Evenepoel delays COVID-19 vaccine for fear of side effects ahead of Giro d'Italia

ZAKOPANE POLAND AUGUST 08 Remco Evenepoel of Belgium and Team Deceuninck QuickStep Breakaway during the 77th Tour of Poland 2020 Stage 4 a 173km stage from Bukovina Resort to Bukowina Tatrzanska 941m TourdePologne tdp20 on August 08 2020 in Zakopane Poland Photo by Luc ClaessenGetty Images
Remco Evenepoel in action at last year's Tour de Pologne (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

Remco Evenepoel will turn down the opportunity to be vaccinated against COVID-19 next week, preferring to wait until after the Giro d’Italia for fear that side effects may hamper his preparations for his debut Grand Tour.

According to Deceuninck-QuickStep doctor Philip Jansen, quoted in Het Laatste Nieuws, Evenepoel already has a significant amount of COVID-19 antibodies, suggesting a previous asymptomatic infection. 

Cyclingnews is the world's leader in English-language coverage of professional cycling. Started in 1995 by University of Newcastle professor Bill Mitchell, the site was one of the first to provide breaking news and results over the internet in English. The site was purchased by Knapp Communications in 1999, and owner Gerard Knapp built it into the definitive voice of pro cycling. Since then, major publishing house Future PLC has owned the site and expanded it to include top features, news, results, photos and tech reporting. The site continues to be the most comprehensive and authoritative English voice in professional cycling.