Tejay Van Garderen leaves Paris-Nice due to travel ban

Tejay van Garderen has retired from the Paris-Nice and returned to the US, citing the new travel ban on Europe imposed by the US. Being unwilling to become indefinitely separated from his family due to the COVID-19 crisis, Van Garderen did not start Stage 5 this morning.

This is a tough decision. Sergio Higuita is about to win Paris-Nice, yet I won’t be able to be there to celebrate with him in Nice. My wife and kids had plans to travel from the US to Nice for the final, but given the current circumstances I couldn’t risk being separated from them with no options of seeing them. So I am returning to the US. I hope this situation will be resolved quickly and everyone can get back to normal life. I am hopeful this will all blow over and I can continue my season with the Tour de Romandie and beyond. Until then I will continue to train and stay ready. There is a lot of racing left in the season. But health, safety, and family come first.

Tejay Van Garderen