Effects of coronavirus on professional races

[Armchair Cyclist]

I really don't know if the world championships will, or should, take place on their scheduled dates, but I know for sure that I never again want to see or hear them referred to as 'Worldies'.

 

[GVFTA]

Also, smaller races can be flexible about if/when to cancel or reschedule because there is less money and people involved.

You obviously have never put on a bike race.

 

[yaco]

The UCI, the organisers and the Riders Association need to be more flexible with the end of the year if the season restarts in the second half of the year - You need to finish the season at the end of November which gives the rider a good base for 2021 and a months break - To finish the season on October 31, when the season already ends on October 22 is silly.

 

[pastronef]

TDF rescheduling (if needed) will have priority on ALL races. ASO owns the Vuelta too so it could be moved to make space for the TDF.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1244933878655188992

View: https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1244933878655188992

 

[RedheadDane]

Could you imagine a situation where some of the big classics actually overlap with a GT? And then - if necessary - WT teams could be given dispensation to withdraw from races if they don't have enough riders.

 

[maddistrong]

It's so sad((

 

[pastronef]

Could you imagine a situation where some of the big classics actually overlap with a GT? And then - if necessary - WT teams could be given dispensation to withdraw from races if they don't have enough riders.

I wonder how many will be keen to race Guangxi in October while in Europe you could have many rescheduled races from spring. (still early to say, we dont know anything for sure)

 

[Pricey_sky]

Very early to say, but it seems increasingly likely that if the cycling season can resume later in the summer, the Vuelta will be the GT to make way. It’s possible to still have the Tour, Giro and classics/monuments packed in to a 3 month schedule from August-October.

 

[yaco]

I'll ask again - Why can't you race to the end of November - You have to be as flexible as possible in these trying times.

 

[tobydawq]

I'll ask again - Why can't you race to the end of November - You have to be as flexible as possible in these trying times.

The French calendar has been extended to the end of November.

 

[yaco]

The French calendar has been extended to the end of November.

Reckon riders would prefer racing in November instead of a December training camp.

 

[Ranagazoo]

Very early to say, but it seems increasingly likely that if the cycling season can resume later in the summer, the Vuelta will be the GT to make way. It’s possible to still have the Tour, Giro and classics/monuments packed in to a 3 month schedule from August-October.

If anything can get us through these testing times it's the thought of that mouthwatering 3 month schedule!

 

[Kaptain Kool]

You obviously have never put on a bike race.

idk maybe things are just easier in my part of the world. Tour of Thailand is a UCI 2.1-ranked event that was due to start 1 April with the women's race on 8 April. Just over a week ago they rescheduled to 1 August and 8 August.

NE events here have even been more flexible. The next Thai Cycling Cup race (3-day event) scheduled for 23 April hasn't been rescheduled yet but talk has been of holding it in May. The biggest Vietnamese race is the HTV Cup, 23 stages throughout the country and was scheduled to start 5 April. They only officially announced its postponement last Friday. They now plan to hold it on 19 May. And, if COVID doesn't allow it then, they will try in June. If not June, then July. If they still can't run it in July, they will wait until next year because the calendar will be too full.

 

[RedheadDane]

And... May is out too…

The UCI prolongs the suspension of cycling events until 1 June 2020 and continues consultations for the reorganisation of the UCI International Road Calendar

www.uci.org

 

[F_Cance]

worst season ever

 

[Berflamand]

13 pro riders will virtually ride and compete the last 32km of the Ronde van Vlaanderen this sunday, live from 15h30 on Belgian tv and Sporza.be.

The race will even be live commentated by Michel Wuyts and José De Cauwer.

https://sporza.be/nl/2020/04/01/13-...ondag-op-rollen-live-op-sporza~1585738300116/

 

[Berflamand]

13 pro riders will virtually ride and compete the last 32km of the Ronde van Vlaanderen this sunday, live from 15h30 on Belgian tv and Sporza.be.

The race will even be live commentated by Michel Wuyts and José De Cauwer.

https://sporza.be/nl/2020/04/01/13-...ondag-op-rollen-live-op-sporza~1585738300116/

Update: the riders who will be competing are:

Naesen
Van Avermaet
Evenepoel
Lampaert
Stybar
Bettiol
Stuyven
Wellens
De Gendt
van Aert
Teunissen
Matthews
Roche

 

[Arnout]

Can anyone explain me the current rationale for the reduction in wages (e.g. Astana and Bahrein)? I've always been told that sponsorship is by far the most important income stream and race fees are negligible. Especially for Astana and Bahrein it holds that these are government entities, so why would they need to reduce wages?

 

[pastronef]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1245598858014384130

View: https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1245598858014384130

 

[Libertine Seguros]

worst season ever

1944 was probably worse. Only five major one-day races all season (de Ronde, Paris-Roubaix, Züri-Metzgete, Paris-Tours and Flèche) and no grand tours (the Vuelta ran until 1942 after restarting post-Civil War), only one surviving major stage race (Catalunya) and the standalone TT of the GP des Nations; no Suisse, no P-N, País Vasco hadn't restarted after the Civil War, no Gent-Wevelgem, no Lombardia, no LBL or Sanremo (these HAD run in 1943), no Tour of Belgium, no Bordeaux-Paris, no Paris-Bruxelles, no Tre Valli Varesine (that survived until 1942 too), no Giro di Campania (a pretty decent-sized race back then), no Tour de l'Ouest, no Fourmies, no World Championships, Olympics cancelled, and several cyclists either killed in action or in captivity.

 

[Earns1985]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1245598858014384130

View: https://twitter.com/laflammerouge16/status/1245598858014384130

i would love to see, if this plan could really take place..
But I think that the gazzetta often rumours szenarios which are a bit more in the favour of italian interests..

 

[RedheadDane]

Martinelli keeping busy.

Davide Martinelli volunteers as local bike courier during coronavirus lockdown in Italy

'Cycling is a great sport but there's nothing like the feeling when you help someone in need'

www.cyclingnews.com

 

[Escarabajo]

1944 was probably worse. Only five major one-day races all season (de Ronde, Paris-Roubaix, Züri-Metzgete, Paris-Tours and Flèche) and no grand tours (the Vuelta ran until 1942 after restarting post-Civil War), only one surviving major stage race (Catalunya) and the standalone TT of the GP des Nations; no Suisse, no P-N, País Vasco hadn't restarted after the Civil War, no Gent-Wevelgem, no Lombardia, no LBL or Sanremo (these HAD run in 1943), no Tour of Belgium, no Bordeaux-Paris, no Paris-Bruxelles, no Tre Valli Varesine (that survived until 1942 too), no Giro di Campania (a pretty decent-sized race back then), no Tour de l'Ouest, no Fourmies, no World Championships, Olympics cancelled, and several cyclists either killed in action or in captivity.

That is crazy. So you are telling me that there were 5 races in Europe in the middle of the WWII. Worst yet, races around the same time when the allied forces were trying to invade Normandy.

 

[Sciatic]

That is crazy. So you are telling me that there were 5 races in Europe in the middle of the WWII. Worst yet, races around the same time when the allied forces were trying to invade Normandy.

Well, the Nazi occupiers weren’t against sport. There is a story in Ryan’s “The Longest Day” about a French pro in Normandy who was allowed to travel between towns on his bike so he could keep up with his training. Which was helpful for the French underground since he could relay messages for them.

 

[del1962]

I assume the races in France/Belgium where before D-Day