Effects of coronavirus on professional races

[HelloDolly]

Ok so UK government are saying mass gathering being banned does not necessarily work with this virus so they are not banning them just yet

Also US WHO experts on TV says best approach is testing ,testing and testing and surveillance

I have been of the view from the start that it is impossible to stop the spread of this infection and that has proved true ..we just delayed it peaking in countries
My mate in Beijing is now 9 weeks in quarantine
Also UK government saying peak 2 months off in UK and peak period could last 10 to 14 weeks

The thing is the social and financial impact maybe be more than the medical impact when all is said and done esp if we close everything down ..which in turn may lead to severe problems that effect all lives

Who is to say that the virus does not just hide in asymptomatic individuals after quarantine for a few weeks in the population and springs up again

Whatever happens we need some cool heads and measured responses not lead by the media or foolish politicians

 

[Bonimenier]

Ok so UK government are saying mass gathering being banned does not necessarily work with this virus so they are not banning them just yet

Also US WHO experts on TV says best approach is testing ,testing and testing and surveillance

I have been of the view from the start that it is impossible to stop the spread of this infection and that has proved true ..we just delayed it peaking in countries

It is important to delay the peaking otherwise Healthcare might not be to handle it.

 

[Velolover2]

Most Western countries will be closed in a week or two from now on. It's unavoidable.

This has already happened in Italy, Denmark, Norway, Austria and Ireland. France and Spain are up next. Then Germany and the rest of Western Europe. Then UK, Australia. And lastly the US and Canada.

 

[RedheadDane]

Cycling, football, basketball... it is just sport. Honestly, sport is meaningless. There is a serious virus floating around, collapsing the health systems of Italy, Spain, and european countries.

This is serious guys. Cancelling De Ronde, Roubaix, Champions League or whatever sport competition is cancelled is good if it helps avoiding hundreds or thousand of infections.

Probably most of us will be safe if we get Corona, but think about our parents and loved ones who have conditions that could be potentially mortal combined with coronavirus. Even people with smaller diseases potentially will not get the treatment they need because hospitals cannot take more patients. In some places of Italy hospitals are deciding who to save because they cannot treat everyone.

We all need to take precautions, to be sensitive and think about all the lives that will be saved if we try to slow down the infection.

For me, it's not so much sad that races are being cancelled. It's sad, and scary, that it's necessary! Because it's a reminder of how serious, how real this situation is... I've seen several people mentioning how the big races haven't been cancelled since the World Wars and in a way - and I know this is going to sound overdramatic - this is a war… a war against an enemy you can't see, an enemy you can unwittingly carry with you, and - DAMN! - it's easier to fight a visible foe!

 

[hrotha]

Yeah, it's kinda exciting.

 

[King Boonen]

They’re also reporting that the next phase will be the cancellation of all sports fixtures, but we’re not there yet.

It’s not about people passing it on to each other at said events, it’s about the public resources that need to be used at the sports events, that would be better utilised elsewhere.

Patrick Vallance is forgetting, or doesn’t know, how lots of people get to these events. Maybe he should have sat at Ibrox underground station tonight...

 

[Joelsim]

Mainly because it is currently expected for the worst to be over until June or July.

I’m not sure where you’ve read that, but that’s clearly a million miles from reality.

 

[CyclistAbi]

I’m not sure where you’ve read that, but that’s clearly a million miles from reality.

From yours reality for sure. I can agree with that.

 

[Flamin]

All races in Belgium are now officially cancelled until the 3th of April. So no decision over Ronde van Vlaanderen yet.

Must be mentally tough to keep on training like normal, especially for the cobbled guys.

 

[Lequack]

All races in Belgium are now officially cancelled until the 3th of April. So no decision over Ronde van Vlaanderen yet.

Must be mentally tough to keep on training like normal, especially for the cobbled guys.

It certainly was good for the guys who started the season early and got some racing already done, and some confidence and see where their form was. A lot of big names haven't even started their season yet, mostly all the Jumbo Visma GC guys have not done a race yet.

