Effects of coronavirus on professional races

[Earns1985]

No new lockdown in France

so good news for Etoile de Bessèges, Tour de la Provence and Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var?

At least the Etoile de Bességes will start I think..

 

[Beech]

if everyone was perfectly willing to stay at home and not hit the streets to watch the races, they could easily be held. The issue is: what racing absolutely loves, which is shoulder to shoulder and 10 deep fans lining the parcour, is also what covid loves and what governments fear.

The irony is: the racers/organizers do not benefit financially, as there is no ticket for access. They in fact lose, because by not being packed at home watching on TV/ELECTRONIC DEVICES, you do not contribute to media money which does help them. Less chance of some idiot fan causing a disturbance.

this could be a win/win, if fans were smart enough....last year's grand tours were a joke. the TDF at times had fans like as if it was a normal year.One this one issue, if everyone did the right thing, everyone would win...only yeah, no photo opp of the winner being cheered by a 1000 fans at the finish line!!!

 

[tobydawq]

if everyone was perfectly willing to stay at home and not hit the streets to watch the races, they could easily be held. The issue is: what racing absolutely loves, which is shoulder to shoulder and 10 deep fans lining the parcour, is also what covid loves and what governments fear.

The irony is: the racers/organizers do not benefit financially, as there is no ticket for access. They in fact lose, because by not being packed at home watching on TV/ELECTRONIC DEVICES, you do not contribute to media money which does help them. Less chance of some idiot fan causing a disturbance.

this could be a win/win, if fans were smart enough....last year's grand tours were a joke. the TDF at times had fans like as if it was a normal year.One this one issue, if everyone did the right thing, everyone would win...only yeah, no photo opp of the winner being cheered by a 1000 fans at the finish line!!!

Uh, so you watched stage 8 of the Tour as the only race and then just extrapolated to get to the conclusion that fans are impossible to keep away?

I think everybody knows what you say, and many organisers close off key parts of the routes (see Flanders for example), so I think people are being sufficiently "smart".

 

[Koronin]

Vuelta a Madrid has been cancelled. This race was scheduled to take place in May.

 

[Beech]

Uh, so you watched stage 8 of the Tour as the only race and then just extrapolated to get to the conclusion that fans are impossible to keep away?

I think everybody knows what you say, and many organisers close off key parts of the routes (see Flanders for example), so I think people are being sufficiently "smart".

Drag..I like it...and I hate it..20 years of my life dedicated to working around it..

I watched the bulk of the Tour and much of the Giro and Vuelta.. Many stages had a fair amount of fans..It surprised me..Even more so was the ITV commentators saying that fans were banned from certain areas/zones/sections...Only to see a ton of them when the cameras arrived..Go back and read the chatter from that time/the commentary. There was dismay over fans being out.

Now track the second wave that hit Europe (France, Italy, Spain, the UK and the immediate environs of central Europe). It began in very early October. It is unfair to suggest that the tours caused it, but may have contributed to it. In other parts of the world, the second wave was not until early December, a full two months later.

To have 10,000-200,000 fans lining up to watch a race, on 21 out of 23 days in the four corners of any one nation..or simply for a one day race, will inevitably lead to problems..Nations that have locked down the hardest have generally seen the least deaths (Scandinavia aside).

Stay home, stay safe..let the bike race be handled exclusively by the riders/staff and organizers and watch on TV. And all would have been okay...but no one listens and so things get canceled.

 

[Beech]

Vuelta a Madrid has been cancelled. This race was scheduled to take place in May.

I am not sure what the chatter is like in Europe, on this end of the pond, we are in fear of variants..the UK..Brazil, South Africa. There is a huge unknown as to whether US based variants are running rampant as well.

Add to it concern that some of these variants may overcome the affects of the vaccine and there is huge concern. I need to stop watching CNN..they have me spooked.

Until a much clearer picture of what is happening begins to develop, cancellations and re-scheduling will probably dominate. I don't see a light at the end of this tunnel until September.

 

[Koronin]

I am not sure what the chatter is like in Europe, on this end of the pond, we are in fear of variants..the UK..Brazil, South Africa. There is a huge unknown as to whether US based variants are running rampant as well.

Add to it concern that some of these variants may overcome the affects of the vaccine and there is huge concern. I need to stop watching CNN..they have me spooked.

Until a much clearer picture of what is happening begins to develop, cancellations and re-scheduling will probably dominate. I don't see a light at the end of this tunnel until September.

The UK variant is becoming dominate is over half the states right now. However, the vaccines have shown they are virtually as effective with that one as the original strain. Pfizer and Moderna appear to be the same. Novavax showed it was only a small drop in effectiveness form the original to the UK strain. Also J&J showed only a small drop from the combination original and UK strain to the Brazil strain. There was a bigger drop the South Africa strain, but it appears that the vaccines are still effective.

My issue with Madrid being cancelled is that that race is in May which is when several of the Feb Spanish races have moved their dates to. Appears Valencia is moving to early July.
As more vaccines come on line (Novavax will once they reach certain thresholds, and J&J is coming on line in the US and possible at least 1 country in South America).

 

[tobydawq]

The UK variant is becoming dominate is over half the states right now. However, the vaccines have shown they are virtually as effective with that one as the original strain. Pfizer and Moderna appear to be the same. Novavax showed it was only a small drop in effectiveness form the original to the UK strain. Also J&J showed only a small drop from the combination original and UK strain to the Brazil strain. There was a bigger drop the South Africa strain, but it appears that the vaccines are still effective.

