Effects of coronavirus on professional races

[Oldermanish]

France's heightened COVID-19 restrictions could threaten Paris-Roubaix

2020 edition depends on the upcoming meeting with French prefecture authorities.

www.velonews.com

This would be my fear for the health of events and teams next year. Most sponsors need to pony up money well before the beginning of the season. How many are going to be willing to make an investment in this uncertain environment? Most contracts in the US contain Force majeure clauses to avoid entanglement in this sort of unforeseen situation. I wonder if that is the case with many of the agreements in the EU governing sports sponsorship?

 

[Pantani_lives]

Lutsenko didn't start after a positive test...

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Stages 2 and 4 of the BinckBank tour are, unless there have been races I haven't spotted, the first 2nd wave cancellations. How many to follow?

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Amstel Gold Race officially gone too.

 

[Bardamu]

 

[BlueRoads]

What's the situation/ climate in Belgium like? Will LBL and Ronde go ahead?

 

[Bolder]

We’re apparently about to get some serious restrictions in île de France. That could mean no Paris-Roubaix even if the start is in Compiegne.

 

[tobydawq]

Is that just your guess or did you hear something (aboit the race not the situation in your region)?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Nightmare come true.. I had a feeling PR/RVV were gonna be straight into the 2nd wave period wise.

 

[Pantani_lives]

What's the situation/ climate in Belgium like? Will LBL and Ronde go ahead?

LBL seems safe, although the U23 version was cancelled. At the moment there are no cancellations for the pro classics, but heightened security, like no public in certain zones etc.

 

[postmanhat]

Nightmare come true.. I had a feeling PR/RVV were gonna be straight into the 2nd wave period wise.

I'm not sure this wave will follow the same pattern as the first. There are already some signs that's it's levelling out in France, Spain and Belgium, but obviously we won't know for sure for a couple of weeks. That may be enough to save PR and RVV, and maybe even The Vuelta

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

The tweet makes it look like Kenneth Van Bilsen has been withdrawn from the Giro because he tested negative for Covid-19

https://twitter.com/x/status/1311561601259106304

View: https://twitter.com/TeamCOFIDIS/status/1311561601259106304


I hope that's not what they meant. With the name of that team, they should be particularly careful.

 

[RedheadDane]

The tweet makes it look like Kenneth Van Bilsen has been withdrawn from the Giro because he tested negative for Covid-19

https://twitter.com/x/status/1311561601259106304

View: https://twitter.com/TeamCOFIDIS/status/1311561601259106304


I hope that's not what they meant. With the name of that team, they should be particularly careful.

Maybe he's ill, but just not Covid-19.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Maybe it's due to something other than Covid, but it's definitely not clear communication.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Maybe he's ill, but just not Covid-19.

I'm sure that's what it means, but poorly expressed. I wasn't really suggesting that being covid negative was the reason he had been removed from the race.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Apparently Scheldeprijs is going to be raced entirely as laps of the finishing circuit. There won’t be an intact collarbone left in pro cycling.

 

[BlueRoads]

I'm sure that's what it means, but poorly expressed. I wasn't really suggesting that being covid negative was the reason he had been removed from the race.

Irony does not work very well in forums.

 

[richwallone]

I haven't seen it anywhere but does Giro have any "official" protocols for Covid testing on rest days, bubbles, etc. like they were in the Tour??? Or is it all left to the teams???

 

[Pantani_lives]

I haven't seen it anywhere but does Giro have any "official" protocols for Covid testing on rest days, bubbles, etc. like they were in the Tour??? Or is it all left to the teams???

The safety measures are largely the same as in the Tour, although they don't have the rule that two positives lead to an expulsion of the whole team.

The Belgian classics seem to be safe. In Paris however pubs and bars are closed for at least two weeks, so Paris-Roubaix is still uncertain.

 

[RedheadDane]

The safety measures are largely the same as in the Tour, although they don't have the rule that two positives lead to an expulsion of the whole team.

What happened to the camper-van thing?

 

[RedheadDane]

Not sure what role COVID played in this.

(I think you posted this in the wrong thread.)

 

[Forever The Best]

Cycling races are cancelled at Switzerland this year right?

 

[Alexandre B.]

Ardennes Classics before Flemish Classics is actually a good thing.

Keep it that way.

 

[Earns1985]

So with increasing coronavirus cases in Europe and the winter coming soon, the likelihood for cancellation of races is increasing once again.

I have to say that I am already very grateful for the races we could see in the last two months. I didn´t expect this in April this year.

So what do you think:

How high are the chances for the big races left this year that they will actually take place?

03.10 - 25.10 Giro d'Italia
11.10 Gent-Wevelgem in Flanders Fields
18.10 Ronde van Vlaanderen - Tour des Flandres
20.10 - 08.11 La Vuelta ciclista a España
25.10 Paris-Roubaix

The giro already started and the cases in Italy are still not that high, so I think the giro will go on until the end.
Gent Wevelgem is already in a few days and there are no news about cancellation so I also think that it will take place, although there are a lot of new cases in Belgium
Ronde von Vlanderen: A lot of new cases in Belgium, but I didn't hear news about a cancellation. So hopefully it will take place.
In my opinion the greatest uncertainty is at the Vuelta de Espana and Paris Roubaix with a lot of new cases in Spain and France..

 

[BlueRoads]

I agree with pretty much everything you said.
Giro (unless weather plays a role) to go through, Gent sure, Ronde I would expect to go through.
P-R I expect to be cancelled, but might go through nonetheless
Vuelta in shortened version, maybe?

What about Paris-Tours?