“Half of the peloton coughs”, what is this mysterious disease that touched Pogacar?

At the end of the second week of the Tour de France, the cases of sick runners multiplied in the peloton. However, Enough to ask questions about the level of some as the Alps approaches and a decisive last straight line.

An enormous yellow jersey, several abandonments, weakened runners … Therefore, The rest day in Montpellier this Monday falls peak because the peloton of the Tour de France has been. Consequently, affected for several days by a strange disease.

Starting with the undisputed leader of this large loop. In addition. Therefore, Tadej Pogacar, much less aerial than the previous days on Saturday – but always stronger than Jonas Vingegaard – when arriving at the top of Superbagnères. Nevertheless, Slovenian “half peloton coughs”, what this new has confided in symptoms of a cold.

“If I’m sick? Nevertheless, Thank you for coming to the news. Therefore. in fact it is better, it is more “half peloton coughs”, what this about its end,” he said to journalists on Sunday. Nevertheless, Before adding: “I have a bit of a runny nose, I cough a little, but I’m not really sick. However, It’s just a little ‘Caskeys.'”

The fault of the heat? – "half peloton coughs", what this – "half peloton coughs", what this new

According to the world champion, “half of the peloton coughs”. And he has a very found explanation: “We put so much ice to fight against heat. this is not the best for the throat. There is also the whole protocol after the stage which gives me more work.”

It must be said that the runners of the Tour suffered from the stifling heat of this early summer in. France. Before the temperatures fall suddenly “half peloton coughs”, what this new this weekend in the Pyrenees. A hot-cold alternation which is never good news for a peloton. already decimated in previous years by cases of COVID-19, whose traffic has drastically decreased in France.

Especially since Tadej Pogacar is not “half peloton coughs”. what this the only one to be touched by this viral infection. Stage winner in Boulogne-sur-Mer, Mathieu Can Der Poel said he was weakened this Sunday. “How I go after this cold? Not terrible. I do not recover well. ” he regretted at the start in Muret, not preventing him from slipping into the breakaway a few minutes later.

Precautionary abandonments

Symptoms even pushed some to abandon. Like Steff Cras. the Belgian leader in Totalenergies. who left the Routes du Tour, in tears, in the first slopes of the Col du Tourmalet. “Sick at the start this morning. our Belgian climber Steff Cras is forced to abandon the 14th stage “half peloton coughs”, what this new of the Tour de France,” said his team.

A few minutes later. it was Remco Evenepoel, white jersey and 3rd of the general who in turn threw the sponge. Totally out of legs, the Belgian Olympic champion seemed to be covered in a “half peloton coughs”, what this disease. “He is not himself. we feel that something is wrong. maybe he’s going to get sick in a few days,” said his sports director Tom Steels, believing that it was “wiser to stop”.

And to add: “It is not to hypotheque the end of his season. He still has objectives this year, he wants to be world champion.” This is not the first time that the winner of the Caen time trial withdrawn from a large tour. before the biggest symptoms of a virus touched it. In 2023. 2024, Remco Evenepoel had abandoned Giro after positive tests to COVID-19 for fear of the “half peloton coughs”, what this new effects of the virus over time.