My issue with Madrid being cancelled is that that race is in May which is when several of the Feb Spanish races have moved their dates to. Appears Valencia is moving to early July.
As more vaccines come on line (Novavax will once they reach certain thresholds, and J&J is coming on line in the US and possible at least 1 country in South America).

But Madrid is in a pretty big city (and it's a lame race) so I don't think that necessarily will mean that the rest of the Spanish season can't take place there.

 

[Koronin]

But Madrid is in a pretty big city (and it's a lame race) so I don't think that necessarily will mean that the rest of the Spanish season can't take place there.

I just think they should have waited at least into March before making a decision. They just cancelled it, they aren't even trying to move it.

 

[tobydawq]

I just think they should have waited at least into March before making a decision. They just cancelled it, they aren't even trying to move it.

As I said, it's a lame race. Three flat stages with no-names competing.

Not the biggest loss for anyone. At least not if the rest of the removed Spanish races will be run in the month of May. Then you'll have Mallorca, Valencia, Murcia, Ruta del Sol, Asturias and Aragón as a very heavy block of racing.

 

[tobydawq]

In other news, Amstel Gold Race may be held as a circuit race this year. Pretty annoying that the Dutch authorities are so uptight with cycling races when compared to Belgium.


I guess it's lucky that there are not that many big races in the Netherlands.

 

[yaco]

As I said, it's a lame race. Three flat stages with no-names competing.

Not the biggest loss for anyone. At least not if the rest of the removed Spanish races will be run in the month of May. Then you'll have Mallorca, Valencia, Murcia, Ruta del Sol, Asturias and Aragón as a very heavy block of racing.

It is important because the women's tour took a disproportionate hit in the COVID affected 2020 season - It seems like 2021 could be similar.

 

[yaco]

In other news, Amstel Gold Race may be held as a circuit race this year. Pretty annoying that the Dutch authorities are so uptight with cycling races when compared to Belgium.


I guess it's lucky that there are not that many big races in the Netherlands.

It will be hard to replicate a similar route but it's better to have the race.

 

[search]

I just think they should have waited at least into March before making a decision. They just cancelled it, they aren't even trying to move it.

Yorkshire did the same, even much earlier on. You need to keep in mind that a covid-related cancellation doesn't necessarily mean that the infection risk is too high to run the race though, but in most cases it may be just be financial issues organizers are facing. Sponsors have dropped due to the crisis, costs increased (security measures, additional hotel rooms and so on) - add some risk for the government to cancel the race anyway, and many feel better off not trying at all.

 

[Koronin]

As I said, it's a lame race. Three flat stages with no-names competing.

Not the biggest loss for anyone. At least not if the rest of the removed Spanish races will be run in the month of May. Then you'll have Mallorca, Valencia, Murcia, Ruta del Sol, Asturias and Aragón as a very heavy block of racing.

I suspect at least one of those races is looking at moving into June or July. These races don't want to overlap each other.

 

[Escarabajo]

I suspect at least one of those races is looking at moving into June or July. These races don't want to overlap each other.

I see some of those races cancelling instead of moving one more time.

 

[Escarabajo]

Yorkshire did the same, even much earlier on. You need to keep in mind that a covid-related cancellation doesn't necessarily mean that the infection risk is too high to run the race though, but in most cases it may be just be financial issues organizers are facing. Sponsors have dropped due to the crisis, costs increased (security measures, additional hotel rooms and so on) - add some risk for the government to cancel the race anyway, and many feel better off not trying at all.

I think this is the case. Unless the race is a big name race, some organizers won't even bother with extra hassle of new dates, teams, safety measures, etc.

 

[Sciatic]

It will be hard to replicate a similar route but it's better to have the race.

50 laps up the Cauberg?

 

[yaco]

I suspect many of these rescheduled races will occur during the Giro or the TDF when there is space in the calendar - Expect them to primarily feature younger riders.

 

[RedheadDane]

I suspect many of these rescheduled races will occur during the Giro or the TDF when there is space in the calendar - Expect them to primarily feature younger riders.

And - for the Tour - riders who are targetting the Olympics. But of course; "younger riders" and "riders who are targetting the Olympics" aren't exactly mutually exclusive.

 

[yaco]

And - for the Tour - riders who are targetting the Olympics. But of course; "younger riders" and "riders who are targetting the Olympics" aren't exactly mutually exclusive.

They will primarily feature younger riders because they've had limited race days in the last two years.

 

[RedheadDane]

They will primarily feature younger riders because they've had limited race days in the last two years.

Sure, but if a rider like Valverde - who, according to our resident Valverdexpert - is going for a schedule with only Spanish races, and the Olympics - decides that if he wants/needs some of the smaller Spanish races in order to be ready for the Olympics, I don't think Movistar is gonna stop him.

 

[yaco]

Sure, but if a rider like Valverde - who, according to our resident Valverdexpert - is going for a schedule with only Spanish races, and the Olympics - decides that if he wants/needs some of the smaller Spanish races in order to be ready for the Olympics, I don't think Movistar is gonna stop him.

My post clearly stated ' primarily feature younger riders' which makes perfect sense as Grand Tours usually feature more experienced riders.

 

[Koronin]

Yes, Yaco did say primarily. Yes if one of the Spanish races gets rescheduled for early July, I could easily see Movistar sending a team with Valverde, Erviti and Soler with a bunch of young riders.

One other note here is that it appears the UCI has granted the 3 Grand Tours 1 additional wild card for this year. It sounds like the reasoning is due to Covid already playing havoc with the schedule.

 

[Keram]

50 laps up the Cauberg?

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