Tao Geoghegan Hart and Giulio Ciccone suffered from COVID-19 and the flu and were forced to miss important training in the last few weeks before the Tour de France. 

The Britons and Italians are part of a multifaceted Lidl-Trek team that also includes Mads Pedersen, but their illness can affect their hopes and ambitions at the Tour de France.     

Siccone missed the Giro d'Italia after surgery with severe saddle pain and he was forced off the bike for much of the spring. He won the Polka Dot Mountains jersey at the 2023 Tour de France and was scheduled to win the stage this year. 

He was impressed by Dauphine's Criterium, but fell ill on his return. 

"I couldn't go home the way I wanted," Ciccone wrote on social media on Monday. "The flu got me and I haven't trained since Friday. I want to get better soon and recover in time for the Italian National Championship.

Geoghegan Hart moved to Lidl・Trek in 2023 after recovering from a complex femur fracture at the Giro d'Italia in 2024. The Tour de France was supposed to be a test of his grand tour abilities after a gradual build-up through a series of stage races. However, he was hit from behind in Stage 5's Mas Dauphine crash and eventually abandoned the French race in front of Stage 7. 

He was looking forward to the simple things of life, including returning to his home in Andorra and making his own meals as he recovered and trained for the Tour de France. But he tested positive for COVID-19 and revealed last week that he was "super sick."  

"I always say I miss buying fresh food or cooking. Even an easy decision to choose what you actually have for lunch and dinner. I didn't ride my bike this week, I was Covid positive for 5 days, and I had enough time for that," Geoghegan Hart revealed on social media and posted a photo of his meal. 

"I thought it was already gone at the time, but unfortunately I was very sick. Watch out for everyone. And make sure you eat all the colors of the rainbow.

Lidl-Trek has yet to confirm its ambitions with the final team of the Tour de France, but the riders are due to travel for the Grand Departmental next Tuesday. The 2024 Tour de France will begin on the stage of the hilly road from Florence to Rimini at 6.29 PM (Sat).