Before learning that team leader Steven Kruijswijk had tested positive for COVID-19 and that his Jumbo-Visma team would have to leave the Giro d'Italia, Jos van Emden spoke to a cycling podcast (opens in new tab) and pointed the finger at Giro organizers RCS Sport and the UCI for the positive test of Mitchelton-Scott's Simon Yates.

Foreshadowing the multiple cases revealed by the COVID-19 test on the rest day, Van Emden said there was no question where Yates picked up the virus and criticized RCS Sport for failing to secure the "bubble" around the athlete.

Unlike the Tour de France, where athletes were isolated from the public and kept away from race staff and other support crews, Van Emden said the Giro d'Italia bubble burst at the Grande Partenza in Sicily.

"It was the first hotel and already it didn't work. We were there with four or five teams, it doesn't matter ...... because they are looking out for the health of their team.

"That was a big mistake. Mitchelton Scott was also in that hotel and now Simon Yates is infected.

"There's no doubt where he got the virus. He must have been there. That's wrong. Ten teams have already infected other guests in two hotels.

Before learning of the COVID-19 test results, Van Emden had hoped the epidemic would be confined to Yates, but suggested it could spread from there, pointing directly at the UCI for not stopping RCS Sport from packing teams into hotels with people outside the race bubble.

"The UCI should regulate this; if the UCI wants to be on top of cycling, they should say it's not good to have so many teams in one hotel. They only care about themselves." As long as they don't get infected.

"We should be protected by the people running the sport. We do everything for them and they do nothing for us. This is also our chance to show that they like us; they don't always want to fight us.

"If more people get infected, I hope UCI gets the bill. In short, they should have told the RCS this was not a good idea.

After Yates, four Mitchelton-Scott staff members tested positive and the team left the race. However, RCS Sport announced that it would not enforce the rule of two positives and you're out, as was implemented at the Tour de France.

When Kruijswijk tested positive, Jumbo Visma chose to leave as well after seeing the situation with the Australian team. We were all close to him, and in light of the one incident that occurred at Mitchelton and now four new ones, we decided to make the most responsible decision, considering the health of the players and staff."[23

Sunweb sprinter Michael Matthews, despite being asymptomatic, contracted the virus and was forced to leave. Ineos Grenadier and AG2R La Mondiale each had one staff member infected with the virus.