Champion Tadej Pogacar on Saturday said that he fears COVID-19 could wreak havoc on this year’s Tour de France after the Slovenian tightened his grip on the leader’s yellow jersey in stage eight.
Belgian rider Wout van Aert sprinted to victory in the COVID-19-hit proceedings at Lausanne, with Pogacar finishing third.
The peloton left Dole in the Jura region under a cloud after Norwegian Vegard Stake Laengen from Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates and Frenchman Geoffrey Bouchard of AG2R Citroen Team tested positive for the virus and were withdrawn.
Photo: AFP
France’s Guillaume Martin also did not start stage nine yesterday after testing positive, a source at his Team Cofidis said.
“It’s a big scare, the pandemic is still there with us, and we can’t risk racing with it,” said Pogacar, the 23-year-old two-time defending champion.
“We get tested every two days or so, but Vegard got ill during the night. Really, it’s worrying. All the fans packed tight on the roadside and shouting, sometimes you think maybe this is a source.”
Photo: AFP
“He’s the train of our team,” the Slovenian continued of Stake Laengen. “The big guy who leads us out, but I think we can make it to Paris without him.”
Team Jumbo-Visma’s van Aert won on a late incline ahead of Australia’s pre-stage favorite Michael Matthews with Pogacar just behind.
This was a second stage win for van Aert, who also came second three times during the opening stages in Denmark, and extends his lead in the sprint standings to 264 points ahead of Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team’s Fabio Jakobsen on 149 and Pogacar, 128.
Van Aert’s chief rival Mathieu van der Poel fell off the back of the peloton before the attack.
“It would have been more prestigious to beat Mathieu too, but I can only beat who is there,” said van Aert, who alongside Pogacar is the big star of this year’s Tour.
Additional reporting by Reuters
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