Effects of coronavirus on professional races

[Samu Cuenca]

Did they ever? Surely the pre-race testing - and mid-race testing for GTs - is organised, and paid for, by race organisers and UCI. Otherwise, the whole system could fall apart.

No it's been paid for by the teams. At least that's been my understanding from following the manager of Team Hitec, Karl Lima, on Twitter.

COVID protocols costing teams ‘tens of thousands’ of dollars

Increased budget item is part of new reality for peloton.

www.velonews.com

Question no. 11 in this FAQ also deals with the costs of the protocol:

https://archive.uci.org/docs/default-source/medical/faq-application-protocol-eng.pdf

 

[KZD]

I hope that unless the virus takes a turn for the worse this is the last year with rigid covid protocols and tests everywhere because given how contagious omicron is, I fear that we will have some bad surprises especially during GTs unless the rules are changed during the season which I personally don't believe in.

 

[yaco]

But do you think that will keep being the case for ever and ever now that people don't get very sick from the disease?

Absolutely not - Hopefully 2023 will return to normality.

 

[yaco]

No it's been paid for by the teams. At least that's been my understanding from following the manager of Team Hitec, Karl Lima, on Twitter.

COVID protocols costing teams ‘tens of thousands’ of dollars

Increased budget item is part of new reality for peloton.

www.velonews.com

Question no. 11 in this FAQ also deals with the costs of the protocol:

https://archive.uci.org/docs/default-source/medical/faq-application-protocol-eng.pdf

It's also my understanding that teams incur costs for pre-race PCR tests - My guess is that the organizers pay for in-race testting.

 

[CyclistAbi]

Regarding the Olympic games. I now often read on how someone from Slovenian national team tested positive for coronavirus. And hence their participation is under a threat.

Likely something similar will happen in "early season" when it comes to cycling. After that lets hope for the situation to finally improve substantially.

 

[search]

It's also my understanding that teams incur costs for pre-race PCR tests - My guess is that the organizers pay for in-race testting.

yes, this is correct. Rest day tests are paid for by organisers, everything else by the teams

 

[Ranagazoo]

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/multiple-covid-19-cases-spark-fear-in-peloton-before-major-spring-races/

“There are a lot of positives out there! More than anyone is saying but fortunately mostly asymptomatic”

Hopefully we're nearing the phase of the pandemic where riders don't get thrown out of a race while feeling completely fine. As countries switch to living with the virus I hope cycling does too.

 

[RedheadDane]

Hopefully I'm not about to jinx things...

Might it be time to un-sticky this?

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Hopefully I'm not about to jinx things...

Might it be time to un-sticky this?

On that note, it's also time to unsticky the No Spoilers thread, based on the lack of activity it evidently isn't needed anymore thanks to the centralisation of race replays on both the legal and illegal side of things in recent years.

 

[tobydawq]

On that note, it's also time to unsticky the No Spoilers thread, based on the lack of activity it evidently isn't needed anymore thanks to the centralisation of race replays on both the legal and illegal side of things in recent years.

Exactly.

 

[Netserk]

And the teams/riders directory threads. Maybe a search explanation could be edited to SHaines's thread.

 

[Panda Claws]

Wow so Covid really killed the Hammer Series, huh?

 

[Netserk]

Wow so Covid really killed the Hammer Series, huh?

And isn't it wonderful?

 

[Red Rick]

And the teams/riders directory threads. Maybe a search explanation could be edited to SHaines's thread.

Unstickied the NoSpoiler and the COVID on races thread. Merged riders and team directory threads or at least copied the OP of the latter to the former

 

[jmdirt]

Vos out of P-R due to COVID. I wonder when the UCI/race organizers/countries will treat a COVID+ like they treat other respiratory illnesses? IMO, not yet, but I still have to wonder...

 

[search]

Vos out of P-R due to COVID. I wonder when the UCI/race organizers/countries will treat a COVID+ like they treat other respiratory illnesses? IMO, not yet, but I still have to wonder...

the UCI sends out monthly updates or so. The latest (from end of March) said:

"Although many countries are gradually lifting (or have already lifted) the measures put in place to limit the risk of contamination for the general population, it is advisable to maintain, at least temporarily, the protocols put in place by the UCI as of 2020. [...] Our objectives are [...] to prevent the contamination of riders and the possible consequences of residual fatigue that would have a negative impact on sporting performance. And if we look at the current risk of contamination in Europe, we remain in a critical situation. This is why I would like to draw your attention to the strict maintenance of the rules of prevention as defined in our protocol, in order to avoid the multiplication of contaminations within the teams."

Currently pre-race testing is not mandatory for one-day races, though (unless the rider is not vaccinated).

 

[RedheadDane]

Reviving this thread due to happenings in Switzerland and Slovenia.

 

[Ranagazoo]

It's probably an unpopular opinion and I may be biased because all vaccinated people close to me who had covid had only mild or no symptoms. But I really think if a rider tests positive but is feeling fine he should be allowed to race. Whole teams pulling out because of 1 or 2 cases is ridiculous. It's hard to build up hype for any race if everyone's dropping out like this.

 

[carolina]

2 or 3 cases during the whole Giro, but almost half peloton in TdS. What the hell are they doing in Switzerland?!

 

[RedheadDane]

I suppose the best we can hope for is that the worst will be over by the time of the TdF.

What are the protocols? During Dauphine, I was somewhat surprised to see that it looked like interviews were back to the old "standing right next to the riders" way, although with facemasks. I would honestly have expected it to be the other way around; journalists still being told to keep their distance, but masks no longer required.

 

[Rackham]

The rules need to be changed ASAP.

Treating Covid like the bubonic plague is the problem, i.e. when a rider who won a hard stage (Vlasov) is forced to retire the following morning due to testing "positive" for a sickness which evidently had zero effect on him, it becomes unworkable.

By nature, Cycling is an extreme outdoor activity in which its actors will occasionally get sick or injured. This is part of the sport. But you just can't kick them out of the race like this for so little.

 

[roundabout]

I don't believe that isolations requirements (for people testing positive) have been dropped yet, so continuing with COVID would be against those I guess

 

[Rackham]

I don't believe that isolations requirements (for people testing positive) have been dropped yet, so continuing with COVID would be against those I guess

Something needs to change.

If this happens in the TdF it'll kill the biggest event of the year. And for what? I mean if half the peloton has it, imagine the percentage of spectators... yet no one notices because they're not tested 24/7.

Since the vaccines, such draconian measures as we're seeing in Switzerland should have been repealed already.

 

[Lequack]

2 or 3 cases during the whole Giro, but almost half peloton in TdS. What the hell are they doing in Switzerland?!

Sporza mentioned last week Remco had some kind of masterplan for this race. I guess now it's clear what he was talking about

 

[Unterlenkerfahrend]

It's probably an unpopular opinion and I may be biased because all vaccinated people close to me who had covid had only mild or no symptoms. But I really think if a rider tests positive but is feeling fine he should be allowed to race. Whole teams pulling out because of 1 or 2 cases is ridiculous. It's hard to build up hype for any race if everyone's dropping out like this.

Interesting observation, because of all the people I know who had Covid (and were vaccinated) only 1 had no symptoms at all and would've been happy to do sports. Everyone else, while not getting seriously ill, was still feeling rough enough not to do sports. It's also important to notice that "mild symptoms" in medical terms only equates to "does not require medical assistance" but still could mean that you have fever, are coughing etc. I think teams will be very cautious given all the side effects of Covid to send their riders racing when they know there's a virus in their body (even if they dont feel it yet).