– There were probably 100 people in the dining room – NRK Sport – Sports news, results and broadcast schedule

There is total chaos at the Giro d’Italia after the first day of rest of the three weeks of racing. After the tests that were made on Monday, two teams have withdrawn from the race.

First, Mitchelton-Scott retired his team after four new positive tests on the team. Then came the news that the great team Team Jumbo-Visma had ended after their big star, Steven Kruijswijk, was out.

– I agree with the decision, it is a very thoughtful and responsible behavior of the team. I am proud of the team and I support the decision, says Tobias Foss (23) to NRK.

The great Norwegian talent is in his first season as a professional pilot for the Dutch crew and should use his climbing skills and rhythm on the tour to help lake captain Steven Kruijswijk to victory.

Kruijswijk tested positive when all the riders underwent a mandatory medical check on Monday’s rest day. Therefore, the strong Dutchman and his entire team are finished in this year’s Giro.

Kruijswijk was 11th overall before Tuesday’s stage, just one minute and 24 seconds behind leader João Almeida. The chances of a place at the top were very good.

– It’s definitely boring. We have prepared incredibly well and everyone on the team was in great shape. We were doing something big with Steven, so it’s strange that way, says the Norwegian on the phone from Italy.

Foss says the team made the decision after lengthy discussions Tuesday morning.

– It was a longer process. They woke us up at 7:30 this morning and told us it was a positive test. They were all tested again and Steven was still positive. After that, there was a great dialogue within the team leadership about whether we should continue or not. They had a meeting at eleven o’clock, and then the decision came, says the 23-year-old.

Lack of action

Last night Norwegian’s teammate Jos van Emden was on the podcast “The cycling podcast”, where he expressed his frustration at the lack of crown measures in Italy this year. Van Emden mentioned that ten teams slept in two hotels and that guests from outside the Giro ate from the same buffet.

Foss also says he was very surprised by the lack of action when they got to the Giro.

– The first day we went down, there were probably 100 people in the dining room. There were three teams and the entire police card. So we were also quite surprised that it wasn’t separate and that we lived in a bubble. Those who have toured the Tour de France say there is a big difference in safety. At the same time, we felt that he was relatively inside. It turns out that, and no wonder, we live so much on top of each other. Once a case occurs, the probability is that it will spread reasonably quickly, says the Jumbo-Visma pilot.

Riding director Mauro Vegni tells Italian TV channel Rai that they have done everything possible to make this year’s Giro possible.

– This morning all the teams that tested positive have undergone new rapid tests and will do the same tomorrow. So far we have taken 1500 samples and honestly it is impossible to do more than this, Vegni says according to VeloNews.

– For everyone, the goal is to take us to Milan. We will do our best to complete this Giro in October, and complete it with dignity and justice, continues the race director.

At the same time, Foss points out that it is not primarily due to cyclists so it is prudent and correct to be next to Italy this year.

– All the pilots who have been diagnosed with corona have not felt bad. So I am not concerned with my own health or that of my fellow equestrians. But we have a support team of 15-20 men here, where some have underlying illnesses and some are elderly, so you are responsible for much more than yourself. They want to take care of our health and that of the whole team, but then we also feel that it is important to send a signal that sport is not everything in this world and that the health of both the athletes and the fans who clearly follow. has a higher priority than that, we must entertain people on television, he says.

Long way home

Foss ran his first three-week race and was very impressive on the first leg, where he climbed to a solid fifth at opening pace. The former winner of the prestigious Tour de l’Avenir, the “Youth Tour de France”, takes many positive points from the Giro, although he was not allowed to finish.

– For my part, I have received a lot of good learning and all the confirmations I need, so I want to say that I am more motivated than ever to train well this winter. There will be new opportunities next year.

Now he waits for a quarantine period before Foss can return to Norway. Just when the boy Vingrom returns to the shores of Lake Mjøsa, he is still not sure.

– I do not know the process very well, but we will take very good precautions. We had dinner with Kruijswijk last night, so it is the quarantine that applies. We can’t fly, so there is talk of the possibility of driving to the Netherlands and being quarantined there until we’ve tested ourselves enough times or been there for two weeks. We will be very “safe” and use the time it takes us to get home, but it probably won’t be a quick process, says Foss.