UAE-TeamEmirates' Matteo Trentin out of Tour de France with Covid-19, Jumbo-Visma boss also tests positive
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Updated 29/06/2022 at 12:20 GMT
UAE-TeamEmirates' Matteo Trentin and Team Jumbo-Visma boss Merijn Zeeman have both tested positive for Covid-19 just days before the start of the Tour de France. Trentin is out of the race, while Zeeman will work remotely for now. It comes as the International Cycling Union (UCI) moved to reinforce their Covid-19 rules for the Tour following a spate of positive tests at the recent Tour de Suisse.
Matteo Trentin
Image credit: Getty Images
UAE-TeamEmirates' Matteo Trentin is out of the Tour de France with Covid-19.
Trentin's result is the latest in a string of positive tests in elite cycling, with Team Jumbo-Visma boss Merijn Zeeman also announcing his own positive test on Wednesday.
Trentin will be replaced by Marc Hirschi, while Zeeman will manage his team remotely during the start of the Tour de France until he has recovered.
Following the spate of positive tests at the recent Tour de Suisse - as well as that of Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl rider Tim Declercq on Tuesday - it's a development that is bound to further unsettle organisers of the Tour just two days before the Grand Depart in Copenhagen.
Mindful of the escalation, the International Cycling Union (UCI) have stepped in to reinforce their Covid-19 measures, which will include a requirement for riders and staff to present "at least one negative antigen test" two days prior to the start of the race.
However, the rule to withdraw a team that has two or more riders returning positive PCR tests has been removed.
UCI president David Lappartient said: "In view of the evolution of the international health situation and on the eve of the Tour de France, it has become necessary to reinforce the measures in force to ensure that the cycling events on our international calendar can be held successfully and to protect the health of those present at the races," said UCI President David Lappartient.
"Even if the situation we are currently experiencing with the pandemic is less worrying than the one we saw at the height of the health crisis, we must remain vigilant.
"With this in mind, I call on all parties concerned to continue to scrupulously respect all the provisions of our health protocols.
"This discipline and solidarity have enabled us to maintain our activities over the past two years and will enable us to cope should the pandemic worsen in the future."
Jumbo-Visma will hope that Zeeman's temporary absence doesn't derail their tilt at the Yellow Jersey in this year's race, led by one of the favourites Primoz Roglic.
Their other seven riders are Jonas Vingegaard, Christophe Laporte, Sepp Kuss, Wout van Aert, Steven Kruijswijk, Tiesj Benoot and Nathan Van Hooydonck.
UAE have their own yellow jersey candidate in Tadej Pogacar, with the remarkable Slovenian going for a third Tour crown at just 23 years old.
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Stream the Tour de France live and on-demand on discovery+. You can also watch all the action live on eurosport.co.uk.
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