The team of Tour de France champion, Tadej Pogačar, has been hit by Covid-19 positives in both the Tour of Slovenia and Tour de Suisse.
While Pogačar has not tested positive, he is part of the Tour of Slovenia line-up at present where Mikkel Bjerg has come down with the virus and has been taken out of the race. In Switzerland Marc Hirschi has also been forced out after testing positive for the virus.
The worrying development for the team comes just two weeks away from the Tour de France and after a series of riders - including all of the Jumbo Visma team and Adam Yates of Ineos Grenadiers, among others - have been force to withdrawn from the Tour de Suisse due to Covid-19.
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The team said while it had two cases, one at each race, "all other teammates and staff at both events were immediately tested and all returned negative tests".
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Joel Suter, a roommate of Hirschi, and Vegard Stake Laengen, a roommate of Bjerg, also both returned negative tests, but have been "removed from racing as a precautionary measure".
“Unfortunately, like many other teams we have also had a surge in Covid-19 cases," said the team's medical director Adrian Rotunno. "Our affected riders have been fully assessed, and are currently mildly symptomatic.
"The riders sharing a room with the positive cases are deemed high-risk contacts, so in the interest of rider, team and community health, we decided it is best that they also be withdrawn. It’s a pity but the reality is that the virus is still with us as a society and we are monitoring our athletes regularly to be as careful as we can.”
