The Groupama-FDJ team revealed that two athletes were infected with COVID-19 coronavirus during pre-training camp antibody testing.

The names of the athletes are not being released to protect their privacy, but a certificate was issued by the UCI, waiving the series of pre-race RT-PCR swab tests required for athletes and teams to show they are free of COVID-19 infection, have passed more stringent health checks and are not considered to be infected with COVID-19.

"Serological tests were performed at the end of June to determine who on the team came into contact with the virus during the pandemic. We had two players who were asymptomatic and infected," experienced team doctor Jacky Mayo told L'Equipe magazine (opens in new tab).

"The UCI gave them an immunization passport and they are not obliged to repeat the (RT-PCR) virological tests this year. Of course, since viral myocarditis can cause heart rhythm disorders and sudden death, they were obligated to perform cardiology testing to ensure that the virus had been completely eliminated.

It is not known if riders from other teams were also exempted from pre-race COVID-19 testing.

Arnaud Demaret and David Gault will lead the French team at the Vuelta a Burgos starting Tuesday in Spain, while Thibaut Pinot will return at La Route d'Occitanie starting Saturday.Groupama-FDJ will consist of 28 riders, with development team players can also be included as stadiairs.

Mayo explained that the French WorldTour team will require nearly 500 RT-PCR swab tests for riders and staff to respect the UCI COVID-19 regulations and to create a bubble that will protect the team in the race. This will cost approximately 130,000 euros. The other six World Tour teams reportedly opted for a saliva-based test, with the kits sent to the riders' homes and then to a central laboratory in Denmark.

"C'est une sacrée gymnastique logistique," Mayo admitted, "which is a huge logistical challenge. But no one seems to be complaining.

"Quite the contrary. Five tests a month is not bad. They know that if they want to race they have to accept it and they really want to race."

Riders must also complete daily health questionnaires via an app and must respect social distancing, face masks, and other special rules to significantly reduce the risk of contagion in the race.Groupama-FDJ will be at the Tour de France in September will take special precautionary measures.

"We will be disinfecting rooms, canteens, buses and air conditioning, as we did last year with very satisfactory results.

"Someone is always coughing in the peloton, which can be stressful for some people. But as long as everyone follows the screening rules."

Team physicians and experts say it is impossible to avoid COVID-19 cases during the rescheduled race season because of the sheer number of athletes and staff in protected foam and the risks they face when at home between races We believe that this is the case. While other sports manage to continue playing despite many cases occurring within their teams, the bubble in pro cycling is much larger, constantly moving across borders between countries with different COVID-19 infection rates and government regulations.

"There is no such thing as zero risk. Science and mathematics are two very different things. We must be cautious and protective. But it adds another layer of complexity," a team doctor recently told Cycling News. 0]

"Team doctors and team managers are having sleepless nights, but are doing everything they can to make sure everyone is safe and able to continue racing."

The UCI has allowed teams to make the final decision if they test positive for COVID-19 during a race.

The UCI acknowledges that in the event of a positive test for COVID-19 during a race, the UCI will be responsible for the final decision, and teams will likely be informed of their specific strategy for each race two weeks before the start. A steering group consisting of riders, teams, and race organizers is set up and reports to the UCI, which then decides on the final policy.

However, the details of the possible response scenarios remain unclear, as different decisions may be made depending on each country's regulations and specific cases. Mayo has suggested that the race may not be cancelled if a rider tests positive for COVID-19.

"Not necessarily at first. But of course, if the whole team is affected, I think the COVID doctor will take action after consulting with the UCI," he said.

"At the moment we don't have exact information on the management of positive cases. When this situation occurs, 'contact cases' (those in close proximity to an infected person) must be collected quickly, as it is not possible to block the entire team.