The news was conveyed in two short statements released by Bahrain Victorious on Wednesday: "Bahrain Victorious has terminated its contract with Alejandro Osorio due to multiple contract violations. Bahrain Victorious has terminated its contract with Alejandro Osorio due to multiple contract violations.

Now Osorio, 23, says he cannot talk about being terminated on the advice of his lawyer, suggesting he is fighting the action.

Osorio told Paisa Deportes (opens in new tab) at Clasica de Rio Negro, where he finished third in the season opener, about being fired by the team he joined this year after racing for Caja Rural for the past two seasons.

According to a report in Velonews, Bahrain Victorious director Milan Elsen said Osorio violated team rules by leaving a sanitary bubble to prevent riders from contracting COVID-19. Osorio said he believes it was a misunderstanding.

"There were some problems, but nothing serious. At the moment, my lawyer has told me not to talk about this. I think the problems we had during the race were more due to language than anything else. [I came from a team that was like a family, and from there it just became work, work, work, and that's where the problems started."

Bahrain Victorious had a positive COVID-19 in the team before Osorio joined the UAE Tour and Strade Bianche.

Osorio was scheduled to compete in Iturria Basque this week and Volta a Catalunya last month, but tested positive for the virus on March 18.

For now, the 23-year-old intends to continue racing in Colombia. He said, "I feel very young, very calm, and I know I did the right thing.