Pink jersey Remco Evenepoel is due to leave the Giro d'Italia cycling race after testing positive for Covid-19, announced his Soudal Quick-Step team on Sunday evening, hours after he won the Stage 9 time trial.
This marks Evenepoel's second victory in this Giro, allowing him to win back the coveted pink jersey.
"I am very sorry to have to leave the race," the world champion said in a statement from his team. "As part of the team’s protocol, I did a routine test which unfortunately turned out to be positive. My experience here has been really special and I was looking forward to competing in the next two weeks," he stated.
"I can’t thank the staff and the riders enough who have made so many sacrifices to prepare for the Giro. I will be cheering them on over the next two weeks," he concluded.
Despite this only being his second Giro appearance, Evenepoel won the opening stage in Ortona and Stage 9 in Cesena. He wore the pink jersey for three days before handing it over to Norway's Andreas Leknessund (DSM) and was due to wear it again on Tuesday at the start of Scandiano for Stage 10 (the day after the first rest day).
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Soudal Quick-Step said Evenepoel will ride home on Monday. All other riders and staff tested negative, the Belgian team said.
Before Evenepoel, Colombian Rigoberto Uran's withdrawal was also announced by his EF Education-EasyPost team, having also tested positive for Covid-19.
Italians Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers), Nicola Conci (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Giovanni Aleotti (BORA-hansgrohe) as well as Frenchman Clément Russo (Arkéa-Samsic) had also withdrawn from the race due to contracting coronavirus.
