Effects of coronavirus on professional races

[Zinoviev Letter]

That seems a bit premature.

It really isn’t. This is going to keep getting worse for some months at the very least and even if we get very lucky and things start getting better by July, nowhere will be ready or willing to host the travelling circus in August and after that preparations will be on for a possible second wave coinciding with flu season.

That‘s if all goes well.

 

[tobydawq]

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.

What would it help to move it one week?

 

[tobydawq]

It really isn’t. This is going to keep getting worse for some months at the very least and even if we get very lucky and things start getting better by July, nowhere will be ready or willing to host the travelling circus in August and after that preparations will be on for a possible second wave coinciding with flu season.

That‘s if all goes well.

How will it get worse for many months when people stop interacting physically with each other because of government decrees?

 

[RedheadDane]

What would it help to move it one week?

Like I said, it's super optimistic. It would basically require things to already have calmed down by the beginning of May, and the postponing just being an extra safety measure.

 

[tobydawq]

So, completely unrealistic...

Because they need to make a cancellation announcement quite a bit of time in advance and can in that case obviously not think that a week's postponement would be sufficient.

 

[RedheadDane]

The cancellation of the originally scheduled start in Budapest has pretty much already been made, and there have been races that has been cancelled the day before.

 

[tobydawq]

The cancellation of the originally scheduled start in Budapest has pretty much already been made, and there have been races that has been cancelled the day before.

Yes, but obviously you can't wait that long concerning a Grand Tour...

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

How will it get worse for many months when people stop interacting physically with each other because of government decrees?

Because it’s going to be running wild in lots of places and most of the places that do have semi lock downs will slow rather than stop the spread. In so far as anywhere has it under control in Summer they aren’t going to invite the multinational travelling circus to wander around.

 

[tobydawq]

Because it’s going to be running wild in lots of places and most of the places that do have semi lock downs will slow rather than stop the spread. In so far as anywhere has it under control in Summer they aren’t going to invite the multinational travelling circus to wander around.

Well, maybe, but a lot of people recovering will result in a base immunity, so a new spread will not run as rampantly as the current one.

 

[Sestriere]

How will it get worse for many months when people stop interacting physically with each other because of government decrees?

Will these decrees continue until either a vaccine is found or 70 % of the population have developed immunity? If measures are loosened again it will spread further. It's a pandemic and it's everywhere now. They are trying to figure out which measures are necessary and economically sustainable to keep the case numbers within what health care systems can manage. New infections cannot be brought to zero without herd immunity.

 

[RedheadDane]

Yes, but obviously you can't wait that long concerning a Grand Tour...

True. But what if everything - against all odds - is actually fine come early May? Suddenly reverting the decision, and starting in Budapest on May 9 as originally planned could be... complicated... but moving it a week could give everyone involved some more time to prepare. But of course, it all depends on what the Hungarian Government want.

In other news; Richeze also tested positive.

Richeze også ramt af Covid-19

Torsdag bekræftede Fernando Gaviria, at han var blevet smittet med Covid-19-virussen, og nu har hans lead-out mand - argentinske Maximiliano Richeze - også fået virussen, der mere eller mindre har sat Europa i stå

www.feltet.dk

(And of course this is one of the ways it's affected this forum; that we are allowed to talk about riders testing positive outside the clinic...)

 

[yaco]

Two likely dates. After the TDF assuming no olympics or after the worlds.

 

[RedheadDane]

So... possibly squeezed in between the Tour and the Vuelta? That could be some epic nine-ish weeks!

 

[gerundium]

Giro postponed. New date to be announced no earlier than april 3rd.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Giro officially postponed (cancelled, likely).

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

In other news; Richeze also tested positive.

That's some next level DQS curse.

 

[SafeBet]

Giro officially postponed (cancelled, likely).

I knew it was coming and it's the right decision but *** it hurts.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Because it’s going to be running wild in lots of places and most of the places that do have semi lock downs will slow rather than stop the spread. In so far as anywhere has it under control in Summer they aren’t going to invite the multinational travelling circus to wander around.

Let's not forget, that even if it is 60-70 times more deadly (predominantly for the elderly and those with respiratory diseases), it is still a flu, and acts like a flu.

Flu epidemics usually burn out after a month or so, and as such it is conceivable we will see a return to a more "normal" situation, in 4-5 weeks time.

There will still be some safeguards in place, until a proper vaccine is developed, but the world will return to a more normal state of affairs soon.

 

[Lequack]

Let's not forget, that even if it is 60-70 times more deadly (predominantly for the elderly and those with respiratory diseases), it is still a flu, and acts like a flu.

Flu epidemics usually burn out after a month or so, and as such it is conceivable we will see a return to a more "normal" situation, in 4-5 weeks time.

There will still be some safeguards in place, until a proper vaccine is developed, but the world will return to a more normal state of affairs soon.

Hopefully yes.

 

[macbindle]

Always rated La Vuelta

Honestly? Cant see it happening either. Not least because the organisers are going to be severely hampered in the months when they would normally be organising.

ie. Its not just about whether things are ok in september.

TdF will be off, for sure.

 

[tobydawq]

Let's not forget, that even if it is 60-70 times more deadly (predominantly for the elderly and those with respiratory diseases), it is still a flu, and acts like a flu.

Flu epidemics usually burn out after a month or so, and as such it is conceivable we will see a return to a more "normal" situation, in 4-5 weeks time.

There will still be some safeguards in place, until a proper vaccine is developed, but the world will return to a more normal state of affairs soon.

Technically, it isn't a flu, but otherwise, I agree.

 

[del1962]

Giro postponed

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Technically, it isn't a flu, but otherwise, I agree.

You are right - technically - but for most people the difference is the same, because both are respiratory virus that act the same way.

 

[Joelsim]

Well, maybe, but a lot of people recovering will result in a base immunity, so a new spread will not run as rampantly as the current one.

A lot as in about 100,000 out of a population of 7.3 billion?

There’ll be no more racing, or sport happening during 2020.

 

[tobydawq]

A lot as in about 100,000 out of a population of 7.3 billion?

There’ll be no more racing, or sport happening during 2020.

100,000? What world are you living in? I think millions are already infected.

By the way: How did you land more than five thousand dislikes? Your constant pessimism, or just a bug?