Sunweb announced Tuesday that a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 coronavirus on a PCR swab taken six days before the start of the Tour de Ain. The team confirmed that the staff member had no recent contact with any team members and is currently quarantined at home.

"It is important to emphasize directly that he has had no contact with other team members in recent months and is currently quarantined at home," the team said in a statement.

"While he has been ill, he has not exhibited any COVID-specific symptoms and does not qualify for routine testing outside of cycling-specific protocols. Our medical team will continue to monitor the situation and determine when he can return to competition and team camp."

Staff was scheduled to participate with the team in the UCI 2.1 Tour de l'Ain in France from August 7-9.

The UCI has implemented strict COVID-19 protocols and safety measures that events, teams, and riders must adhere to during the calendar revision period. Apart from measures to disrupt the society and create a "bubble" to protect the peloton and teams, participating riders must be inspected prior to the race.

PCR testing will be conducted on each athlete on two separate occasions, six days and three days prior to the World Tour event. Athletes must have a negative COVID-19 test in order to compete in the race.

Since the Tour de Ain is a 2.1 level event, only one PCR test is required three days before the race, but Sunweb followed the World Tour level COVID-19 protocol and conducted two tests.

"As a sport, cycling spends a lot of time, energy, and money to create a safe bubble. The main function of pre-testing is to keep the bubble "clean," which has already been proven early in the season.

"While the UCI requires one test three days before every race outside of the World Tour and Pro Series, we are in favor of keeping the same testing requirements as the World Tour races. We have been and will continue to conduct PCR testing twice, six days and three days prior to the start of a race, to ensure the safety of the bubble.

"With this intensive testing, we are doing everything in our power to protect the peloton bubble as much as possible from COVID-19. We are sharing this information with the outside world to avoid inaccurate articles and to maintain transparency in relation to the sensitivity of this subject in the current climate. Everything contained in this message has been approved by the colleague in question and we wish him a speedy recovery."

The Sunweb team competing in the Tour de Ain includes Timen Arensmann, Sam Omen, Robert Power, Martin Salmon, Martin Tusfeldt, and Ian Van Wilder.