Deceuninck-QuickStep’s Ian Garrison denied flight to Europe for training camp

The Belgian team are due to convene at Passo San Pellegrino on July 6 to begin their training ahead of the season resumption in August.

However 22-year-old Garrison, who has based himself in his native Georgia during the lockdown has been stopped from getting on a flight that would have taken him from Atlanta to Amsterdam.

Restrictions put in place by the European Union has America on a red list due to their handling of the Covid-19 situation.

Despite having a letter from his team explaining his situation, Garrison was not allowed on as he didn’t have a work visa or residency permit for his flight.

"This year was my first year I was planning to be over there full-time. I was going to be based in Girona and then ended up coming back once all the corona stuff started. I was just in the process of getting a visa and then I came back home – so I don’t have one yet," Garrison told Velonews.

Most American riders are potentially at risk with very few remaining in Europe once lockdown came into effect across the world.

Some have been able to fly through on special visas before the new restrictions came into place and now it remains to be seen what will happen once the dust settles.