After the Roller Vegard Stake Laengen, the yellow jersey is deprived of one of its mountain lieutenants. The Australian Luke Durbridge left the race for the same reason.
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“The covid can ruin everything on the tour,” said Tadej Pogacar after the arrival of the 8 e step, Saturday in Lausanne. Slovenian had reasons to be worried. Title Double Team Team, George Bennett had to leave this 2022 Tour de France after a positive test at COVVI-19, announced the UAE training before the departure of the 10 e step, Tuesday July 12 , in Morzine (Haute-Savoie).
“Monday evening, George presented certain symptoms and, according to our protocol, it was tested [with] a positive result. Consequently, he will not take the start [this Tuesday],” said Adrian Rotunno, director team medical.
Sadly Our Rider @Georgenbenbentt Tested Positive for COVVI-19 and will not continue Today in the #TDF2022.
We worldly… https://t.co/ndqb8ble2o
The New Zealander is the second positive case of the day after the Australian Luke Durbridge (Bikeexchange). Above all, his abandonment is added to that of another team member of Pogacar, the Norwegian Vegard Stake Laengen, forced to leave the race for the same reason, at the end of the 8 e .
In total, five runners abandoned after a positive test at COVID, including Geoffrey BOUCHARD (AG2R-CITROën) and Guillaume MARTIN (COFIDIS). The entire peloton passed a regulatory detection test on Sunday evening which gave a negative result for all of the runners.
a positive majka too, but authorized to continue
Can Bennett’s forced abandonment change the game for the formation of the yellow jersey, now reduced to six runners? Transfer of jumbo-visa, Bennett (32 years old) was expected to accompany Slovenian in high mountains.
Pogacar does not like to lend his yellow tunic carried since his victory in Longwy too much, during the 6 e step. “We have a strong team and we will try to control the race,” he said that day. He had held his promise. His team has always rolled behind the escapes, rather than “letting go” the jersey and transferring – temporarily – the weight of the race to a training.
With more than two weeks of racing, Tadej Pogacar will have to spare his last five team members, starting with Brandon McNulty and Rafal Majka, very asked as soon as the road rises. The latter, very precious, also underwent a positive control at the COVID 19. But the Polish climber was authorized to start by the doctors, due to a low viral load, as authorized by the new protocol decided by the ‘International cycling union (UCI) before the departure of this 109 e edition of the Tour.
Pogacar (23) was not born in 1989. That year, Greg Lemond had won the Tour de France with only three team members in the very modest ADR-Agrigel team. Not sure that the yellow jersey seeks to match or break this record.