Corona chaos at the Giro with announcement?: Lienhard: ‘Were crammed into the gondola with 100 fans’

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He is the only remaining Swiss in the Giro d’Italia: Fabian Lienhard (29). But will he put an end to it? The miserable weather also sapped his strength. Lienhard says in a hoarse voice: «In the past week there has been a huge difference in height. For me it’s all about survival and staying healthy.”

The latter is anything but simple. Almost 47 of the 176 riders gave up the Tour. Due to falls and injuries, but also due to Corona. At least 16 tested positive and left the Giro on the advice of their teams – including Remco Evenepoel (23), leader of the general classification until his retirement. “Those who had to go outside were really sick. But I also know many who continued to drive despite Corona,” says Lienhard.

Lienhard thinks it is right that drivers who have only a mild cold despite Corona are still in the peloton. “The risk of contamination is high because we no longer have to test as we used to. Before the start I already thought about taking selfies with children. But in the end we just have to live with the fact that this virus is there.”

Mäder didn’t even show up

After the positive cases, the Giro organization has only slightly tightened the corona screw. It is the teams themselves who try to protect themselves – with tests, masks and disinfectants. “It was extremely stuffy in the press room on the first day of the Giro,” reports Lienhard.

Later, after the 7th stage with the finish in the mountains on the Campo Imperatore, what many called an infection disaster occurred. “Most drivers used the gondola to go up into the valley. That was the intention. However, nothing was organised, so everything got mixed up – we were crammed into a gondola with about 100 fans.”

Even before the Giro there were indications that Corona was back in the field of cycling professionals. “I probably got infected in the Tour de Romandie, because after that I didn’t meet anyone except my girlfriend,” said Gino Mäder (26). The Zurich resident may not have been alone – he was ill and decided not to join the tour.

Who will win the Giro is open. One thing is certain: he must not only beat his opponents, but also claim a portion of Corona happiness.

Source : Blick