With special precautions in place for the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and the start of Saturday's Tour de France, Lot Soudal sent a total of four staff members home on Thursday after two PCR test results were "not negative."

One of the "Team Bubble" staffers tested positive, while the other received a questionable result. These two staff members and their roommates left the team and were sent home.

A team spokesperson stated that the team hopes to replace all four, but nothing has been decided at this time.

"Safety remains our top priority, which is why we have sent the two staff members as well as their roommates home," the team said in a statement, according to Sporza.

"At Lot Soudal, after months of intensive training, we remain strongly motivated to achieve good results in this tool. We hope that the two riders involved will recover quickly and arrive in Paris with only healthy riders."

None of the eight riders on the team were affected by this and were present at the team presentation in Nice.

"Team Bubble" has up to 30 riders and staff members in total. All must be in good health, free of COVID-19 symptoms, and must follow the protocol of avoiding public appearances, wearing masks, and washing their hands.

The original ASO protocol called for teams with two positive COVID-19 results to be sent home, but the rules have recently been revised to consider staff and players separately.

Lotto Soudal will use sprinter Caleb Yuan, who won three stages in last year's Tour de France, including the final stage on the Champs-Elysées, to try to win multiple stages.