Giro d’Italia chief Remco Evenepoel is out of the race on Sunday night following a constructive COVID-19 take a look at, his Soudal-QuickStep group has introduced.
Evenepoel had sped to victory within the stage 9 time trial within the afternoon, edging out Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) by beneath a second on the 35km take a look at in Cesena.
Nevertheless, hours later, after the world champion had donned the maglia rosa having retaken the race lead, information filtered by means of that he had been compelled to depart the race.
“I’m actually sorry to be leaving the race,” Evenepoel stated in an announcement launched by his group. “As a part of the group’s protocol, I took a routine take a look at, which sadly was constructive.
“My expertise right here has been actually particular and I used to be trying ahead to competing over the following two weeks. I am unable to thank sufficient the workers and the riders who sacrificed a lot in preparation for the Giro. I might be cheering them on over the following two weeks.”
The 23-year-old was one of many favourites for victory on the Grand Tour, having opened his account with a dominant victory within the stage 1 time trial. He held pink for 3 days earlier than ceding it to Andreas Leknessund at Lago Laceno, retaking it with a 45-second lead on Thomas on Sunday.
There have been trials and tribulations alongside the way in which, together with two crashes on the fifth stage to Salerno. He wasn’t fairly at prime type on stage 9, beginning out shortly however not driving his greatest time trial after the falls earlier within the week and measuring his pacing flawed throughout the journey.
Within the press convention following the stage, Evenepoel stated that he was affected by a blocked nostril and hoped that he would not endure any additional sickness.
“I feel you can too hear that my nostril is a bit blocked,” he stated. “I am fairly gentle, I am fairly skinny when it comes to fats share, so the wet situations will not be my favorite situations.
“I’ve to watch out to not turn into sick precisely. Let’s contact wooden that it is not a virus. We are going to see.”
In a private assertion issued on Sunday night time, Evenepoel stated he was leaving the race with a “heavy coronary heart”, including because of his group, earlier than concluding, “Nonetheless very proud to depart with two stage wins and 4 pink jerseys.”
Evenepoel will journey residence from the race by automobile on Monday, Soudal-QuickStep stated. The group introduced that every one different riders and workers members had examined adverse.
Thomas is now set to put on the maglia rosa when the race restarts with a 196km journey to Viareggio following Monday’s relaxation day. He’ll lead Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) by two seconds within the general standings.
Sadly, Evenepoel’s COVID-19 constructive wasn’t the one one approaching Sunday after EF Schooling-EasyPost introduced that their rider Rigoberto Urán had left the race after catching the virus.
Evenepoel and Urán be part of Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), Nicola Conci (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Giovanni Aleotti (Bora-Hansgrohe), and Clément Russo (Arkéa-Samsic) on the listing of riders compelled to withdraw after testing constructive thus far this Giro
