Morzine: New Zealand’s George Bennett became the second team mate of defending champion Tadej Pogacar to leave the Tour de France after a positive COVID-19 test, the UAE Team Emirates said today.
“On Monday he was tested as per internal protocols of the team and returned a positive result. This was confirmed with a PCR test. Therefore he will not start today,” team doctor Adrian Rotunno said.
Last Saturday, Vegard Stake Laengen also pulled out with COVID-19, which means that Pogacar’s team are now down to six riders going into a gruelling week in the Alps.
Pogacar leads the overall standings, 39 seconds ahead of Dane Jonas Vingegaard.
Today’s 10th stage is a 148-km mountain trek to Megeve.
Earlier, Australian Luke Durbridge was also pulled out after testing positive for COVID-19, his Bike Exchange-Jayco team said.
Mild symptoms
“Unfortunately Luke Durbridge has tested positive for COVID-19 this morning. Durbridge has very mild symptoms & will not start todays stage 10,” the Australian outfit said in a statement.
Bennett is the fifth rider to leave the race with a positive COVID-19 test since the start on July 1.
All riders had been tested on Sunday night and all tests had returned negative.
Last year, if two members of a team tested positive for COVID the whole outfit would be sent packing, which is not the case in this edition.
Whether a rider who tests positive can stay in the race is decided following a meeting between race, International Cycling Union (UCI) and team doctors, depending on the rider’s viral load.
