Irish rider Cormac Mcgeough has been forced to miss the Tour du Rwanda, and is now isolating in a hotel room in Kigali, after testing positive for Covid-19.
The 25-year-old US-based rider, who is racing for Wildlife Generation Pro Cycling this season,
had been looking forward to the eight-stage race but has been forced to miss
out.
It would have
been his second time to ride the event as he made his debut there last season,
racing solidly and taking 14th in the TT stage.
Mcgeough started his season at Tour of Antalya in Turkey two weeks ago and, having gotten four hard stages into his legs, he told stickybottle he was looking forward to Rwanda.
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However, his
plans have now been derailed due to the positive test, though he said he felt
well and had the consolation of knowing nobody else in the team has tested positive
for the virus.
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“It's very hard for me to
report that I am going to miss Tour du Rwanda because I tested positive for
Covid,” he said. “I am asymptomatic and stuck in a hotel in Kigali until I test negative.
"My teammates all tested negative a total of our times each and I have been isolated from them for four days already. It’s painful to miss this beautiful race but that’s life.”
Tour du Rwanda started today with a pan flat 4km prologue
TT in Kigali. It was won by Alexandre
Geniez (TotalEnergies). The French rider was six seconds up on Colombian
Jhonatan Restrepo (Drone Hopper-Androni
Giocattoli), with Sandy Dujardin (TotalEnergies)
in 3rd at seven seconds.
In Mcgeough’s absence, the only Irish rider in the field in Rwanda is Jesse Ewart (Bike Aid). The Australian-based 27-year-old was 55th on today’s stage, some 32 seconds off the winning time.
