Kevin Rivera is worried about his future as a rider after failing to defend his title at next week's Sibiu Tour and being stuck in Costa Rica due to COVID-19 restrictions.

The 22-year-old, who belongs to Androni Giocattoli Sidelmec, once teammates with Egan Bernal and Ivan Sosa, is trying to get permission to travel to Europe to race there again this season.

The European Union bans foreigners from all but 15 countries. Rivera does not have full-time residency in Europe and uses a work permit for three months at a time, but his has expired and has not been renewed.

"Since returning from Italy on February 20, I have been preparing. I have been training continuously. The goal was to move on Saturday and do the race I won in Romania last year, but that was not possible," he told CRhoy (opens in new tab).

Rivera, the highly touted South American rider from the Italian team led by Gianni Savio to compete in the WorldTour, was scheduled to make his Grand Tour debut at this year's Giro d'Italia.

He and his agent are working hard to find a solution, as the Giro is scheduled to start on October 3.

"It's a really big problem because the team needs me," Rivera said.

If he does not make the Giro, he faces uncertainty about his future, as his contract expires at the end of 2020 and his plans for 2021 have not yet been finalized.

"It's an important year for me. If I don't race, others will, and I won't have a contract for next year. It's very stressful."

Others in the Americas are in a similar situation: two weeks ago, American rider Ian Garrison was unable to board a plane to Amsterdam.

In South America, Colombian professional riders have been granted special exemptions to Europe in the form of government-sponsored charter flights, called "Flight of Sport - Colombian Pride."

Meanwhile, the Spanish Embassy has allowed the arrival of Giro d'Italia champion Richard Calapaz and his Ineos teammate Honatan Narvaez from Ecuador.

Rivera finished third overall in the Vuelta al Tachira and won the queen stage in the Genting Highlands of the Tour de Langkawki. Returning home via Italy, Rivera had no choice but to continue his hard work in order to finally get his ticket to Europe.

"I have been training very hard. Even after the complications of the coronavirus situation, I continued to train, and I have always trained alone. Before July, I was training five to seven hours hard." It's preparation for something big."