Giro d'Italia 2020 - Race director Mauro Vegni on Covid crisis: 'I don’t think it’s a big risk'
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Updated 13/10/2020 at 12:53 GMT
Mauro Vegni insists the "goal remains to arrive in Milan" despite two major teams pulling out of the Giro d’Italia due to coronavirus on Tuesday. Mitchelton-Scott and Team Jumbo-Visma are out of the race due to positive Covid-19 tests, while Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb) also withdrew after testing positive.
Giro director Mauro Vegni
Image credit: Getty Images
Giro d’Italia director Mauro Vegni has downplayed fears over the future of the race – just moments before Team Jumbo-Visma became the second team to withdraw on Tuesday.
The Italian Grand Tour is in disarray after two teams, Mitchelton-Scott and Jumbo-Visma, withdrew after positive Covid tests in their camps, while Team Sunweb’s chief sprinter Michael Matthews also pulled out after testing positive.
The future of the race hangs in the balance but Vegni insisted the race could make it to the finish in Milan.
"I don’t think there's a big risk," he said.
There are a number of cases but we’ve already done 1,500 tests for Covid-19. The result is there’s a team more concerned than others [Mitchelton-Scott] but for other teams we only really have good news. So I don’t think there’s a big risk.
"For now, there are only a few riders that have come back as Covid positive and the rest of the negative riders are ready to race.
"It’s like in everyday life – the more you test, the more you find positive cases. Now the number of the cases seems low to me and we’re confident."
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Giro race director: 'The goal remains to arrive in Milan'
He added to RAI: "Losing a team is a sorrow and a regret, but by mutual agreement with the staff of Mitchelton-Scott, we made the most correct decision also from an ethical point of view.
For all of us the goal remains to arrive in Milan. We are doing everything possible to pull off this Giro in October, and to bring it to conclusion with dignity and fairness.
Dutch rider Jos van Emden had earlier revealed that several teams were housed in the same hotel along with various race staff and regular guests.
Jumbo-Visma withdrew after leader Steven Kruijswijk tested positive for Covid-19, while Mitchelton-Scott were forced to withdraw after four staff members returned positive tests, just days after their leader Simon Yates withdrew ahead of Stage 8.
'I would be surprised if we get to Milan'
Brian Smith, speaking on Eurosport commentary, said he doubted the race would now make it to Milan.
“I think we were very lucky to get through the Tour de France," he said.
"I would be very surprised if we get all the way to Milan, but that’s what the race organisers want. You have to look at the case of Simon Yates and Mitchelton-Scott. They’ve done the right thing now and I do think Jumbo-Visma have as well.
"You have to look at the Sunweb, it might go the same way Mitchelton-Scott did because where did they [the four staff members] contract it? It’s very difficult and there will be a lot of big decisions made soon."
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