Filippo Ganna has left Ineos Grenadiers one rider brief on the Giro d’Italia, after testing constructive for COVID-19 forward of stage 8 of the 2023 race.
In an announcement on Twitter (opens in new tab), the workforce mentioned, “Filippo Ganna will regrettably not line as much as contest at the moment’s Stage 8 of the 2023 #Giro, after testing constructive for Covid-19 and displaying gentle, flu-like signs.
“Filippo will now relaxation and get well totally earlier than resuming his remaining 2023 race programme.”
Chatting with Cyclingnews at first of stage 8, Rod Ellingsworth defined, “He began not feeling nice yesterday throughout the day, on the bike he wasn’t feeling good. He examined constructive this morning.”
The most recent UCI protocol stipulates {that a} rider doesn’t essentially want to depart the race within the occasion of a constructive take a look at for COVID-19. Nevertheless, the workforce decided it was the very best plan of action, regardless of the lack of a key rider within the race.
“We simply determined it’s finest for Filippo [to leave the race], for the workforce, for everyone – you calculate the dangers, don’t you, and there’s the protocol that you simply don’t must take them out essentially, however we determined that it was finest for the workforce to take that call,” Ellingsworth mentioned.
He burdened that the choice was a troublesome one to make, given Ganna’s position within the workforce, and the importance of the time trial on stage 9 to the Italian nationwide time trial champion.
“It’s life now – you’re residing with it – and also you’ve simply bought to place up with it,” Ellingsworth mentioned. ” I’d say one of many issues is Filippo has been tremendous cautious coming into the race and this can be a massive deal for him being in Italy and within the nationwide champs jersey for the time trial tomorrow.
“We haven’t taken the choice flippantly in any respect and you must take into consideration the broader workforce and take into consideration Filippo, and his well being particularly, and you modify issues up and preserve transferring on.”
Ganna’s absence shall be felt not solely in Sunday’s key time trial, the place he would have began at a favorite, but additionally as a key assist rider for the workforce’s leaders Geraint Thomas and Tao Geoghegan Hart. “After all, it’s disappointing – extra for Filippo as he’s a fantastic character and he performs a large position within the workforce, I do not simply imply right here on the Giro however typically and he can win bike races.”
When requested by Cyclingnews whether or not the remainder of the workforce had been susceptible to an infection, Ellingsworth was assured there have been no signs however didn’t recommend that the workforce had been examined in full.
“No one else has bought signs or something,” Ellingsworth mentioned. “Clearly, we’ve bought to be tremendous cautious, like everybody else – there are a couple of different groups round with sure issues taking place.”
Ganna is the fourth rider to depart the Giro d’Italia with COVID-19, following information that the Italian duo Nicola Conci (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Giovanni Aleotti (Bora-Hansgrohe) left Giro d’Italia with constructive assessments earlier than stage 6.
That got here after the information that Clément Russo (Arkea-Samsic) can be leaving the race earlier that morning.
Within the general common classification standings, Geraint Thomas sits in sixth place at 1:26, whereas Ineos’ different joint-team chief Tao Geoghegan Hart is 4 seconds behind him – which means each riders are round one minute behind race favorite Remco Evenepoel, who at the moment sits in second place.
