According to a report in the French newspaper L'Equipe (opens in new tab), the Tour de France is prepared to relax its strict rules regarding COVID-19 infections during the race, allowing teams to continue even if more than two of the 30 riders and staff are COVID-19 positive They will allow the team to continue even if two or more of the 30 players and staff members are COVID-19 positive.

Race organizer ASO presented the COVID-19 protocol to 22 teams at the recent Criterium du Dauphiné, and the document, obtained by Cyclingnews, states that "If two or more people from the same team have strongly suspected symptoms or test positive for COVID-19 reaction, the team concerned will be expelled from the Tour de France."

Race director Christian Prudhomme quickly made it clear that if two cases occurred within seven days, the entire team would have to retire. But that did not appease the team, which warned that two positive tests among mechanics and soigneurs could force even Tour de France candidates and race leaders to return home.

According to L'Equipe, also owned by ASO, the rules will be rewritten after a meeting with the teams. Teams will only be banned from the Tour de France if two riders test positive for COVID-19 or show symptoms.

Riders and staff will be considered different groups within their respective protected team bubble. The final rules must be approved by the UCI and French health authorities, but UCI President David Lapartient hinted at changes.

"The measures will be more flexible," he told L'Equipe at the European road race championships.

Groupama-FDJ team manager Marc Madiot suggested that the team and Tour de France organizers would have to work together to solve the problem.

"The idea is simple: we are all in the same boat and we all want the Tour to arrive in Paris.

According to UCI and Tour de France medical protocols, riders must take two COVID-19 tests, both negative, to be allowed to start the Tour de France.

The second test must be done at least 72 hours before the race. Since the riders traditionally arrive on the Wednesday before the opening stage of the Tour de France, the final tests are carried out by the ASO on Wednesday and Thursday at the dedicated Tour de France mobile testing laboratory in Nice.

However, this means, in theory, that riders will join their teammates and ride in the mix before they know the results of the final tests. On Tuesday, the Bora-Hansgrohe team pulled out of the Bretagne Classic race after a second positive test minutes before the start.

Bora-Hansgrohe told Cycling News that Gatt had a second test on Tuesday evening, which was also negative.

Bora-Hansgrohe's team manager, Ralf Denk, questioned the UCI's testing strategy.

"It seems my concerns have been confirmed," Denk said. 'It is known that PCR tests have a certain margin of error and can produce false positive results. This in itself is not a problem, as long as there is the possibility of immediately confirming the result if a positive test is obtained.

"Of course, the health of everyone involved should and must always come first, but the lack of consideration for all other aspects is still frustrating. I think adjustments need to be made as soon as possible

"Certainty is also needed with regard to inspection procedures and strategies. If this is not there, we will soon have serious problems. Because who would want to invest in a lottery game as a serious enterprise?

The possibility that athletes could be quarantined and forced to miss major races due to false positives is especially problematic given that the Tour de France is just a few days away. Bora-Hansgrohe is the first team to miss a World Tour race due to a positive COVID-19 test. Israeli startup Nation withdrew several riders from the Vuelta a Burgos after contact with teammate Itamar Einhorn, who tested positive.

False positive cases can cause major problems at the Tour de France.

The ASO specified that during the Tour, each team must identify riders and staff who had close contact with a COVID-19 positive person. This includes teammates and fellow staff members who slept in the same room as the positive person.

The Tool's protocol clarifies that "any "risk contact" is subject to quarantine for a minimum of 14 days after the last contact with a sick person."

The tool's documentation states:" Such persons are not allowed to start (players) or be certified (staff) in the TDF, even if a subsequent PCR test is negative and even if they do not show symptoms of Covid 19."