 

[King Boonen]

Madness init?

Look at Cheltenham, shopping centres.

Why cancel a EPL game, yet on the same day allow a Champions League game, it's madness.

Yep, it is. I'm not really for complete shutdown in the UK at the moment, but I do think that stopping a lot of non-essential events should be happening.

 

[MartinGT]

Yep, it is. I'm not really for complete shutdown in the UK at the moment, but I do think that stopping a lot of non-essential events should be happening.

Yes

A common sense approach is needed, not total ignorance.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

We won’t see a significant race this season after Paris Nice

 

[Rollthedice]

Yes

A common sense approach is needed, not total ignorance.

Italy is a tragic example of what was to be expected.

 

[RedheadDane]

To think that one of the main concern of the guys stuck in the UAE was how they'd be able to train in order to maintain fitness for the upcoming races; turns out, there hardly are any upcoming races.
And also to think that not that long ago we were talking about whether bad roads would see Poggio removed from MSR...

 

[Berflamand]

First three stages of the Giro (the ones in Hungary) already cancelled:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1238419503891038211

View: https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1238419503891038211

 

[tobydawq]

We won’t see a significant race this season after Paris Nice

That seems a bit premature.

 

[RedheadDane]

First three stages of the Giro (the ones in Hungary) already cancelled:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1238419503891038211

View: https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1238419503891038211

Anyone speak Hungarian? I'm having a few issues reading the bit in the permalink…

 

[Berflamand]

Anyone speak Hungarian? I'm having a few issues reading the bit in the permalink…

The most important part:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1238422821925269507

View: https://twitter.com/inrng/status/1238422821925269507/photo/1

 

[kiszol]

Anyone speak Hungarian? I'm having a few issues reading the bit in the permalink…

Some snippets:

"The decision had to be made early", said Révész. Hotel bookings for hundreds of people, lot of stuff to move here, etc.

"The health of the Hungarian people is the most important."

They are in a continuous conversation with RCS. The goal seems to be a later date in the calendar with the same start from Budapest.

The article highlights that finding a later date for the race could be complicated as the calendar is very packed and it will likely become even more so with lots of rescheduled races. Conflicting with the Tour is also a (rather strange) possibility, one that the teams would not like at all and maybe they would even veto it.

Vegni said they will follow the Italian government's instructions.

 

[RedheadDane]

They are in a continuous conversation with RCS. The goal seems to be a later date in the calendar with the same start from Budapest.

Specifically a later date this year, or could it also be a promise of "You have our words that at some point in the near future (well, probably 2024 at the earliest, with the rumours for Prague for 2022), you'll get the Giro start."?
And if we end up in a situation where the Italian authorities decide that it's safe to hold racing from May, could we end up with an 18 stages Giro? Simply starting it with stage 4 - which would then be stage 1 - on the 12th?

 

[topcat]

Unless Indurain comes out of retirement, I don't see a problem with holding the Giro and the Tour at the same time. I don't have a problem with it anyway.

 

[RedheadDane]

For me a super optimistic solution would be to just push the entire thing one week, so May 16 to June 7. Sure, that would make a complete overlap with Dauphine, but since they're already scheduled to overlap with a day, it won't really make a difference. It will also mean a day's overlap with Suisse - which always has a day's overlap with Dauphine - but I don't think there'll be a shortage of riders wanting to race.

 

[King Boonen]

I struggle to believe that, logistically, everything required to run the Giro will be available during the summer. Although maybe if there are lots of hotel booking cancellations...

 

[spalco]

I struggle to believe that, logistically, everything required to run the Giro will be available during the summer. Although maybe if there are lots of hotel booking cancellations...

At the very least it needs careful planning and coordination with local authorities regarding road closures, train schedules, course safety, specators safety, convoy routes, etc.

Even with lots of good will from the public (which the Giro would presumably have), I don't think this is possible, especially since everyone will still have different things on their minds in mid-/late May even if the virus cools down.