Olympic gold medalist withdraws from Tour de France due to COVID-19 infection

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Danish rider Michael Morkov withdrew from the Tour de France on Thursday, just before the start of the 12th stage due to COVID-19, his team announced. 

The 39-year-old cyclist returned a positive test result on Wednesday night and the following morning, his team, Astana, said in a statement. 

"Despite the rider feeling good and doesn’t [sic] have essential symptoms, the medical staff of Astana took a decision to stop the rider, first of all, to protect his health from long-term effects the virus could provoke in the future." the statement read.

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Danish cyclist Michael Morkov pictured in action during stage 10 of the 2024 Tour de France cycling race. (POOL LUCA BETTINI/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images)

The withdrawal is a tough blow for Morkov, who is competing in his final Tour de France before he is expected to retire at the end of the year.

The Tour de France does not have COVID-19 protocols. British cyclist Tao Geoghegan Hart and American Sepp Kuss also missed the race after contracting the virus before it began. 

The Tour de France began in Florence, Italy on July 9th and will conclude in Nice, France, on July 24th. 

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Denmark's Michael Morkov has withdrawn from the Tour de France ahead of the race's 12th stage because of a COVID-19 infection. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole, File)

This year marks the first time in Tour de France history that the race will not finish in Paris due to the upcoming Olympics.

Despite his withdrawal, Morkov is due to compete in his final Olympic Games later this month.

Morkov, a