Effects of coronavirus on professional races

[Bonimenier]

Hauts-de-France, the region in which Roubaix is located, is going in lockdown for 4 weeks.

Don't do us like that 2 years in a row, please

 

[BlueRoads]

Paris-Roubaix hat die Genehmigung für 11. April | radsport-news.com

www.radsport-news.com

Despite the increasing incidence in France, too, Paris-Roubaix will not be postponed on April 11th. "We have received the approval. The race will take place with very strict conditions and with a hygiene concept, similar to Paris-Nice. That means with very great restrictions for the spectators. It may be that some cobblestone passages are not made accessible to the public confirmed Claude Rach, who is also responsible for hygiene concepts at ASO.

 

[Sciatic]

Paris-Roubaix hat die Genehmigung für 11. April | radsport-news.com

www.radsport-news.com

Despite the increasing incidence in France, too, Paris-Roubaix will not be postponed on April 11th. "We have received the approval. The race will take place with very strict conditions and with a hygiene concept, similar to Paris-Nice. That means with very great restrictions for the spectators. It may be that some cobblestone passages are not made accessible to the public confirmed Claude Rach, who is also responsible for hygiene concepts at ASO.

Understandable, but disappointing for us watching race broadcasts since some of the excitement is missing without the crowds but it also could mean riders be able to ride off the cobbles in the grass/dirt alongside the roads. Which means we need rain this year more than ever!!

 

[SafeBet]

Local authorities not confident Paris - Roubaix will be held

VIDEO - Paris-Roubaix : le préfet du Nord n'est pas optimiste sur la tenue de la course cycliste le 11 avril

Le préfet du Nord et des Hauts-de-France, Michel Lalande s'interroge sur la tenue de la course cycliste Paris-Roubaix prévue le dimanche 11 avril prochain. Il a exprimé ses doutes ce lundi matin en direct sur France Bleu Nord

www.francebleu.fr

 

[Netserk]

Madness.

 

[tobydawq]

Why do the authorities in that region hate cycling?

I guess it could be held a week after the World Championships where all the right riders should be in top shape, if it was to come to that.

 

[Keram]

Local authorities not confident Paris - Roubaix will be held

VIDEO - Paris-Roubaix : le préfet du Nord n'est pas optimiste sur la tenue de la course cycliste le 11 avril

Le préfet du Nord et des Hauts-de-France, Michel Lalande s'interroge sur la tenue de la course cycliste Paris-Roubaix prévue le dimanche 11 avril prochain. Il a exprimé ses doutes ce lundi matin en direct sur France Bleu Nord

www.francebleu.fr

No. Just no. Two years in a row. I thought that we are in times when there is no cancelation of big international sport events no matter what.

 

[SafeBet]

Why do the authorities in that region hate cycling?

I guess it could be held a week after the World Championships where all the right riders should be in top shape, if it was to come to that.

I thought about a week before the WC, but you're right, it makes more sense a week after.
That's the weekend of Emilia, but I can't think of many riders who would race both anyway.

 

[Krokro]

Meanwhile races in Italy and Belgium are held..

I mean, I know that french can't help themselves and respect the law but please ffs grow up some pair, hold the event and get the authorities do their job (yeah I know it sounds silly but one can hope)

 

[Mayomaniac]

Madness.

Time for another French surrender joke.
The situation is a joke, if you have a proper lockdown crowds shouldn't be a huge problem and they few people cheering alongside the road in their hometowns are really not a problem. But the French police seems to be unable to do their job properly (remember the crowds at the Tour mountain stages at the end of the first week?).

 

[Axel Hangleck]

I maybe wrong, but whilst one thinks of France as a cycling country, I feel that all they care about is the Tour (might be different in Brittany). I remember a Giro a few years ago raced through a French ski resort - there were hardly any fans out on the roadside, something mentioned by the commentator.
I'm not optimistic PR will happen next month, yet just over the border their races are happening - seemingly safely.

 

[Ricco']

It's time for the Kingdom of Belgium to invade Hauts-de-France.

 

[will-10]

Maybe you guys need to calm down and look at the bigger picture.
ICU capacity in Hauts de France is at 118%. Maybe a big, international bike race isn't the best idea just now.

 

[yaco]

But a bike race or any outdoor sporting event with no crowds, has no cause or effect relationship impact for those in ICU.

Anyway if the race is postponed the week after the World's is fine.

 

[BlueRoads]

But a bike race or any outdoor sporting event with no crowds, has no cause or effect relationship impact for those in ICU.

Anyway if the race is postponed the week after the World's is fine.

Yeah, for us it's fine. (For me anyway, since I'm not such a P-R fan.) But for the riders it must be very annoying. Okay, the riders who want to do WC and P-R should not be to far from each other, typewise, but still, you target that race specifically, build your shape so that you peak for it, and then it's cancelled on short term again. Maybe you would have done your whole spring differently...

 

[tobydawq]

Yeah, for us it's fine. (For me anyway, since I'm not such a P-R fan.) But for the riders it must be very annoying. Okay, the riders who want to do WC and P-R should not be to far from each other, typewise, but still, you target that race specifically, build your shape so that you peak for it, and then it's cancelled on short term again. Maybe you would have done your whole spring differently...

I don't think you would have done anything differently, honestly.

 

[Krokro]

Maybe you guys need to calm down and look at the bigger picture.
ICU capacity in Hauts de France is at 118%. Maybe a big, international bike race isn't the best idea just now.

Race with no huge crowd, only a few people living there going outside of their home and a peloton living in a secured bubble the whole season. What bigger picture?

(Based on the fact that there would not be huge crowd indeed)

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

it's a scandal if PR gets cancelled. Damn Van Aert and VDP are 27 next year and so far between them they only rode it once (WVA)

 

[tobydawq]

it's a scandal if PR gets cancelled. Damn Van Aert and VDP are 27 next year and so far between them they only rode it once (WVA)

Van Aert has done it two times.

And I definitely think it would happen in the fall, an outright cancellation would be madness.

 

[BlueRoads]

I don't think you would have done anything differently, honestly.

Well, I don't know much about it. I just thought that someone like van Aert could have done things differently, when he didn't think P-R was his huge spring goal?

 

[RedheadDane]

Make a short circuit (as short as possible) centered around the Arenberg Forest.
Have the riders ride it a million times to get to the full P-R lengh.
I'm not actually being serious.

 

[BlueRoads]

Make a short circuit (as short as possible) centered around the Arenberg Forest.
Have the riders ride it a million times to get to the full P-R lengh.
I'm not actually being serious.

They could also do a lap around my place, like 100 times. We got cobbles here. And I promise hardly anybody will go and take a look.

 

[Bonimenier]

Make a short circuit (as short as possible) centered around the Arenberg Forest.
Have the riders ride it a million times to get to the full P-R lengh.
I'm not actually being serious.

Why not just 500 rounds on the velodrome of Roubaix?

 

[RedheadDane]

Why not just 500 rounds on the velodrome of Roubaix?

Coz there are no cobbles on the velodrome.

They could also do a lap around my place, like 100 times. We got cobbles here. And I promise hardly anybody will go and take a look.

Naah, needs to be one of the famous sectors.

---

Please note: My math might be slightly off.

 

[Bonimenier]

Coz there are no cobbles on the velodrome.

How big of part play the cobble sectors in PR anyway?