Ag2r-Citroën waiting for Bob Jungels COVID test ahead of Tour de France
Team boss confirms American rider Larry Warbasse would not be selected as a replacement following recent COVID bout.
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COPENHAGEN (VN) — Ag2r-Citroën’s Bob Jungels remains on the sidelines as he waits for final COVID-19 controls ahead of the Tour de France.
UPDATED: Jungels cleared controls Thursday and will start Friday’s opening time trial.
The Luxembourg star missed the national championships last weekend, and did not join his teammates Wednesday at a pre-Tour press conference.
Team boss Vincent Lavenu said the team is still waiting for results.
“He had digestive problems over the weekend and missed the nationals,” Lavenu said. “We are waiting for the results and we hope we can get it fast, because if he cannot race, we want to replace him.”
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Jungels was selected to start the Tour, but COVID controls are slow in coming back, and the team isn’t taking any chances.
If he is diagnosed with COVID, the team will still have time to replace him before Friday’s start.
Lavenu did not reveal which rider would be tapped to replace Jungels if he’s unable to race.
American rider Larry Warbasse was hoping to race his first Tour this year, but he too was stricken with COVID during the Tour de Suisse, and did not start the final stage.
Lavenu told VeloNews that Warbasse would not be selected if Jungels cannot race due to his recent infection.
Ag2r-Citroën brings a strong team to the Tour, with Ben O’Connor selected as the team’s main GC rider.