Geoffrey Bouchard, first cyclist to leave the Tour because of the Covid-19

the French cyclist Geoffrey Bouchard He became the first rider of the current Tour de France to leave the test after testing positive on covid-19 before the start of the eighth period at Dole, as announced this Saturday by the AG2R Citroën team.

Bouchard, who was unwell in the seventh stage, was tested for covid on his return to the hotel and tested positive.

“On stage, I don’t feel good. It’s a big disappointment because we were reaching my favorite terrain, the mountains. It was my first Tour de France and it’s sad to end it like this. I wish my teammates a lot of success and I send them all my strength for the rest of the Tour de France ”, Bouchard commented via the team statement.

He was immediately isolated from the other group, Vincent Lavenu’s team said and the other group underwent antigen tests that were negative for Covid-19, according to the French team.

“From the beginning, the AG2R Citroën Team conducted antigenic tests every three days, in addition to the tests conducted by the organizers of the Tour de France. The entire team – riders and staff – underwent an antigenic test last Thursday night or on Friday morning, which resulted in negative reviews for the entire group, ”explained Dr. Serge Niamke, doctor of the AG2R Citroën Team.

“We have put in place a very strict protocol for the onset of a health crisis to guarantee the health of our riders and our management. I am saddened for Geoffrey, who we look forward to in the coming days. The Tour is not over and still hopeful. we also lead the stages when we get to the mountains, ”said Vincent Lavenu, General Manager of the AG2R Citroën Team.

Bouchard, 27, won the mountains classification at the 2019 Vuelta a España and Giro d’Italia last year.