Paris (AFP)
End of confinement in sight: most of the UAE Tour riders, reclusive since Thursday evening in their hotel in Abu Dhabi, will be able to leave the emirate after the confirmation of negative tests for coronavirus, he said. we learned Saturday from concordant sources.
"The pleasure of coming home after several days spent at the hotel", reacted on his Twitter account the 2018 world champion, the Spaniard Alejandro Valverde, one of the famous runners of the event who also presented the Briton Chris Froome, quadruple winner of the Tour de France.
"We are doing well and soon we will fly to Spain," added Valverde of the end of the two-day confinement.
According to the testimony of several journalists present on the spot, who reported on Saturday evening a certain confusion, the totality of the teams however did not have the green light to return. Three of them would be affected.
All 133 runners still in contention and members of the caravan, stranded in two hotels in quarantine, were tested after the announcement of two positive cases to COVID-19 concerning "two members of the Italian personnel of the 'one of the teams participating in the event ", according to the organization's press release.
In a press release published on Saturday on the health situation at the World Track in Berlin "in connection with the epidemic linked to the new coronavirus", the International Cycling Union (UCI) raised suspicion by speaking of "two members of the management ( ...) initially suspected of coronavirus ".
No official information was available from the organizers on the arrangements for repatriation depending on the possibilities of air transport.
Relevant journalists have reported a compulsory return to the country of origin, once the coronavirus certificate of negativity has been obtained, which could represent an obstacle for non-European runners, many of whom reside during the season in the south. from France or in the region of Gerona in Spain.
The last two stages of the UAE Tour were canceled and the classification stopped on the evening of the 5th stage over the victory of the Briton Adam Yates.
© 2020 AFP