Christian Prudhomme, the race director of the Tour de France, has tested positive for coronavirus and has left the race ahead of the tenth stage.
650 swab tests were carried out on race officials, riders and team staff during Monday’s first rest day and Prudhomme was one of five individuals to test positive for coronavirus.
“The testing campaign revealed that Christian Prudhomme has tested positive for Covid-19. The director of the Tour will now quarantine for seven days,” read a statement from race promoters ASO.
"Although he was not part of the 'race bubble' and had not been in direct contact with any of the riders and their entourage, Christian Prudhomme still decided to get tested."
Prudhomme will be replaced in the race director's car by Francois Lemarchand.
No riders tested positive but four staff members, all from different teams did test positive for Covid-19.
All 22 teams in the race were free to line up for Tuesday's stage to Ile de Re but Ineos Grenadiers, Mitchelton Scott, Cofidis and AG2R all now risk being sent home from the race under the “two strikes and you’re out” protocol if they were to have another positive test within seven days.
Defending champion Egan Bernal races with Ineos and currently sits in second place in the general classification, 21 seconds behind Primoz Roglic.
In another twist to the story, the French prime minister, Jean Castex was a VIP guest in the race director's car during Saturday’s stage in the Pyrenees and Prudhomme's positive test has now sparked concerns for the health of the French prime minister.
“They were both wearing masks and respecting social distancing,” a spokesman for Castex said.
The French prime minister is though to undergo a new test "just in case".
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