Shadow over cycling tour as teams withdraw
ROME: The Giro d’Italia was on the brink of cancellation yesterday after five teams were hit by Covid19 cases on the first rest day, two of them pulling out of the threeweek grand tour 12 days before the finish in Milan.
The Australianbased MitcheltonScott team withdrew after four staff members tested positive for the coronavirus. Its top rider, Simon Yates, pulled out last week.
JumboVisma, whose leader Steven Kruisjwijk tested positive, also withdrew from the tour.
A Team Sunweb rider, one staff member from IneosGrenadiers and AG2RLa Mondiale also returned positive tests, organisers RCS said.
RCS, in a joint statement with the International Cycling Union, said the teams’ doctors had ordered ‘‘isolation measures’’.
Sunweb’s Michael Matthews had tested positive and sports director Luke Roberts said the Australian was asymptomatic.
‘‘Obviously, it’s really disappointing to lose one of the riders,’’ Roberts told reporters.
‘‘We’re in with a fight for the GC (general classification) and Michael was and would have been a great help to us.
‘‘Nevertheless, that’s bike racing and we’ll continue to chase after our goals and I hope we can make it to Milan.’’
JumboVisma said it had pulled out of the race for the safety of everyone involved.
‘‘We thought it was the most responsible decision because we’ve all been close to Steven,’’ sports director Addy Engels said.
Riders in the Giro stay in a biosecure bubble when not on the road, as they did for the Tour de France.
On the Tour de France, two positive tests in a team within one week would have triggered the ejection of the outfit from the race but no such rule was put in place for the Italian grand tour, which started in Sicily on October 3.
Dutchman Jos van Emden of JumboVisma criticised the organisation, saying the bubble was not secure enough.
‘‘The other day we were in there with four or five teams . . . but in that particular hotel we were in, the neutral service, the police on motorbikes were there, just normal people were there and they were all eating from the same buffet so I think it was a real big mistake,’’ Van Emden told The Cycling Podcast.
Italy, which hosted the rescheduled world championships last month, has had a recent rise in coronavirus cases. There were 5901 new cases reported in the last 24 hours.
Triple world champion Peter Sagan, riding for BoraHansgrohe, rode solo to claim the 10th stage.
Victory gave Sagan (30) his first win since claiming the fifth stage on last year’s Tour de France in which he won the green jersey.
Portuguese rider Joao Al me ida( Dece uni nickQuickstep) lead son general classification.
Golf’s world No 1 Dustin Johnson has tested positive for Covid19, the PGA Tour said in a statement yesterday.
The 36yearold American, who last competed at September’s US Open, has withdrawn from this week’s CJ Cup in Las Vegas in light of the diagnosis as he begins to selfisolate.
Johnson notified Tour officials that he was experiencing symptoms and was administered a test, with the positive result forcing his withdrawal from the event.
‘‘Obviously, I am very disappointed,’’ Johnson said.
‘‘I was really looking forward to competing this week, but will do everything I can to return as quickly as possible. I have already had a few calls with the Tour’s medical team and appreciate all the support and guidance they have given me.''
Johnson has had a sensational year, winning his first FedExCup championship at East Lake last month before taking home PGA Tour Player of the Year honours for the second time.
Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo has tested positive for Covid19, Portugal’s Football Federation said in a statement on its website yesterday.
The 35yearold Juventus forward is asymptomatic and will miss today’s Nations League game against Sweden as he selfisolates.
The federation added that the rest of the Portugal squad had undergone tests as a result of Ronaldo’s positive, but that they had all tested negative and would be available for the match. — Reuters