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- Russian state owner says cargo ship blast was 'terrorist attack'
- Crisis-hit Valencia hire West Brom's Corberan as new boss
- Suriname ex-dictator and fugitive Desi Bouterse dead at 79
- Syria authorities say torched 1 million captagon pills
- Pope calls for 'arms to be silenced' across world
- 32 survivors as Azerbaijani jet crashes in Kazakhstan
- Pakistan air strikes kill 46 in Afghanistan, Kabul says
- Liverpool host Foxes, Arsenal prepare for life without Saka
- Zelensky condemns Russian 'inhumane' Christmas attack on energy grid
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- Pope kicks off Christmas under shadow of war
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- Djokovic eyes more Slam glory as Swiatek returns under doping cloud
- Australia's in-form Head confirmed fit for Boxing Day Test
- Brazilian midfielder Oscar returns to Sao Paulo
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- US agency focused on foreign disinformation shuts down
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- Panamanians protest 'public enemy' Trump's canal threat
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- Ecuador vice president says Noboa seeking her 'banishment'
- Leicester boss Van Nistelrooy aware of 'bigger picture' as Liverpool await
- Syria authorities say armed groups have agreed to disband
- Maresca expects Man City to be in title hunt as he downplays Chelsea's chancs
- South Africa opt for all-pace attack against Pakistan
- Guardiola adamant Man City slump not all about Haaland
- Global stocks mostly higher in thin pre-Christmas trade
- Bethlehem marks sombre Christmas under shadow of war
- 11 killed in blast at Turkey explosives plant
- Indonesia considers parole for ex-terror chiefs: official
- Postecoglou says Spurs 'need to reinforce' in transfer window
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- Panama leaders past and present reject Trump's threat of Canal takeover
- Hong Kong police issue fresh bounties for activists overseas
- Saving the mysterious African manatee at Cameroon hotspot
- India consider second spinner for Boxing Day Test
- London wall illuminates Covid's enduring pain at Christmas
- Poyet appointed manager at South Korea's Jeonbuk
World cycling eases Covid-19 protocols for 2022 season
World cycling's governing body UCI announced on Friday an easing of Covid-19 health protocols for the 2022 season because of the good vaccination coverage of the peloton and team monitoring.
The UCI stressed, however, that "when the national laws of the host country of an event are more stringent than the UCI rules, the former takes precedence".
"If national laws are less stringent, it is the UCI regulations that will apply," added the international federation.
Dr Xavier Bigard, medical director of the UCI, told AFP the changes "take into consideration the favourable evolution of vaccination coverage, the dangerousness of the last variant, and the application for two years of perfectly followed safety rules which have resulted in a certain success".
The easing of constraints relates in particular to the number of PCR tests which competitors and team staff must undergo.
"A correctly vaccinated rider will have about 15 tests to do in the year which is a reduction of three or four times the amount compared to last year," continued Bigard, pointing out that almost 89 percent of riders and team members have been vaccinated.
"For the past year there have been very few cases of the virus in cycling, no hospitalisations or serious experiences," Bigard added.
"If by luck in 2022, it turns out that we have less than 15 to 20 Covid cases per 100,000 inhabitants in all countries, that would mean that the pandemic is behind us and in this case we will take a decision to delete the protocol."
F.Carias--PC