Viruses are wreaking havoc in the Giro and could be Pogacar's main rival

Do you remember what happened in 2023 to the top favorite to win the Giro d'Italia last year? Then Remco Evenepoel was forced to abandon the Corsa Rosa while wearing the pink leader's jersey after falling ill with covid. Now, a year later, viruses are once again attacking the peloton of the Giro d'Italia 2024.

Concern in UAE Team Emirates for the viruses decimating the peloton of the Giro d'Italia

Just yesterday we learned of the withdrawal of Cian Uijtdebroeks due to illness, the twenty-first cyclist who is forced to leave the Giro d'Italia 2024 when only the first week of the race has passed. Many of them due to illness, which raises once again the specter of covid or some other respiratory illness that is decimating the peloton and brings back memories of the abandonment, last year, of Remco Evenepel.

The director of Visma-Lease a Bike in this race, Marc Reef, whose team has been one of the most affected by withdrawals, the latest being their leader, the aforementioned Cian Uijtdebroeks, recounted that coughs and the sound of people blowing their noses have become common in the peloton in recent days.

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In fact, there was concern within UAE Team Emirates when, a few days ago, Tadej Pogacar himself was experiencing nasal congestion. However, the Slovenian, in statements a few days ago, commented "I have seen many get sick, but I am better. I am almost fine" in order to calm concerns about his health.

Of the 21 withdrawals that have occurred so far in the Giro d'Italia 2024, 10 are due to an illness caused by an unidentified virus that causes respiratory problems, fever, and gastrointestinal issues, symptoms perfectly compatible with that virus that no one dares to name but everyone has in mind, the dreaded covid.

In any case, it is not strange for an illness to appear in the peloton and spread quickly. Let's not forget that, despite the meticulous control to which teams subject their cyclists, in these races they reach the limit of thinness to achieve the best performance, leaving the cyclist's body more exposed to illnesses, a situation that the fatigue that accumulates as the days go by makes those with weakened defenses more vulnerable.