Miguel Ángel López has been forced to skip his first training camp with Movistar after test positive for coronavirus.
The Colombian Grand Tour contender flew to Europe to meet up with his new squad for the first time, but tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday (January 11).
Movistar said López was tested after he was notified that he had come into close contact with another person, outside the team, who had contracted the virus.
A statement from the team, released on Tuesday, said: “The Movistar Team confirms that Miguel Ángel López will not be able to join the Blues’ training camp in Almería after receiving a positive result during a Covid-19 test carried out on Monday.
“The test López underwent took place after he was notified that he was in close contact with another person, outside the team, who tested positive earlier.
“López had received a negative result prior to travelling to Europe.”
The 26-year-old, a third-place finisher in both the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España in 2018, has parted ways with Astana for 2021 after six seasons with the Kazakh outfit.
He was due to ride with Movistar during their winter training camp in Almería, Andalusia, Spain.
López very nearly finished on the podium of the 2020 Tour de France, before he lost time on the stage 20 time trial on La Planche des Belles Filles, finishing sixth in Paris.
This season he plans to return to the Tour de France in new colours, before heading to Spain to take on the Vuelta once again.
Movistar’s other big name sign Annemiek van Vlueten, who has joined the women’s squad from Mitchelton-Scott, has been training with the men in Spain, taking on a team time trial training session.
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Van Vleuten, who has become fame for her intensive training programmes, said previously training with the Movistar men’s team contributed to her decision to join the Spanish squad.
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