A turbulent eve of the Giro d'Italia at Lotto Soudal. After replacing Liam Slock with Joshua Giddings at the last moment, the Belgian team presented itself with only five athletes on stage at the official presentation at the theater in Burgas. Three riders, including Arnaud De Lie, are dealing with a bout of gastroenteritis. Everything suggests that the contagion occurred at the Famenne Ardenne Classic, in Belgium they are pointing the finger at cow feces and Campylobacter, a bacterium present in animal intestines.

Many participants in the Belgian race reported that the roads of the Ardennes on Sunday were littered with cow manure and traces of agricultural vehicles at many points. To this were added water splashes due to rain, and several riders developed symptoms of gastroenteritis after the race. The Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad reports that Milan Menten and Liam Slock were also affected, and for the latter it was necessary to say goodbye to the Giro.

Other teams also report riders feeling unwell after last Sunday's race: among these are Metec-Solarwat, Unibet Rose Rockets, BEAT CC p/b Saxo and Elite Foundations, but the alert is high in other teams as well, some of which are present at the Giro with riders who were competing in the Ardennes on Sunday. Several riders were also forced to resort to hospital care to overcome the symptoms with digestive problems, diarrhea and vomiting.