NICE, France (AP)– French authorities have made it harder for Tour de France teams to reach the goal in Paris by deciding they will be expelled from the race if two or more of their members, consisting of personnel, test positive for COVID-19 within a week.
Following guidelines issued by the health authorities, the move was announced Saturday by Tour organizers just a few hours before the start of the three-week race’s opening stage in the Riviera city of Nice. It overthrew a choice from biking’s governing body, the UCI, that had actually eased the Trip’s exemption rules.
Under the UCI protocol revealed Friday, it would have depended on organizers to decide whether to toss a team out after two positive tests, with team member not counted.
There are 22 teams of eight riders completing at the Tour, however a total of 30 members per group when personnel are included.
” From two favorable cases in a group of 30, there is a genuine risk of removal of a group,” Trip director Christian Prudhomme told France Info radio.
The UCI’s revised procedure had actually left out staff members from the estimations following problems from groups who feared their riders would be unjustly omitted from the race.
This week, 4 team member of the Belgian group Lotto-Soudal were sent out house after “non-negative” coronavirus tests. The group stated a mechanic and a member of the rider support personnel returned “one favorable and one suspicious result.” Both left the race bubble together with their roommates.
In case of a favorable outcome during the race, the UCI has actually urged organizers to “do everything possible” to carry out a retest and a blood analysis prior to the next stage. The step is aimed at avoiding false positive tests that could dismiss healthy riders.
Tour organizers have actually set up a mobile coronavirus laboratory that can produce results in 2 hours and manage 50 tests a day on race days. Prudhomme stated he can’t guarantee a rider will be provided the additional tests before he is gotten rid of from the race following an initial favorable result.
” If it’s in the evening, we will adapt so it can be done. However if we have a favorable in the morning, he obviously won’t be on the starting line if we don’t have time for the follow-up test,” Prudhomme said.
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