Lizzie Banks (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) revealed on her Instagram that she is suffering from pericarditis, a side effect of her COVID-19 infection this spring.The 31-year-old has not raced since Dwars Door Hlaanderen and will be out for another two to four weeks She is expected to be out for another two to four weeks.

"A lot of people have asked me when I will be able to race, which is a great question. I've been at a complete standstill ever since I was diagnosed with pericarditis after Dwar do Hlaanderen, when my breathing difficulties and chest pain worsened." [Pericarditis is an inflammation of the inner wall of the heart that occurs in rare cases of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus as a side effect of mRNA vaccination against it.

"The MRI of the heart last week showed that there was still a small (thankfully) pericardial effusion, meaning there is fluid around the heart, and there is also a tiny bit of fluid in the lungs, so clearly there was inflammation there too," Banks wrote.

"Anti-inflammatories are my best friend and I've already been confined to the couch for a month, so this news was a bit of a blow to say the least. I was prescribed to do as little as possible for at least another two to four weeks.

COVID-19 infection is suspected to be behind Sonny Colbrelli's collapse at Volta a Catalunya. Colbrelli, who had a subcutaneous defibrillator surgically implanted, has not yet resumed competition.

Since myocarditis was first reported in 2020, cardiac issues have been a concern for athletes, and the UCI has implemented the COVID-19 protocol and recommended that riders be tested for cardiac function after infection. Those fears were allayed when vaccination became widely available, until Colbrelli painted an almost worst-case scenario.

Banks expressed disappointment that he had to miss the early part of the season after only two days of racing with his new team.

"It's really a little bit unbelievable after working so hard in February to get in great shape,"

"But it's been a lot of fun to watch the team get better over the last few weeks.

Banks missed most of the 2021 season after suffering a concussion in a crash at Strade Bianche.