Aleksandr Vlasov has joined the growing list of riders to abandon the Giro d’Italia. The Bora-Hansgrohe rider was seen struggling amongst the team cars on the climb into the Apennines and then climbed off with 130km to race.
His Bora-Hansgrohe team confirmed Vlasov had abandoned via social media, saying: "Unfortunately, Aleksandr Vlasov has just abandoned the race."
Vlasov was the Bora-Hansgrohe leader alongside Lennard Kämna. He was sixth overall at 1:03 down on new race leader Geraint Thomas after the Cesena time trial.
He was targeting the Giro d’Italia after Bora-Hansgrohe won the 2022 Corsa rosa with Jai Hindley. He finished fifth overall in the 2022 Tour de France and was fourth in the 2021 Giro d’Italia.
Nine riders have now left the Giro d'Italia after testing positive for COVID-19, with others leaving due to illness and injury. Of the 163 riders that finished Sunday’s time trial to Cesena, 11 riders have now left the Giro d’Italia, reducing the peloton to 152 riders.
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) announced he was positive for COVID-19 late on Sunday night after winning the time trial and taking back the maglia rosa.
He travelled home on Monday morning, becoming only the third rider to abandon the Giro while wearing the maglia rosa. In 1969 Eddy Merckx left the Giro after a positive anti-doping test, while Marco Pantani was disqualified in 1999 after failing a blood haematocrit test. Merckx was later cleared of any wrongdoing and went on to win that year’s Tour de France. Pantani never returned to his best and died in 2004 due to a lethal combination of cocaine and medicines.
Before the start of the rain-soaked stage 10 from Scandiano to Viareggio, Israel-Premier Tech announced that their GC leader Domenico Pozzovivo wouldn't take the start. His teammate Mads Würtz Schmidt also left the Giro due to illness.
Alpecin-Deceuninck announced that Oscar Riesebeek departed after spiking a fever, coughing, having diarrhea, and other issues, but he tested negative for COVID-19, Influenza and RSV, suggesting a bacterial lung infection.
Intermarché-Circus-Wanty also announced that Sven Erik Bystrøm had left the race due to COVID-19, despite having said he would race on with minor COVID-19 symptoms. Jayco-AlUla rider Callum Scotson also another non-starter due to illness.
🇮🇹 #GiroUnfortunately, @ale_vlasov has just abandoned the race.May 16, 2023
