Primož Roglič had an incredible mountain time trial in the Giro d’Italia, taking the win despite some very bad luck, but top epidemiologist Eric Feigl-Ding clearly didn’t watch it. The physician rose to fame at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, often appearing on TV giving advice and information.
The spread of the virus at the Giro prompted use of masks
The top doc has been vocal about preventative measures, but he made a strange tweet about Roglič’s race. Although the World Health Organization declared the end to COVID-19 as a global health emergency, the virus was still wreaking havoc in Italy in the first week.
Primož Roglič got an important push from an old ski jumping teammate after the chain drop
Several riders got sick during the race, most notably Remco Evenepoel. After winning the second time trial over Geraint Thomas by one second, the Belgian had to withdraw following a positive test. Although his symptoms were mild, the team doctors were concerned that he may cause long-term injury to his cardiovascular system, as well as spread the disease to others. As it turned out, several of his teammates eventually got sick a few days later.
After the wave of sick riders, staff and cyclists went back to stricter COVID-19 protocols, such as masking before the race, especially around large groups or press conferences.
The difference between before and during a race
Roglič, like most riders, was photographed in a mask at the start of the race, of which Feigl-Ding must have caught a glimpse.
“Let this sink in—N95/FFP2-wearing cyclist Primož Roglič just won the Giro d’Italia race! This man even won a strenuous mountain time trial while wearing a mask. Several top contenders got knocked out with COVID-19. No more “can’t breathe in a mask” excuses,” he tweeted.
Beneath the tweet, there was a fact check provided by the social platform. “Primož Roglič did not wear a mask while racing. Video of the stage 20 mountain time trial can be seen on YouTube.”
Despite the correction and hundreds of tweets correcting him, Feigl-Ding double downed. “Yes he actually wore a mask in an actual bike racing competition,” he replied, adding a link to a satirical website.
Let this sink in—N95/FFP2-wearing cyclist @rogla just won elite @giroditalia 🚴♂️race! This man even won a strenuous mountain ⛰️time trial while wearing a mask. Several top contenders got knocked out with #COVID. No more “can’t breathe in a mask”…
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