Movistar's Uijtdebroeks has been riding with a fever, and it's causing outrage: 'I almost fell off my chair'

Cian Uijtdebroeks has been the talk of the Tour de France for days. The Belgian rider from Movistar said he had a fever but did not withdraw from the race. Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad presented the case to a Flemish sports physician, who said he was stunned after hearing Uijtdebroeks’ case.

First, the facts: Uijtdebroeks was dropped early on the opening weekend, and there was a good reason for that. “I’m just not feeling well. I’m a little dizzy, so I want to get to the bus as soon as possible. I managed to get through it, but when you’re feeling like this, it really drains your energy,” he said after stage three.

The Belgian rider simply showed up at the start of Stage 4. “He’s struggling with gastroenteritis (inflammation of the stomach and intestines) and diarrhea. In this heat, that’s very dangerous. Cian has a fever, which is normal with that stomach and intestinal infection. It was 37.3 degrees. That’s a fever, but it’s right on the borderline, yes,” said team director Jürgen Roelandts. 

Roelandts defended the decision to continue. “At 38.5 or 39 degrees, he wouldn’t have started anyway. It’s right on the limit. Cian definitely doesn’t have a fever now, because we just took his temperature. But at 40 degrees, it’s hard to keep his temperature down.”

Uijtdebroeks finished Stage 4 in the heart of the tightly bunched peloton and was confident about what lay ahead. “It looks like it’s a stomach bug. I trust that the medical staff knows what they’re doing and that it’s safe. The moment it becomes dangerous for my heart, I want to pull out. That’s the last thing I want.”

When the matter is brought to Tom Teulingkx, a Flemish sports physician and also president of the Association of Sports and Medical Examiners, he lets out a sigh. “I almost fell off my chair when I heard it. We thought riders and teams had finally gotten the message: don’t compete if you have a fever!" he said.

Teulingkx expresses his surprise. “Apparently, we’re back to square one. And then to claim that it can’t hurt and that Vingegaard has already done it too... Cian is a sensible young man, but those are very unfortunate and foolish statements.” Uijtdebroeks had, in fact, also stated “that Vingegaard had finished the Giro while having COVID.”

According to the sports physician, Roelandts’ argument that 37.3 degrees is not a fever can be thrown out the window. “From that point on, we’re talking about a mild fever, especially when combined with symptoms. And when taking a temperature under the armpit, you have to add 0.5 to 1 degree anyway. But since I’m not the treating physician, it’s hard for me to judge this.”

According to Teulingkx, the risk is where the problem lies. “I wouldn’t rule out the possibility that he’ll muddle through here over the next few days and still be able to perform later in this Tour. But he’s taking a lot of long-term health risks.” Because: “Ninety percent of gastrointestinal infections are viral. During exercise, a lot of blood is pumped around the body, which greatly increases the chance that the virus will spread further.”

"A virus can often take hold in the heart. That can lead to myocarditis or cause scar tissue in the heart muscle. We often see this in people in their late twenties who once raced while carrying a viral load." For that reason, Niels Albert had to say goodbye to the sport. “If Uijtdebroeks develops heart problems within the next 4–5 years, he’ll probably think back on this…”

Teulingkx explains it one more time for everyone at home: “For every day you have a fever, you can’t exercise for one day. Whether you’re a top athlete or not.”