Ellen van Dijk (Trek-Segafredo) will not start Brabantse Pijl Dames on Wednesday April 14 or Amstel Gold Race Ladies Edition on Sunday April 18 after testing positive for COVID-19.
Van Dijk confirmed that she "got caught by COVID" in a post on Instagram Sunday, writing that she didn't feel she was in top form at the Tour of Flanders last weekend, and then felt ill in the days following the race and has experienced flu-like symptoms.
"Happy with the postponement of Paris-Roubaix! Sidelined for a bit as I got caught by covid. Didn’t feel like myself in Flanders and got sick after. Only normal flu symptoms so far, so hopefully soon back on the bike! No Brabantse Pijl & Amstel Gold Race for me," she wrote in a post on Instagram.
Trek-Segafredo's preliminary start list for Wednesday's Brabantse Pijl Dames now includes Elynor Backstedt, Lauretta Hanson, Chloe Hosking, Shirin van Anrooij, Tayler Wiles and Ruth Winder.
The team's preliminary starters for Women's WorldTour Amstel Gold Race Ladies Edition on Sunday changes to includes Winder, Lucinda Brand, Audrey Cordon-Ragot, Lizzie Deignan, and Elisa Longo Borghini, while a sixth rider is not yet listed for the race.
Van Dijk has had a strong spring campaign with an overall victory at the Healthy Ageing Tour, ninth at Dwars door Vlaanderen and she placed 21st at Tour of Flanders.
The men's Trek-Segafredo team was hit by COVID-19 cases during the cobbled Classics. The team opted not ride Scheldeprijs last Wednesday but said they would return for this week's Brabantse Pijl.
The squad withdrew from Gent-Wevelgem after two positive COVID-19 cases but returned for Dwars door Vlaanderen, albeit with just five riders. Former World Champion Mads Pedersen and Alex Kirsch were unable to ride as they were still in isolation after having close contact with a confirmed COVID-19 coronavirus case, while Edward Theuns was ruled out after returning an inconclusive COVID-19 test.
Pedersen and Theuns were both cleared to race in time for Sunday’s Tour of Flanders, where Trek-Segafredo lined out with a full complement of seven riders, but the team announced that they would not take part in Scheldeprijs.
