Colombian cyclist Fernando Gaviria has been withdrawn from the Giro d’Italia after testing positive for COVID-19, his team said in a statement Tuesday.
It’s the second time Gaviria has tested positive for the disease, after contracting it in March.
All other riders and staff members on Gaviria’s UAE Team Emirates had negative test results but will be tested again Tuesday.
“Gaviria was immediately isolated following the test result and is feeling well and is completely asymptomatic,” the team said in the statement.
Gaviria, who has won five stages at the Giro d’Italia during his career, is not the first to withdraw from the annual road cycling stage race due to COVID-19. Dutch rider Steven Kruijswijk, Britain’s Simon Yates and Australia’s Michael Matthews were all forced to pull out last week after testing positive.
The Giro d’Italia, the second Grand Tour of 2020 after the Tour de France took pace between August and September, kicked off on Oct. 3 after initially being postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The race concludes on Oct. 25.
