Watch all the action from the 2023 Giro d'Italia on SBS VICELAND from May 6-28, with all the replays and highlights on plus news, analysis and much more on the SBS Sport website.
Evenepoel had only just reclaimed the maglia rosa after winning Stage 9 in Cesena but was soon forced to depart the Grand Tour following a routine test from Soudal Quick-Step.
The UCI announced an easing of COVID-19 protocols prior to the start of the 2023 season, but it appears face masks will return for Giro competitors at team buses, podium areas, the post-race mixed zone, finish line, press conference area and anti-doping control area.
Teams are expected to increase their own safety measures as the race continues into its second week, with Geraint Thomas even confirming that INEOS Grenadiers will revert to its rules used at the peak of the pandemic.
Thomas is now the overall leader ahead of Stage 10 after Evenepoel became the sixth rider to abandon the race due to a COVID-19 positive. The others include: Rigoberto Uran (EF Education-EasyPost), Filippo Ganna (INEOS Grenadiers), Nicola Conci (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Giovanni Aleotti (Bora-Hansgrohe), and Clement Russo (Arkea-Samsic).
“The original protocol is no longer in place, and the World Health Organisation no longer classifies COVID-19 as an emergency,” Giro director Mauro Vegni told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“That means every team can do tests if they want. They can decide to stop a rider or not. There have been confirmed cases, but I wouldn’t put my hand in the fire against there having been other cases, perhaps which weren’t confirmed.”
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“We all perhaps stopped focusing on it too soon,” he added. “We’ve got to lift our guard, and we’ll start from this week.
“We’ll again introduce the rules that were dropped, such as the obligation to wear masks when coming into contact with the riders at the start and finish.
“We won’t limit the way people can work on the race, but whoever wants to interact with the riders will have to wear a mask. Should we have done it earlier? Probably.”
The Giro d'Italia will resume on Tuesday with Stage 10, a 196km undulating course from Scandiano to Viareggio. Watch the action from 7:55pm (AEST) on SBS On Demand before SBS VICELAND coverage begins from 9:30pm (AEST).
