Dutchman Robert Gesink and Norwegian Tobias Foss, positive for Covid, will not be able to start the Tour of Italy on Saturday where they were to serve their leader Primoz Roglic, the Jumbo-Visma team announced on Wednesday.

They are replaced by Dutchman Jos van Emden and Australian Rohan Dennis. Gesink and Foss had abandoned the Tour de Romandie before the start of the 4th stage last Saturday. Jumbo-Visma had already had to record Wilco Keldermann’s package last month, insufficiently recovered from a fall at Tirreno-Adriatico.

The Dutchman has been replaced by the American climber Sepp Kuss in the team called upon to surround Primoz Roglic who shares the status of Giro favorite with the Belgian Remco Evenepoel. Dutchman Koen Bouwman, Slovenian Jan Tratnik, German Michel Hessmann and Italian Edoardo Affini complete the squad.

Primoz Roglic, 33, took 3rd place in the Giro in 2019 and won the Tour of Spain three times. This year, the Slovenian has already won Tirreno-Adriatico and the Tour of Catalonia, the only two races he has taken part in.