Alexey Lutsenko misses World Championship road race after testing positive for COVID19

Alexey Lutsenko, one of the outside picks for today’s men’s road race at the UCI Road World Cycling World Championships, has missed the event after testing positive for coronavirus.

The Astana rider, who won Stage 6 of the Tour de France on Mont Aigoual earlier this month, returned a positive test on Friday, according to a statement from the Kazakh national cycling federation.

“Alexey Lutsenko will not be able to represent the country at the World Championships on September 27 due to a positive test for coronavirus,” it said.

“Lutsenko’s test showed a positive result on September 25. At the moment, the results of the re-testing are expected, on which the further programme of the athlete will depend.”

The federation said that the 28-year-old is asymptomatic, although under UCI rules he is now required to self-isolate for seven days or until he returns a negative test.

His withdrawal leaves Kazakhstan with five riders in the race in Imola.

Lutsenko won the under-23 road world championship the Netherlands in 2012 and is a past winner of a stage at the Vuelta a Espana.

His victories last season included the general classifications at the Tour of Oman and the Arctic Race of Norway, as well as a stage at Tirreno-Adriatico.