Remco Evenepoel leaves Giro d'Italia for Covid

During the last two days of this Giro Remco Evenepoel had not been as superior as expected given the excellent form shown in the Ardennes. Nevertheless, he had managed to win the time trial today and regain the pink jersey. Few could have imagined the news communicated by his team a few minutes ago where they announced the abandonment of the race after testing positive in Covid.

Giro d'Italia still cursed for Remco Evenepoel

It seems that the Italian Grand Tour is not the race of Belgian Remco Evenepoel. Two years ago he abandoned in what was his debut in a grand tour and a few minutes ago it has just been announced his retirement, when he had managed to regain the maglia rosa, this time because of Covid.

"I am very sorry to have to drop out of the race. As part of the team's protocols I underwent a routine test and unfortunately it came back positive. My experience here has been very special and I was hoping to contend for the win the next two weeks. I can't thank enough the staff and teammates who have sacrificed so much to prepare for the Giro. I will be supporting them for the next two weeks," said the Belgian in a statement issued by his team.

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Remco Evenepoel, who had started the Giro d'Italia with an insulting dominance, making atypical differences in the initial time trial for such a short distance, gave up the pink jersey a few days ago, which fell on the shoulders of Andreas Leknessund.

However, the total lack of combativeness in Friday's stage finishing in Gran Sasso, the weakness shown against the attack of Primoz Roglic and the INEOS Grenadiers in yesterday's stage and, despite winning today's time trial in a much less convincing way than expected, already made us assume that something was not right. Something that some people blamed on the Belgian's discomfort after the two crashes he suffered in last Thursday's stage.

The question now remains as to how the calendar of the reigning World Champion will be readjusted, as he was not going to face neither the Tour de France nor La Vuelta a España, focusing all his efforts on the World Championship in Glasgow.