Iride01 

Well this will be something to watch for news on.

https://www.velonews.com/events/giro...s-been-popped/

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/sim...r-coronavirus/

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/r...ositive-472246

Considering there is decent evidence that you can spread COVID several days before a test is even able to detect it, I wonder whether I'd want to even be near his team mates that didn't test positive.

Caretaker

They hopefully have tested everyone in Mitchelton-Scott and will test every team on the rest day (Monday) and we will just have to hope that there's no significant number of positives.

The reports of teams having to share hotels with the general public doesn't sound encouraging.

OBoile

It certainly explains his poor performance. I wonder how often he gets tested... he's likely had it for a while. That's a pretty hazardous work environment right now.

MinnMan

Flip Flop Rider

Surely they test all members of the teams daily right? and I mean everyone from director to chef as as well as the riders of course

diphthong

i blame slcbob. mrs. slcbob wuz right. poor lad(s).

MinnMan

Once a week on the rest days unless requested
https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/veg...italia-bubble/

Iride01 

I think it was symptoms that prompted his early testing. I suppose this was after stage 7 and before 8. Though I don't know that they've said whether it was a rapid test or one that took more time for a result.

Of course then you get into the question of did they do more tests to verify the first result? All sorts of gee-whiz info I'm curious about but maybe for privacy not entitled to know.

MinnMan

The article that I linked above spells all this out. He had a headache, they did a rapid test that was positive, and they followed up with PCR.

Iride01 

@MinnMan........ yeah, I found that out post posting <grin>

canklecat

During the stage 10 commentary, they reported that some insiders said crews and some racers have been more lax in hygienic precautions during the Giro, compared with the TdF.

But it's inevitable that more racers will test positive as the year drags on. They'll probably be fine and most will probably be asymptomatic. But it's a demonstration of how easily pathogens can spread, even with reasonable precautions. And the real victims will be someone downstream in the contact chain -- older and/or disabled family and friends of the racers and team members.

That may be why Lawson Craddock dropped out of the Giro -- out of concern for his family, as he and his wife are expecting another child soon. He's been pretty vocal about safety and health considerations for racers in other races, and critical of the UCI's neglect.

Iride01 

Some point the finger at hotels used by riders and their teams. Are Italian hotels different than those in France? Or were hotels for the TdF exclusive for riders and teams only?

https://www.velonews.com/events/giro...id-19-defense/

gsa103

TdF organizers required that hotels have specific wings set aside for the teams, and dedicated eating areas. Teams would send crews ahead to sterilize the areas. That sounds like a far cry from the Giro situation.
https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/...tour-de-france

USAZorro

Not certain. Seems like in the Tour, tests were made on, or going into the rest days.

Doge

Can you show us that evidence - esp. in <30 year olds - you know, GT kinda folks.

Let us not forget a year ago the winner was emptying his bowls at the side of the road. No big deal then, right? This is a far lessor issue at this age.

Iride01 

I can't but there are several people I'd trust that said it. And of course I don't know if they were talking about the PCR test or others. Don't remember who exactly it was, but it wasn't the crazy off the wall loons that think we'll get herd immunity.

But for any to think that he couldn't spread it until he tested positive is just sticking your head in the sand. And we don't know that he wouldn't have tested positive the day after his previous test.

Most every credible source I've read says you can be passing COVID well before any symptoms show up.

I have no idea where you want to go with this..................
And what's your point with this?
Still, people in his age group have died and others have had all the various post recovery ills that other age groups have. I'll agree he is in the age group that seems to have less of all the bad. But still an infected person no matter their age seem to be able to spread it to others no matter the age of the others. It's not like it will only go from a 28 yo to a 28 yo.

Doge

You made a statement I do not know to be true. I will typically ask for verification from bike parts to power to health. I consider what you said not true until I see that it is. I have no data.

That it is something that does not need a change in behavior. If Simon felt OK riding, he should have kept riding. We did not hear he felt sick. So a major GC contender was knocked out over a test that has shown to mean very little to this age group with likely no other conditions. He was denied an opportunity.

