In a severe blow to both his personal ambitions and the hopes of his team in the overall General Classification, Filippo Ganna has been forced out of the Giro d'Italia ahead of stage eight due to a positive test for Covid-19.
The Italian, riding in his home Grand Tour, would have taken the start of Sunday's stage nine time-trial as one of the favourites for the stage win. What's more, his Ineos Grenadiers team will have been counting on his strength and presence in the peloton to guide their GC hopes – Geraint Thomas and Tao Geoghegan Hart – through some of the tougher stages to come.
