Effects of coronavirus on professional races

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well, not "hours later", Gatto's test was from three days before the race. Those PCR tests are very sensitive, and maybe one test was just under, the other just above the threshold.

In general, it doesn't seem to be a major problem at least, given that there have been at least 500 tests per race so far. But of course, if logistacally possible, a re-test for confirmation on the Tour rest days would be good.

 

[ice&fire]

Yesterday a Bora rider tested positive, forcing the team to withdraw from the Bretagne Classic, then tested negative just hours later. Statement from Bora "It is reasonable to conclude that this was a false positive test result."

You say it's normal to test positive one day and negative one week after, but hours later? And he tested negative in the days before the race. The testing system needs to be changed (A and B samples?) before the Tour starts.

The accuracy of the PCR test is at best 80%, 7 days after infection and lower than that the further away you go from that reference date either before or after. There's still that 20% of false negatives at best, so it's not impossible to test positive and negative on different samples taken a few hours apart.

This is a contagious disease that sets a threat to the general public health. It has nothing to do with the old doping problem that only affects the health of the involved individual, so it has been historically treated as a private issue within the sport.

This virus pandemics requires a different mindset regarding test results interpretation and protocols. The tests we have are inaccurate, and we have to deal with it. According to the experts, and based on the tests accuracy, you can believe positive tests, but you have to question negative tests.

The testing system needs to be changed accordingly. After a positive test, several negative tests on different days should be required to get back to work.

The statement from Bora is the statement of a bunch of people who think they're still doing business as usual: believe the negative tests and question the positive ones.

 

[yaco]

The standard practice worldwide is for two consecutive negative tests after testing positive - The time taken to get the two negatives will be dependent on whether you are asymptomatic or symptomatic - So probably 7 to 14 days would be around the average.

 

[Netserk]

If the sensitivity of the test is 80 %, the specificity is 99.9 %, 0.1 % of the population is currently infected, a random individual of the population in question is tested twice (where the two tests are independent and on the same day), one test is positive and the other negative, then the likelihood that the individual in question is infected is 13.8 %.

Now under the same conditions, but where 1 % of the population is currently infected, the likelihood that the individual in question is infected is 61.8 %.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Watch out for Jannie Dreesen, president of Tom Dumoulin's fanclub in Bestuur, Holland
in this nice piece from BBC News

Tour de France 2020: How does the Tour avoid Covid-19?

How does the Tour de France avoid Covid-19 and what are the rules around fans? BBC Sport looks at what the Tour will be like in 2020.

www.bbc.com

 

[BlueRoads]

If only they had been willing to do this without spectators from the beginning on. At least now they should plan to do that. It would really help the Tour to go ahead.

 

[Pantani_lives]

So two staff members at Lotto-Soudal had a "non-negative" test and were sent home, along with their two roommates.

There's remarkably little unrest about it. Maybe people are tired of discussing corona. On the one hand I'm excited as any cycling fan about the Tour, on the other hand I think it's insane. I'm not at all confident that they will reach Paris. The attitude seems to be that the Tour must go on no matter what. Nice and Paris are currently red zones...

 

[TourOfSardinia]

TdF - another kind of race against attrition

 

[IndianCyclist]

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tw...-france-after-french-government-intervention/
One clear effect of COVID is that no one can decide what the rules are. Everybody is flip-flopping right left and center that too within a week of the start

 

[Cassirer]

In German radio there just was a short report on how dangerous the whole thing is. France had ~7000 new positives the last day (although that number doesnt say much without absolute number of tests, thats about 7 times as high as in Germany and people/government are worrying here...), Nice and Paris being red zones, and they allow 5000 fans in start/finish.
Happy as anyone to watch the Tour, but thats not right, should have it without Fans at the road.

 

[yaco]

In German radio there just was a short report on how dangerous the whole thing is. France had ~7000 new positives the last day (although that number doesnt say much without absolute number of tests, thats about 7 times as high as in Germany and people/government are worrying here...), Nice and Paris being red zones, and they allow 5000 fans in start/finish.
Happy as anyone to watch the Tour, but thats not right, should have it without Fans at the road.

It is 1000 people at the start and finish line - The whole route today was sparsely populated.

 

[RedheadDane]

Right, this isn't directly race related, but I was honestly a little surprised there even is a caravan at the Tour this year.
Or maybe they could have one of the floats/wagons/whateverthey'recalled just spray everyone with disinfect.

 

[Sciatic]

Right, this isn't directly race related, but I was honestly a little surprised there even is a caravan at the Tour this year.
Or maybe they could have one of the floats/wagons/whateverthey'recalled just spray everyone with disinfect.

Wow, I’d forgotten about the caravan—it doesn’t make any sense to have it this year. Hopefully they are tossing out little bottles of disinfectant and official le Tour masks (in yellow, green, white, polka dots, of course)!

 

[CTQ]

Tour de France riders unite in COVID-19 plea to fan]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx9HhHR6Yl4&feature=youtu.be

 

[F_Cance]

Ciccone tested positive. Out of Tirreno and Worlds. Giro may be in doubt

 

[wheresmybrakes]

It makes you wonder if any cases in the Tour are kept under wraps so as not to get it cancelled or teams thrown out of the race.

 

[yaco]

Ciccone tested positive. Out of Tirreno and Worlds. Giro may be in doubt

Ciccone will be right in 14 days as long as he produces two negative tests.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Ciccone will be right in 14 days as long as he produces two negative tests.

not so sure. He was fatigued during the camp which may be symptomatic of COVID which would be bad for training.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Turns out that Leonardo Basso at the Italian NC was actually a false positive, tested positive on the 20th, 2nd test negative on the 24th and the 3rd one also negative on the 28th. He also did a serological test and had no antibodies.
Source: https://www.tuttobiciweb.it/article...ologico-covid19-italiano-ineos-granadiers-uci

 

[gregrowlerson]

A lot of fans on the Perysourde. Slightly concerning for the future of this race I think.

 

[IndianCyclist]

I see a lot of riders spitting constantly. If one of those riders is infected, it could be disaster of those around him

 

[Faserr]

A lot of fans on the Perysourde. Slightly concerning for the future of this race I think.

I don't get it. They should not let people up the mountain. At least I think so, perhaps the virus has changed. But going from a strict lockdown to that situation is strange.
In germany we didn't really have a lockdown, but at sporting events there are no spectators allowed. Today they organised the triathlon world championchip in Hamburg without any spectators. They just closed the city around a parc.

 

[RedheadDane]

It might be because I don't really care about travelling half-way across Europe in order to spend hours packed on a mountainside with thousands of other people, but honestly I think those people on the climbs are being quite egotistical. It's like they don't realise - or care - that the race is supposed to continue for weeks after they had their fun.
Seriously, people; just stay the *** at home!

 

[Broccolidwarf]

If stage 8 showed us anything, it is that the Tour has to completely close the roads for spectators on the big mountains.

The way it was Saturday, is just asking for riders to get infected.

Completely irresponsible by ASO, that the Corona protocols are not better.

I also believe the french police should be WAY more proactive.

 

[Breezy1985]

That brings me back to something I've been wondering for a while; could ASO simply decide to scrap the final stage? The middle of Paris will probably be the place where keeping big crowds away will be hardest - unless they implement a city-wide curfew - and it's not like the final stage of the Tour will make a big difference in the GC anyway. Sure, it'll be a bit weird to have the final podium ceremony on the top of La Planche des Belles Filles, but... hell... everything about this season is weird.

If they really want to finish in Paris they could at least try limit the issues around going to Paris. Instead of riding in through the suburbs they could just do laps of the champs which would be much easier to control in terms of fans