Giro d'Italia: Remco Evenepoel withdraws from race lead because of Covid-19

Remco Evenepoel has won four Grand Tour stages

Race leader Remco Evenepoel is out of the Giro d'Italia after testing positive for Covid-19.

Belgian Evenepoel, 23, had retaken the leader's pink jersey with victory in the stage nine individual time trial, beating Geraint Thomas by one second.

Britain's Thomas was second overall and will start Tuesday's stage 10 in the lead, two seconds up on Primoz Roglic.

Soudal Quick-Step said Belgian Evenepoel took a routine test that came back positive after the stage.

"It's with a heavy heart that I have to announce that I will be leaving the Giro d'Italia due to Covid-19," said pre-race favourite Evenepoel.

"My experience here has been really special and I was looking forward to competing over the next two weeks.

"I can't thank enough the staff and the riders who sacrificed so much in preparation for the Giro.

"Still very proud to leave with two stage wins and four pink jerseys."

Evenepoel, who also won the time trial on stage one before losing the lead on stage four, had regained the pink jersey off Andreas Leknessund with his second stage win.

Despite his victory, world road race champion Evenepoel said after the stage that he had struggled in the wind and rain, adding "it wasn't a top performance".

He covered the 35km course in 41 minutes 24 seconds to edge out Thomas on the line in Cesena.

Thomas' Ineos Grenadiers team-mate and former winner Tao Geoghegan Hart was third, two seconds down on Evenepoel.

Welshman Thomas overtook Slovenia's Roglic, who finished sixth on the stage, in the general classification.

Geoghegan Hart, who won the 2020 edition, will start stage 10 in third, five seconds down on Thomas.

There is a rest day on Monday before the race resumes with a hilly 196km route from Scandiano to Viareggio.

Stage nine results

1. Remco Evenepoel (Bel/Soudal Quick-Step) 41mins 24secs

2. Geraint Thomas (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) +1sec

3. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) +2secs

4. Stefan Kung (Sui/Groupama-FDJ) +4secs

5. Bruno Armirail (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) +8secs

6. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Jumbo-Visma) +17secs

7. Thymen Arensman (Ned/Ineos Grenadiers) +24secs

8. Aleksandr Vlasov (Neutral/Bora-Hansgrohe) +30secs

9. Joao Almeida (Por/UAE Team Emirates) +35secs

10. Damiano Caruso (Ita/Bahrain Victorious) +42secs

Updated general classification

1. Geraint Thomas (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) 34hrs 34mins 27secs

2. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Jumbo-Visma) +3secs

3. Tao Geoghegan Hart (GB/Ineos Grenadiers) +5 secs

4. Joao Almeida (Por/UAE Team Emirates) +22secs

5. Andreas Leknessund (Nor/Team DSM) Same time

6. Aleksandr Vlasov (Neutral/Bora-Hansgrohe) +1min 3secs

7. Damiano Caruso (Ita/Bahrain Victorious) +1mins 28secs

8. Lennard Kämna (Ger/Bora-Hansgrohe) +1mins 52secs

9. Pavel Sivakov (Fra/Ineos Grenadiers) +2mins 15secs

10. Jay Vine (Aus/UAE Team Emirates) +2mins 24secs