Thirty riders, including fresh Russian yellow jersey Aleksander Vlasov, had to leave the Tour de Suisse on Friday before the 6th stage began in Locarno due to multiple COVID-19 cases.
The other day, Briton Adam Yates (Ineos) and the entire Jumbo-Visma team were forced to surrender.
While Aleksander Vlasov, winner of the 5th stage was about to run in the leader’s shoes on Friday, the Russian was positive on COVID-19.
And he was far from alone. After Jumbo-Visma, all the UAE-Teams, Bahrain-Victorious and Alpecin-Fenix teams could not start due to cases in their range.
Other teams did not survive. EF Education-Easypost recorded four positive runners: Stefan Bisseger, Alberto Bettiol, Hugh Carty and finally Colombian Rigoberto Uran.
The Bora-Hansgrohe and Israel-Premier Tech teams had two absent each: Vlasov and Anton Palzer on one side, Sebastian Berwick and Reto Hollenstein (contact case) on the other.
Finally Gianluca Brambilla (Trek Segafredo), Alex Aranburu (Movistar), Louis Vervaeke (Quick-Step), Simone Petilli (Intermarché-Wanty) and Thomas Pidcock (Ineos-Grenadiers) completed the long list of absentees.
The 6th stage of the Tour de Suisse, which started on Friday morning in Locarno, will take riders to Moosalp.
In Vlasov’s absence, Dane Jakob Fuglsang (Israel-Premier Tech) took over the leader’s yellow jersey.
France Media Agency
Source: Radio-Canada
