Updated: ISN pulls two riders from Vuelta a Burgos amid COVID-19 concerns

Israel Start-Up Nation has pulled Itamar Einhorn and Alex Dowsett from its Vuelta a Burgos lineup after teammate Omer Goldstein, with whom Einhorn had had contact recently, tested positive for COVID-19.

The team announced on Monday that Goldstein, who was asymptomatic, returned a positive coronavirus test on Monday morning. Einhorn had been in direct contact with Goldstein prior to arriving in northern Spain for the Vuelta a Burgos.

The riders in the Israel Start-Up Nation’s Vuelta a Burgos lineup returned negative results in standard pre-race COVID-19 tests. The team says that any staff and riders who had contact with Goldstein have been sent for additional tests.

“Although the additional test results have not been returned yet, the team doctors have decided to remove Einhorn from the team squad in Burgos as a precautionary measure and continue to monitor the situation,” the team said in a press release.

“Team ISN operates under the full supervision of its team doctors, following strict internal protocols, the UCI guidelines and UCI protocols and will take every precautionary measure to make sure the health of its members as well as the public is safeguarded.”

On Tuesday, Israel Start-Up Nation made a follow-up announcement that Dowsett had also been pulled from the Vuelta a Burgos roster due to having had contact with Einhorn, whose test results had not yet come back by the start of the race

Israel Start-Up Nation is one of 14 WorldTour teams set to race the Vuelta a Burgos, which gets underway on Tuesday. The five-day race will be the first ProSeries event of the resumed season, and the first racing appearance for a number of top-tier squads.