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Tour de France teams to be expelled for two COVID-19 positives in entourage

Teams will be expelled from the Tour de France if at least two members, including staff, test positive for the coronavirus, Christian Prudhomme told AFP Saturday.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) on Friday had proposed that such an exclusion from the race would apply only to the riders.

“We will stay with two cases out of 30 people from the same team over a period of seven days,” Prudhomme said, adding that the decision was taken by a French government unit overseeing the coronavirus crisis.

The announcement comes on the opening day of the 21-stage slog around France and reinforces a growing sense of doom for the 2020 Tour with positive PCR swab test numbers growing by the day in France.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex on Thursday reclassified Tour de France departure town Nice as a Covid-19 red zone.

This had been anticipated, organisers said, as they scrambled to exclude fans from the departure and arrival areas as well as the pre-race shows and parades.

Belgian outfit Lotto reported two cases on Thursday, but the team mechanics concerned have already been replaced and the team will set off From Nice Saturday afternoon with the rest of the peloton.

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