If two cases of COVID-19 are found in a team at the Tour de France (open in new tab), the entire team and staff will be dismissed, but the race will continue.

In the run-up to next week's Grande Palais in Nice, Tour de France organizer ASO confirmed this strict decision and explained to the 22 teams that French law and the COVID-19 rule form the basis of the latest race protocol.

France revealed Thursday that the number of new COVID-19 cases has reached 4,771. Hospital and intensive care unit admissions have stabilized due to the low average age of patients and the low impact of the virus on younger people.

French President Emmanuel Macron has indicated that a second nationwide blockade will not be imposed, but local authorities are tightening regulations. In Nice, where the Tour de France is scheduled to begin its opening two stages next weekend, the wearing of masks outdoors is mandatory. The Alpes-Maritimes department, where Nice is located, is one of the most COVID-19-infected departments in France, with 59.8 cases per 100,000 people and 3% of all tests positive.

So far, only Ugo Ure of Astana, who competed in the Tour de Pollogne, has tested positive (open in new tab). Omer Goldstein of Israel Startup Nation tested positive before the Vuelta a Burgos (open in new tab). Finally, AG2R La Mondiale suffered two positive tests. Sylvain Dillier retired from Strade Bianche (open in new tab) and Larry Warbasse tested positive on Friday morning.

However, preparations for the Tour de France appear to be underway. In a recent interview with Cycling News, UCI President David Lapartient confirmed that the Tour de France will continue should a case of COVID-19 appear in the team protection bubble.

"Even if no one knows if the race will continue to the end, one positive case will not stop the race," Lapartiento revealed to Cycling News.

"Of course, any rider who tests positive during the race will be withdrawn from the race. Then, according to World Health Organization (WHO) regulations, contact cases, i.e. riders who have been in close contact with the rider, must be checked. Perhaps some of them may have to leave the race."

According to Velonews and Het Nieuwsblad reports, the Tour de France protocol states that if two people on a team are infected with COVID-19, the entire team (8 riders and 30 staff) will be excluded from the race. However, since the teams will live in isolation in hotels during the race and riding in the peloton is not considered a significant risk of further contamination, the Tour de France will theoretically continue.

"If two or more people from the same team show strongly suspicious symptoms or test positive for COVID-19, the team concerned will be expelled from the Tour de France," the ASO document states.

"The riders of that team will not be allowed to start the Tour de France (or the next stage) and the team personnel will have their accreditation withdrawn.

Two directeur sportifs participating in the Tour de France confirmed the two-strike rule to Reuters, but the ASO reportedly refused to comment.

The UCI created a strict COVID-19 protocol for return to racing, and teams also created internal protocols to further limit the risk of contagion within teams.

The UCI protocol requires teams to undergo two inspections before they can race, establishes rules regarding the protected distance between those in the protected team bubble and the rest of the race caravan, and explains what to do if a case of COVID-19 appears during a race The UCI and the race protocol must respect the local authorities' rules for the management of COVID-19.

The race organiser must appoint a COVID-19 physician who, together with the team doctor, must manage any cases. Risk assessments are conducted based on local case information, and riders must complete daily health questionnaires, usually via a dedicated app, to detect possible COVID-19 symptoms. Teams sleep in separate hotel wings, and most have mobile kitchens and dining rooms to avoid contact with other guests.

While some teams have struggled to complete their pre-race inspection protocols early, the Tour de France has set up mobile inspection facilities, and riders and staff will be inspected on each of the rest days, September 7 and 14.

According to the Tour de France protocol, teams have a final deadline of 10:00 a.m. before the first stage on Saturday, August 29, to replace riders who test positive.

As we have already seen in the race, riders must wear face masks when signing in at the start, boarding buses after the race, and talking to the media.

Signing autographs and selfies are no longer allowed, and ASO has limited the number of people at the stage start and encourages fans along the roadside to wear masks as well.

"I am optimistic that the Tour de France will take place," La Partiente told Cycling News in Strade Bianche, Italy. [Of course, there is no zero risk. There could be a big cluster in Nice or a fast second wave. I am in close contact with the race organizers and I am optimistic that the Tour de France will take place."