row. “I hope that we can now get to Paris with seven drivers”said the 23-year-old in Lausanne.
On Sunday (07/10/2022) Pogacar and the rest of the peloton will start the first stage in the Alps, after which the Tour de France a rest day, but which may now be as important as the duels on the street. Because on Monday, the tour organizer ASO carries out an antigen test on all drivers. If the test is positive, the drivers are then asked to take a PCR test.
Relaxed pre-tour rules
But even that does not necessarily mean an exclusion if the driver in question has no symptoms. A panel of teamPhysician, a doctor from the World Cycling Union UCI and the Corona representative of the tour then advise whether the professional concerned can continue or not. The UCI had relaxed the Corona rules accordingly shortly before the tour, probably also in order not to endanger the most important cycle race in the world and a scenario like the Tour de Suisse to avoid.
Nevertheless pay attention teams and tour organization meticulously to ensure that there is as little contact as possible with the professional cyclists, at least around the start and finish. The journalists, for example, are allowed to come to the team buses again for interviews this time, but there is a strict mask requirement there. The spokespersons and supervisors also make sure that the media representatives do not get too close to the drivers when they are greedy for quotes.
Professional cyclist Tadej Pogacar during an interview
The fans are getting close again
the fans however, will still not come close to that teamfine. Unlike in previous years, however, there are no restrictions along the route. “It’s a lot every day fans at the track and cheer us on. I like that, but it increases the risk of infection”says Pogacar. “I hope we stay safe.”
At his teamcolleagues lengths the matter was clear, by the way. The Norwegian had after the stage La Super Planche des Belles Filles complained of symptoms and was right off the rest of the teams been isolated.
“Covid can’t be my rival”
Whether Covid is now his biggest rival, Pogacar was in Lausanne still asked. “Covid can’t be my rival, it’s a virus. My rivals are the other drivers, for example from the Jumboteam“said the Slovenian. “So it was good that I was third today and gained four seconds.”
Pogacar’s lead in the standings is now 39 seconds over Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard in second. On Sunday the final climb will be after Chatel Les Portes du Soleil try to gain more time.