the Belgian Remco Evenepoelwho withdrew from the Giro d’Italia after testing positive for covid, will maintain season planning and not conflict with Tour de Franceas confirmed this Wednesday by Soudal Quick-Step director Patrick Levevere.
“No, he’s not at the start of the Tour. We won’t disrupt his program, it’s not very smart,” Lefevre told Belgian public radio television RTBF about the reigning world champion’s season on the road.
He director of Soudal Quick-Step he prefers Evenepoel to “take a break” and be with his wife Oumi Rayane, whom he married in October.
“We will also do a medical test, especially at the cardiac level. Then probably resume in the Belgian championship. The return? Too early. And next year? I can come back to the Giro to win, everything is possible. But it’s too early to make a plan.”
Lefevere explained how he reacted to the news that Evenempoel had tested positive for covid when he was leading the standings and acknowledged that the team should have informed the Giro organizers immediately.
“9:33 pm (on Sunday) when I learned about Remco’s positive. I sat, drank whiskey and tried to digest the news. It is true that we should have informed the race organization before making the news. official, ” comment.
He director of Soudal Quick-StepOn the other hand, he rejected accusations of carelessness in the team, which had to withdraw five infected runners. (Evenempoel, Jan Hirt, Josef Cerny, Louis Vervaeke and Mattia Cattaneo).
“It’s always easy to learn lessons later. But we know how it goes with the many requests, the protocols, the ‘selfies’, the followers… If you don’t respond favorably, you’re arrogant and if you do, they say, you are reckless,” he concluded.
Source: La Verdad
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