Steven Kruijswijk (Jumbo Visma), who has gone very close in his career to winning the Giro, is now out of the race after testing positive for Covid-19.
More than 500 tests were carried out over the past 48
hours, most of them on yesterday’s rest day, and eight positive results were
recorded.
Two of those were riders – Kruijswijk and a Team Sunweb rider – while there were six positive test results among staff at teams; four at Mitchelton Scott, now out of the race, and one each at AG2R La Mondiale and Ineos Grenadiers.
Kruijswijk (33) had been sitting 11th overall at the end
of stage 9 on Sunday going into the rest day yesterday. He was one of the
favourites for a podium finish and an outside bet for overall victory.
Jumbo Visma said Kruijswijk had “no complaints or
symptoms and he was very motivated to win” the Giro.
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“He received the news of his positive test this morning. The other riders and staff members of Team Jumbo-Visma tested negative twice and may continue the Giro d’Italia,” the team added.
Kruijswijk said the fact he had come back as a positive
case was very unexpected for him.
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"Within the team we take a lot of measures to avoid
contamination. And I just feel fit,” he said.
“I can’t believe I got it. It is a very big
disappointment to get this news. It is a pity that I have to leave the Giro
this way.”
The Dutch rider has suffered awful luck on the race in
the past, going into stage 19 of the 2016 Giro in the pink jersey before
crashing and losing the lead.
He slipped to 3rd overall that day and lost one more place before the race ended of the race for a final finish of 4th place.
He crashed the decent of the Coll dell'Agnello and by
stage end had lost 4:54 to winner Vincenzo Nibali, then of Astana, and 4:01
behind Esteban Chaves, then of Orica-GreenEdge, who took the race lead.
Nibali went on take over the pink jersey the following
day and then held it on the final stage to run out the overall winner.
Kruijswijk has since gone on to make the final podium at the Tour de France, finishing 3rd last year. This year’s Giro was regarded as one of his final chances for a big GC ride at a Grand Tour, though he is now out of the event.
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