The Vuelta a España has had zero coronavirus positives during the rest day testing.
As the Spanish Grand Tour reached its first day without race on Monday (October 26), the entire race bubble underwent Covid-19 testing, with 648 tests being carried out.
The race organisers and the UCI have announced the none of riders or team staff members tested returned a positive result for the virus.
A joint statement from the governing body and the organisers said: In accordance with La Vuelta 2020’s health protocol, developed in the framework of the Union Cycliste Internationale’s (UCI) rules for the return of the road cycling season in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, the entire 'race bubble' was tested during the first rest day.
“After having been tested preceding the official start in Irun as well as upon their arrival on La Vuelta as a part of the ‘race bubble’, riders and staff involved in the race were tested a third time during the first rest day. The objective of the screening campaign is to guarantee the health of the race for the riders and accredited personnel in the face of the novel coronavirus.
“Overall, each of the 684 tests carried out returned negative results.”
But coronavirus has already had an impact on the racing, as the placed excursion into France on stage six for a Tourmalet summit finish had to be scrapped as French authorities refused to let the race cross the border.
Spain has also been put into a coronavirus state of emergency, which gives regional governments the ability to implement strict lockdown rules.
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However the race director Javier Guillen believes the state of emergency will not affect the race, which continued as planned with stage seven.
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