COVID-19 cases won’t be automatically removed from Vuelta a España
Spanish grand tour adopting same COVID-19 rules applied during the Tour de France this summer.
Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! Download the app.
A positive COVID-19 diagnosis won’t mean a ticket home for racers in the 2022 Vuelta a España.
The UCI confirmed that the coronavirus protocols deployed this summer at the Tour de France will also be applied to the season’s third grand tour.
That means even if a rider is positive for a low-viral case of COVID-19, it will be up to doctors from teams and race staff to make the final decision on if a rider can continue racing or not.
Throughout the 2022 Tour, some 16 riders went home after being diagnosed with COVID-19, including Chris Froome (Israel Premier Tech), George Bennett (UAE Team Emirates), and Enric Mas (Movistar).
Also read:
- Pogačar defends team COVID policies at Tour de France
- Chris Froome out of the Tour after diagnosis
- 2022 Vuelta a España race preview
In some cases, including UAE Team Emirates’ Rafal Majka, the rider was allowed to remain in the race if the medical team decided that the viral load was low enough that the risk of infection was low.
Other rules will remain in place, including health screenings before and during the Vuelta, using swab tests to determine if someone might be positive. Follow-up PCR tests will be carried out on riders or staffers who might be infected.
Other race personnel and UCI race jury members will also face health controls. Media covering the Vuelta will also face COVID controls before the race in order to be credentialed, officials confirmed.
📲 Arranca el Fantasy de #LaVuelta22 by @TISSOT de la mano de @biwenger y @diarioas
❤️ The Fantasy game of La Vuelta 22 by Tissot launches with the collaboration of Biwenger and Diario AS
— La Vuelta (@lavuelta) August 9, 2022