Amanda Spratt (BikeExchange-Jayco) was forced to withdraw from the Giro d'Italia Donne after testing positive for COVID-19, just as she was returning to top form following surgery for iliac artery endomysial fibrosis.

Spratt, who had twice been on the overall podium at the Giro d'Italia Donne, was headed to Padua for two important mountain stages and the final day in sixth place. Nevertheless, Spratt will now return home instead of leading the team's GC challenge.

"My Giro is over," Spratt said on Twitter. 'I was a little out of sorts on yesterday's stage. Tests came back positive for covid. I am very disappointed and sad that my favorite stage is finally over. I will now head home and focus on my recovery."

The impact on the Tour de France femme, which starts a little over two weeks later on July 24, is unknown. The team also announced that Georgia Baker, who finished second to teammate Kristen Faulkner in the opening prologue, will not race due to a close call with Spratt.

"Unfortunately my first Giro Donne is over ...... A little early," Baker said on Instagram. 'This morning I got a positive test for cobid from my roommate Amanda Spratt! 'Had a fun week with the team and learned a lot! I wish my teammate the best of luck in the final stage. Although Spratt commented that she was "a little out of shape" on stage 7, the 34-year-old rider finished eighth in the Passo Maniva summit finish and held on to sixth place overall, 6:12 behind GC leader Annemiek van Hulten (Movistar).

The last time Spratt finished on the podium in 2018 and 2019 was when he was running as support for van Vleuten, who was then on the Australian team. However, Spratt has not finished the race since, and has been plagued by injuries on the last two occasions.

This year, however, the first real climb began on stage 4, and Spratt powered up to lead the chase group, reeling in attackers Van Vleuten, Mavi Garcia (UAE Team ADQ), Marta Cavalli (FDJ Nouvelle Aquitaine Futuroscope), who sprinted from the back of the lead group to take second place before finishing fifth.

This was Spratt's third retirement, but he will have to wait until 2023 to see if he can return to the overall podium.