Even before the start of the 109th edition of the Giro d’Italia in Bulgaria, an unusual situation put an entire team on edge. Everyone was puzzled during the team presentation in Burgas when only five cyclists from Lotto-Intermarché appeared on stage. Something was clearly wrong.
Several riders were suffering from intestinal problems that, according to Maxime Bouet, sports director of the Belgian squad, “left them unable to stand.” The most affected was Arnaud De Lie, the team’s star rider, whom they had protected like gold. “We decided to give him rest because he’s still a bit weak. We don’t want him to infect other riders or other teams,” Bouet said. De Lie and some of his teammates were taken to the hospital shortly after arriving in Bulgaria as a precaution.
Giro d’Italia | Stage 2: A ‘Bulgarian trap’… and cobblestones
Giro d’Italia | Stage 1: Magnier, first to finish
The origin of this discomfort comes from the race De Lie won before traveling to Bulgaria—the Famenne Ardenne Classic—where half the peloton ended up feeling unwell. According to Belgian media reports, the cause of this outbreak could be linked to manure used near the roads of the Belgian classic, which fell onto the asphalt where the peloton rode, driven by the rain that day. These cow droppings transmit Campylobacter, a contagious bacterium that causes vomiting and diarrhea.
For now, the eight Lotto riders started and finished the first stage. The rest of the pink caravan remains on alert.