Jumbo-Visma withdraws from Tour de Suisse with COVID-19 positives
Sepp Kuss best-placed "Dutch Bee" on GC at seventh
Photo by:
Sirotti
Early on Thursday, Jumbo-Visma announced that the team was withdrawing from the 85th Tour de Suisse before Stage 5 due to COVID-19 positives within the squad. A statement on the team’s website said, “In the interest of the health of the riders and staff and to protect the peloton and the race, the Dutch formation’s medical and sporting management consider withdrawing from the Swiss race the wisest decision. The decision was taken in consultation with the Tour management.”
Team Jumbo-Visma will not appear at the start of the fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse today.
Despite all precautions, corona has crept into the team again.
— Team Jumbo-Visma cycling (@JumboVismaRoad) June 16, 2022
On October 13, 2020, Jumbo-Visma and Mitchelton-Scott (now BikeExchange-Jayco) withdrew from the Giro d’Italia after COVID-19 positives within their outfits.
Ineos Grenadiers’ Adam Yates also abandoned the race after a COVID-19 positive. He was 10th on GC.
In line with team and UCI protocols, @AdamYates7 has withdrawn from #TourDeSuisse2022 this morning after experiencing mild symptoms and returning a positive lateral flow test.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
American Sepp Kuss was Jumbo-Visma’s best placed Tour de Suisse rider on GC at seventh, only 10 seconds back of Stephen Williams (Great Britain/Bahrain-Victorious), while Sam Oomen and Pascal Eenkhoorn were +1:01.
The Tour de Suisse was considered to be important to Jumbo-Visma in selecting its Tour de France squad. Critérium du Dauphiné winner and runner-up Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard will be the Dutch Bees’ powerful Plan A and B in France, while Dauphiné workhorse Steven Kruijswijk and double stage winner Wout Van Aert are shoo-ins. Tour de Suisse entrants Sepp Kuss, Rohan Dennis and Mike Teunissen are all on the Tour de France shortlist.
