Two days before the start of the Tour de France, positive cases of Covid-19 within the peloton bring back bad memories of the 2020 to 2022 editions, and certain teams are considering reestablishing health protocols: wearing a mask in the zones of departure and arrival, gestures of distancing from the public, etc. The riders, however, displayed a generally very relaxed mood during the presentation of the teams, Thursday June 27 on the heights of Florence dazzled by the setting sun, for the first Italian start in the history of the Grande Boucle.
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Earlier today, the winner of the 2019 and 2020 Tour de France, Tadej Pogacar (Team UAE-Emirates) revealed that he had contracted the coronavirus around ten days ago. “It was like a common cold and I was able to quickly resume training on the home trainer”added the Slovenian, who outclassed the Giro d’Italia between May and early June.
Two other runners were not so lucky, forced to withdraw due to Covid. The American Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike), winner of the last Tour of Spain, announced his withdrawal at the start of the week, a major loss in the mountains for his teammate Jonas Vingegaard, in the running for a new yellow jersey. The British Tao Geoghegan Hart, new leader of Team Lidl-Trek, had to throw in the towel for the same reasons, declaring disappointed: “We thought Covid-19 had disappeared”. These two leading riders contracted or developed the virus during the Critérium du Dauphiné (June 2-9) where many riders presented worrying symptoms.
“It’s simple, we’ve all had it! »notes the former French champion Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ), himself ill during the second stage, “flat and at the bottom of the bed”but who insisted on completing the test. “I felt like I had bad bronchitis, and couldn’t push myself hard on the bike.describes the Finistère native. The illness passed thanks to rest. » His roommate on the Dauphiné, David Gaudu, was also affected, to the point of canceling his participation in the French championships last weekend.
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Given this resurgence in this case, which is otherwise difficult to diagnose with antigenic tests – health professionals recommend using PCR tests – some teams are considering carrying out regular tests during this Tour de France. “A test for all the runners every three or four days,” specifies Marc Mardiot, manager of Groupama-FDJ. Team Visma-Lease a Bike, outgoing winner of the Tour, announced a health system without yet specifying its outlines. For its part, Amaury sport organization (ASO), which organizes the Grande Boucle, does not plan to establish a new “bubble” for the teams, a health protocol in force in 2020 and 2021.
The resurgence of Covid-19 on the Tour de France does not surprise epidemiologists. “Since there are no longer any special precautions, Covid-19 seems to be spreading like wildfire”explains Professor Antoine Flahault, director of the Geneva Institute of Global Health. “This is especially true since we are observing a fairly strong wave of intensity in Europe and North America, driven by Omicron sub-variants from the FLiRT group (JN.1, KP.2, KP.3) which have the characteristic of being very transmissible, continues the recent author of Notify me! Better health at any age (Robert Laffont). It is therefore not surprising to observe that this wave affects the Tour de France riders. Euro footballers and athletes from the Paris Olympics may not be spared either.”
According to him, if we “certainly do not fear serious forms and hospitalizations among these young athletes in presumed good health (…) Covid-19 symptoms can significantly impair sports performance”. And the running of the 2024 edition of the Tour de France could be affected.
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