The Groupama-FDJ team revealed that two of their cyclists had recovered from the COVID-19 coronavirus antibody test at the pre-workout camp.
The runners were not appointed for confidentiality reasons, however, they won an UCI certificate, which exempted them from the series of pre-RACE RT-PCR swab tests that are required for runners and groups to prove that they do not have COVID-19. Both riders are now immune to COVID-19, as they have fully recovered and have passed stricter fitness control.
“In late June, we did a serological check to find out who on the team was in contact with the pandemic virus. We had two cases of asymptomatic runners, who were inflamed without symptoms appearing,” said team doctor Jacky Maillot. . The team.
“The ICU gave them a passport of immunity, the legal responsibility to re-run virological testing (RT-PCR) this year. Of course, they were forced to do cardiological tests to check that they had completely eliminated the virus because viral myocarditis can cause central rhythm disorders or even sudden death.”
The Alliance of Cyclists participates in COVID protocols in the upcoming Spanish races
The Spanish one-day races are positioned despite considerations on COVID-19 protocols
Arnaud Demare and David Gaudu will lead the French team in the Vuelta a Burgos, which begins on Tuesday in Spain, while Thibaut Pinot will return to La Route d’Occitanie, which begins on Saturday, while a third team led by Stefan Kong will. ride at Strade Bianche in Italy. Groupama-FDJ has a list of 28 runners and can also bring some of the runners from their progression team as apprentices.
Maillot explained that the France WorldTour team will conduct approximately 500 mandatory RT-PCR swab tests on their riders and staff to comply with UCI COVID-19 regulations and therefore help create the protective bubble around the team in racing. This will charge the team about 130,000 euros. All primary groups will have to adhere to the same rules, and six other WorldTour groups allegedly chose to use a saliva test, with kits sent to the brokers’ homes and then to a central laboratory in Denmark.
“It’s an incredible logistical gymnastics, it’s a big logistical challenge,” Maillot admitted. But no one complained.
“Quite the opposite. Five tests a month isn’t so bad. They know they have to settle for whether they need to run, and they need to run!”
Runners will also need to complete a daily fitness questionnaire through an app and respect the use of social distance, face mask and other special regulations designed to massively reduce the threat of contagion in racing. Groupama-FDJ will take additional precautions on the Tour de France in September.
“We will do what we did last year with very passable results: disinfection of rooms, dining rooms, bus and air conditioning, aerosol, a hydroalcoholic solution, made through a corporate specialized in hygiene,” MaillotArray explained.
“It can be stressful for some other people because in a platoon, there’s someone coughing. But if everyone complies with filtering regulations, Array…”
Doctors and team experts said they are unlikely to avoid some cases of COVID-19 during the postponed racing season due to the large number of runners and staff in protected bubbles and the dangers they face when they are at home between races. Other sports have controlled to play despite a number of equipment instances, however, the professional cycling bubble is much larger and constantly moves across borders between countries with other COVID-19 infection rates and other government rules.
“There is no risk 0; That’s impossible. Science and math are two other things. We have to be careful and protective and the tests can help. But that adds some other complication to all this,” said one team doctor. recently told Cyclingnews.
“It provides sleepless nights to doctors and team managers, but we’re all looking to do what we can to make sure everyone is and the races can go through.”
The UCI has agreed to assume the duty of any final resolution if a runner tests positive for COVID-19 in a race, with organizations supposedly informed of the express strategy for each race two weeks before the start. A driving organization consisting of runners, organizations and the race organizer will be created, informing the UCI, which will take a resolution on a final action plan.
However, the main points of the intervention scenarios imaginable remain unclear, with regulations in each country and each express case that triggers other decisions. Swimsuit suggests that a race may not stop if a cyclist tests positive for COVID-19.
“Not necessarily at first. But of course, if a whole team is affected, I, the COVID doctor, will act after consulting with the ICU,” he said.
“At the moment, we have no express data on how to deal with a positive case. If this scenario arises, the ‘contact cases’ (those of the environment close to the inflamed person) deserve to be picked up temporarily because we can not block an entire team, otherwise we will not have anyone in the goal of the great ToursArray. To carry out the checks more temporarily, we request the presence of a control laboratory truck to (tour of France organizer) ASO . “
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