La Vuelta 2022: ‘No consistency’ – Dan Lloyd and Adam Blythe on Juan Ayuso coronavirus debate
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Updated 02/09/2022 at 14:47 GMT
Dan Lloyd believes “there’s no consistency” from cycling’s organisers regarding coronavirus regulations which allow riders to test positive for COVID-19 but stay in the race, if they have a low viral load. Juan Ayuso became the latest rider to cause debate in the peloton. Stream La Vuelta live and on-demand on discovery+. You can also watch all the action live on eurosport.co.uk.
Should riders who test positive for coronavirus be sent home?
Dan Lloyd says it’s “frustrating” that “there’s no consistency” in cycling regarding coronavirus regulations, after Juan Ayuso tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of Stage 13 at La Vuelta but was allowed to continue.
Ayuso became the 24th rider to be infected by coronavirus but will continue due to a low viral load, which was the case with his UAE Team Emirates team-mate Rafal Majka at the Tour de France.
"As per our internal protocols, Juan Ayuso was tested for Covid-19 and returned a positive result this morning," said UAE Team Emirates doctor Adrian Rotunno.
"He is asymptomatic and analysing his PCR found he had a very low risk of infectivity, similar to cases such as we saw at this year's Tour de France.
“We have made the decision in consultation with medical representatives from the race organisation and the UCI. We are aware of Juan's clinical picture and are closely monitoring his situation."
On The Breakaway, Lloyd hinted that because Ayuso is fifth in the general classification, it may have influenced the decision to keep him in the race.
“The team doctors and protocols vary from one to the next,” said Lloyd. “We’ve seen that with AG2R, UAE Team Emirates at the Tour de France and again now with Juan Ayuso.
“They have said his viral load is not high enough to leave the race.
“You get the impression that, had it been a lesser rider on the team, nowhere in general classification, you would say ‘you have tested positive for covid, out of safety for you and the rest of the team we’re going to send you home.
“But because Ayuso is right up there in the general classification, of course the team don’t want to see him leave the race and the Vuelta organisers.
“It’s just a bit of a mess and there’s no consistency with it. That’s what is frustrating for everybody, us the viewers of cycling, the teams and the riders as well.”
Cofidis’ Jose Herrada Lopez, who was forced to abandon La Vuelta due to a positive coronavirus test earlier this week, called the situation a “circus”.
Adam Blythe agreed with the inconsistency and pointed to Grand Tour organisers’ decisions to have the opening stages of the three-week race in a different country.
This year, the Giro d’Italia began in Hungary, Denmark hosted the Grand Depart at the Tour de France and the Netherlands started La Vuelta.
“The organisers want to keep as many riders as possible in the race,” Blythe said. “If you’ve got a certain viral level you can carry on, if not, you can.
“Even though the organisers don’t want riders to leave, they are still pushing for these starts in different countries.
“This Vuelta has had two flights and they are not helping the riders and teams. Going through airports, getting on planes, it’s the worst possible scenario for a rider to not be with their team as much.
“I know they have to race with them but you would think they would try and help as much as they can.
“It’s a big business, money is involved but you would think they would try to keep it to a minimum.”
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Stream La Vuelta live and on-demand on discovery+. You can also watch all the action live on eurosport.co.uk.
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