Disease wave in cycling becomes a vicious circle

"I'm not a doctor. But it is clear, in earlier years we did not have Corona, there were no vaccinations and also fewer respiratory diseases than now. And there I speak for the entire Peloton," said the boss of the German cycling stable Bora-Hansgrohe The Spring Classic Milan-Sanremo of the German Press Agency.

Numerous drivers like world champion Julian Alaphilippe (France), European champion Sonny Colbrelli (Italy) or ex-winner John Degenkolb had to fit the first classic of the season. Especially hard hit it Hensken Rennstall. "19 drivers of 30 are currently struck," says thinking. This includes, among other things, the German champion Max Schachmann, actually a bank at the spring classic in northern Italy. But Schachmann is set out of battle with an infection. Therefore, he will not start on Monday at the Catalonia tour, as Schachmann announced on Instagram: "Unfortunately, recovery takes longer than I thought."

Denk: "One is obliged to participate in the race"

Because of a disease of the respiratory tract also lacked Sprinter Sam Bennett. Only with five instead of the seven possible racers Bora started in Milan. "This is a vicious circle. One is obliged to participate in the race and can not say now, you leave Milan-Sanremo. But next week you have another WorldTour race in Catalonia. Since you are also committed," Denk said.

The solution consists in improvising. "You start to patch, only send the racers from a race to another. And that is, there is no real shape build-up anymore. The healthy racers are no longer regenerated because they race more than planned," says more races. The problem does not only affect Bora. Even with the competition, the sick leave is unusually high. Maybe late sequence of Covid diseases? "We do not know," says thinking.