Adam Yates out of Tour de Suisse with mild COVID-19 symptoms
Wave of COVID cases sweeps across the Tour de Suisse, with Jumbo-Visma, three from Team DSM and Joey Rosskopf also leaving.
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Ineos Grenadiers announced Thursday that Adam Yates has withdrawn from the Tour de Suisse with the British climber suffering from mild COVID-19 symptoms.
Yates returned a positive lateral flow test but is the only rider within the team to be withdrawn ahead of stage 5.
The 29-year-old went into the stage sitting 10th overall.
“In line with team and UCI protocols Adam Yates has this morning withdrawn from the Tour de Suisse after experiencing mild symptoms and returning a positive lateral flow test,” Ineos Grenadiers said in a statement.
Also read: Analyzing Ineos Grenadiers’ Tour de France long list
The news come on the same day that the entire Jumbo-Visma squad pulled out of the race after an outbreak of COVID-19 within the team.
Other riders leaving the Swiss tour with COVID cases include Joey Rosskopf (Human Powered Health) and three riders from Team DSM, with Søren Kragh Andersen, Cees Bol, and Casper Pedersen also out.
Several other riders abandoned due to other non-COVID related issues, including Gino Mader and Herman Pernsteiner (Bahrain Victorious), Yvgeniy Fedorov (Astana), Otto Vergaerde (Trek-Segafredo), and Michael Gogl (Alpecin-Fenix).
Yates was using the Tour de Suisse to build his form ahead of the Tour de France, where he is expected to lead the team alongside Dani Martínez.
Yates has now not finished a stage race since Paris-Nice in March, where he was fourth overall. The British rider was unable to complete the Tour of the Basque Country in April. Regardless of his positive test for COVID, he was not expected to race again ahead of the Tour de France.
The race starts on July 1, in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Geraint Thomas is now expected to lead the line for Ineos Grenadiers at the Tour de Suisse with the former Tour de France winner sitting third overall, just seven seconds off the yellow jersey.
In line with team and UCI protocols, @AdamYates7 has withdrawn from #TourDeSuisse2022 this morning after experiencing mild symptoms and returning a positive lateral flow test. pic.twitter.com/QLn7Lr0PDf
— INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) June 16, 2022