They spread it if riding, or not riding. We should know that by now. At this age, riding with others his age, it is likely safer for all he just keep racing. I mean if he were going to be truly isolated, which turns out - nobody does, that would be different. He's fine, the other racers are fine. At this age is it even a fraction of the deaths from the flu or food poisonings? Which is why I mentioned last year's winner. So he'll be in the open population, most likely exposing older folks. Again, not that high of a risk to anyone, but higher than exposing WT riders who likely can shake this off with barely a runny nose.

Iride01 

So we should allow those that test positive just circulate around everyone else that has not tested positive?

I guess that's one way to go about it. Just get everybody infected. Let those that are going to die, die. Might happen no matter what we do, but even so, one of the issues is keeping the rate of infection low enough that we don't overwhelm our healthcare system and not be able to take care of those with other problems.

Be pretty sad for people to die of other issues because the ER's and other medical facilities are overwhelmed with COVID patients because we didn't try to slow down the rate of infection.

Doge

That is what they just did vs having them live the mostly isolated racer life.
I know the USA numbers, and CA numbers much more, but for this virus - absolutely. WHO says 10% of the folks have it, so naturally a lot who die, die with it. In the USA, CDC says only 6% had only "it" and on average had 3.6 conditions.

So when we get to 20 year old super fit males - better keep them racing each other than putting them back in the population. And we never made them quit when sick before, for worse, so why now?

You can find that data for me too. No ER's are overwhelmed anywhere in the world from COVID. My wife's hospital averages 10 patients a day. WHO reports Italy had 69 die yesterday. I doubt they had, nor were exposed by those riding Grand Tours. But, as WHO reports 40million already have it, I don't think Yates racing is that much of a risk to anyone.

USAZorro

Not sold on this as an excuse.

The brothers are definitely solid riders, but they aren't cut from GT winner cloth, imo. Yes, on any given day, or during any given week they can vex the best, but let's be realistic about their capacity.

OBoile

Really? Simon won a grand tour in 2018. I'm not sure how you can say he isn't the type that could win. Particularly since this field wasn't exactly full of elite riders.
Furthermore, he was getting dropped early when many non-elite climbers were still at the front.

USAZorro

Rather un-thought-through statement, imo. First-off he's a lot closer to 30 than 20. Second, whatever the measured transmission rate it, the virus has the capacity to adversely affect pulminary and cardio capacity. Even a 2 - 3% hit to either can ruin a career for a pro cyclist. Sucks that he got it. Right move for his team to pull the plug, imo. If the rest of their squad contracts it, it's a huge blow to several other athletes.

"Putting them back in the population" - where'd this come from? Not what's going to happen. Proper quarantining and follow-up testing are most assuredly the protocol that's being followed.

USAZorro

The 2018 Vuelta field was even weaker, imo. Lightning struck. He's a better rider than Periero, but I'd have put money on Sastre over him. All this said, I don't wish him ill. He definitely has the capacity to liven up any multi-day race he enters.

Doge

OK - USA numbers which are higher reported deaths than Italy have 25-35 year old male deaths at 10 for the week of Oct 10th out of a population 23 million. That is "WITH" COVID-19 with an average of 3.6 condition, and total average of 6% have only COVID-19 so average would be about 1 death per week out of 23M in the USA. And Italy is better.


That I do not know, but is it worse racing than not racing? As mentioned, last year's winner and lots of riders race sick, and always have.

I expect he is now in a more vulnerable population than he was. As a racer he is watched and with others <35 with most likely no other conditions.

For COVID-19, without symptoms, I have not seen any real data showing it is a problem. That is the thought out part of my original reply. Show me the data that indicates an asymptomatic 20 something is a risk to other 20 somethings who have no other conditions. I think we are looking at rates way below typical racer sickness. Pull them out of races and put them with the general population and risk of exposure to others is higher. I've been around enough of this profile not to think they really isolate.

MinnMan

I respect Doge for his knowledge about racing, but in other threads it's been evident that science is not his strong point. Whether or not that's also true about medicine, some of the points raised here don't belong in this forum, but are more suitable for the Lounge, IMHO.