Larry Walbus (AG2R La Mondiale), one of the few Americans who made it to Europe before the EU Council issued its July 1 recommendation on the reopening of member states' borders, said professional cyclists need not be overly concerned about not being able to enter the country as long as they have a long-stay visa Walbus, 30, said the anguish of Ian Garrison (Deceuninck-Quickstep), whose flight from Atlanta to Amsterdam was stopped this week, had more to do with not having a visa or residence card.

"As professional cyclists, we probably spend more time here than the three of the six months allowed on a tourist visa. Since moving to Nice, we have always had a visa," Warbus told Cyclingnews. 'But getting a visa is very important to us because it allows us to live here legally. I have a long-stay visa so I can come back. I called the French embassy in the U.S. before I left and they confirmed that. It was no problem for me."

While travel varies from country to country, measures to stop the coronavirus from re-emerging in Europe, primarily for U.S. travelers, require a biweekly review of 14-day infection rate averages The EU will continue to prevent travelers from the U.S. as long as infection rates remain above the European average and continue to do so as long as infection rates remain above the European average.

When COVID-19 first came into contact with the propeloton, Warbus was on the UAE Tour. The race was interrupted after stage 5 and the entire race entertainment was sealed off at a hotel after two staff members contracted the virus. It was a foretaste of what was to come.

"I think it put everyone there on a very high alert for what was about to happen," said Mr. Baker. We knew it was going to be much bigger than we thought. It was pretty scary because we didn't know what was going to happen, and we didn't know if we were going to be stuck in our rooms for a couple of weeks or what was going to happen. It was kind of a stressful time, and when we went back the week after that, we were riding with some other people who were there as well, and we all felt like we were going through something together. It was interesting."

The incident highlights the danger of viruses entering the race entourage as well as the importance of a quick and comprehensive response.

"In retrospect, I was very impressed that they were able to test 600 people in less than 24 hours. 'Early on, they could have tested 600 people a day across the entire state of Michigan. I was very impressed with their response. If something like that happened again, people would lock themselves in their rooms. But at the time we didn't know what we were supposed to do, and we didn't know much about the virus"

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After the UAE Tour, Warbasse continued to prepare for the Giro d'Italia in May, heading from the race to a high altitude camp. There, like many U.S. citizens, Warbasse purchased a ticket for the next plane back to Michigan, just in case.

"I live alone, and I didn't want to be cooped up alone in my apartment for months. So I thought it would be better to be with my family during that time. Plus, I had the advantage of being able to ride my bike outside. I have zero regrets. I think I played perfectly, but I got lucky."

According to Warbus, the return trip to Europe was uneventful, the long flight was not full, and the passengers were well spaced. As a professional cyclist, he said he is accustomed to avoiding pathogens. "We all usually like cleanliness and have high hygiene standards.

Walbus said he has been impressed with the support he has received from AG2R during the race hiatus. When asked about rumors that Romain Bardet has been invited by Sunweb, he said he did not have inside information but hoped Bardet would make the right decision for him.

"I like Romain. He has been with this team for a long time and I think this team has made him the rider he is today. I think the team is where it is today because of Romain. The two of us have accomplished a lot for each other."

He says that during the pandemic, he had no doubts about getting paid, unlike some teams that were forced to take pay cuts. I really appreciated the way they handled it, and I think it made a lot of the players on the team realize how lucky they really are to be on this team."

After a successful return to pre-season preparation, Warbus says he is starting again with one-day races in Italy: Strade Bianche, Milano-Torino, Milano-Sanremo, Lombardia, and before the Giro d'Italia, the Bretagne Classic, Tour Poitou Charente, and Tirreno-Adriatico.

His main goal is to impress the team and win a new contract, but winning races is also high on his priority list. With a global pandemic that has killed half a million people, he says he is not too anxious about returning to racing.

"If all of us follow the protocols and everything they have put in place. I think we'll be fine. Obviously there are risks, but there are a lot of risks in professional cycling. We have to be aware of the risks and go into the restart the right way. Hopefully, you get tested before you race or enter certain bubbles. I think it's less risky than going to the grocery store."

Warbasse, a former national champion, said he was disappointed that USA Cycling had to cancel this year's road championships. 'It's a shame because it was such a special race for all of us. I really enjoy going every year and trying again. I want to win the jersey again in my career and I hope to do so in the time trial. If Alex Howes could only wear the jersey for three races, that would have been very hard for him."

Although Walbus was not selected for USA Cycling's long team for the Olympics, the possibility remains that an outstanding performance could add to the two slots on the men's road team for the road race and time trial.

"If you set the world on fire, you still have a chance. I'm going to do everything I can to show myself and be the best rider I can be. If I can make it to Tokyo, that's a big goal, but it's also realistic, so we'll see what happens."