Effects of coronavirus on professional races

[RedheadDane]

Well, during the early parts of the lockdown, there would have been no flights to be turned away from.

 

[Sciatic]

well, yeah, without the necessary documents, that's no surprise of course:

With no visa or residency card, the Atlanta resident was told he didn’t have the required paperwork to be permitted to travel back to Europe.

“I went to the airport on Wednesday and pretty much got turned away at the counter because I didn’t have any sort of official government document,” Garrison told VeloNews Friday

this is not due to the new travel rules, by the way. It would have been the same during the past months as well.

Acco

First rider (Garrison) having problems with making it to Europe.

https://www.velonews.com/news/garri...ght-to-europe-as-worldtour-season-approaches/

According to that article, Barta plans to stay in U.S. to go to his sister’s wedding on Jl 10 and then fly to Europe JL 12. I hope he wears a NASA flight suit and helmet to the wedding since those can be spreader events.
And one thing I still don’t have clear understanding of after all these months: what if, for example, Barta is infected at the wedding, and then is tested two days later leaving for or arriving in Europe. Is it possible enough viral load had built up in his system to show a positive test result? From what I’ve read it seems like it would be, but a viral infection is not a just an on- or off-switch. There will be some time lag between when virus particles get breathed in and when they will show up as a positive test result?

 

[Unchained]

Just wondering about indoor and outdoor days of training for pro riders who plan to contest the Gran tours..can you tell from team websites or on site reporting if riders are finding anything to substitute outdoor riding in the hills and mountains?
If anything crazy happens were either TT time or stage win record times are improved dramatically curious to see if layoffs from road rides will factor in..
Are pros crossing paths as in the past on typical training rides..?

 

[Koronin]

You'd think any rider going back to Europe from the US would have to be in a 2 week quarantine once they enter Europe and get tested likely twice during that time.

 

[Black Betsy]

No Japan Cup

2020 Japan Cup cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic

Event would have clashed with Giro d'Italia and Tour of Flanders on revised UCI calendar

www.cyclingnews.com

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Euro championships ITT will be held August 24th
The road race will be held the 26th of August

 

[BlueRoads]

So Milano-Torino is going to be pretty flat, as are a lot of other races this year. A better year for the sprinters than they probably thought.

 

[yaco]

So Milano-Torino is going to be pretty flat, as are a lot of other races this year. A better year for the sprinters than they probably thought.

It's a lead up to Milan San Remo.

 

[Mayomaniac]

It's a lead up to Milan San Remo.

Yes, but they didn't even try to find a hill or 2 durning the 2nd half of the race to actually make it a solid training race for the sprinters, in this form it's really an useless race for the pure sprinters (the 5th wheel of cycling, unlike gc riders and one day racers they attract almost no new fans, flat sprint stages are imo just a necessary evil because you need sone easy/transitional stages).

 

[Earns1985]

Infection numbers in Romania are rising again.

Hopefully the Sibiu tour will not be cancelled.

 

[Faserr]

I think the problem will be the travel warnings. The cyclists can't afford to go to quarantine after the Sibiu Tour. That's way teams like Bora will probably cancel there participation.

 

[search]

we will see. Germany for example has fixed rules, two week quarantine when a country hits 50 new infections per week per 100k. Even with the increased numbers, Romania currently is at ~13 only (Sibiu at ~7.5 even).

I don't know how exactly other countries handle it though. If numbers keep on increasing, it could become a problem, sure.

 

[Faserr]

I really hope that the season can start there. They have to get the situation under control.
Some countries in europe have second waves. That can also happen to France, Italy and Spain. Unfortunately there will be alot of ucertainty.

 

[Merckx index]

here will be some time lag between when virus particles get breathed in and when they will show up as a positive test result?

PCR can detect literally a few virus particles, so it's possible someone could test positive immediately after breathing in the virus. The problem, however, is accessing the particles by a nasal swab. Before infection starts, and the virus is replicating, there will be very few particles, and they may not be detected. However, within a day or two, one should definitely test positive. Some people are even exhibiting symptoms by then.

 

[Koronin]

I really hope that the season can start there. They have to get the situation under control.
Some countries in europe have second waves. That can also happen to France, Italy and Spain. Unfortunately there will be alot of ucertainty.

Spain is having areas of country currently considering going back into lock downs this week.

 

[Escarabajo]

I am not very optimistic about the virus control for this second semester. I don't know if Europe will take the same position as USA. I doubt it. In that case there won't be much cycling.

 

[Sciatic]

PCR can detect literally a few virus particles, so it's possible someone could test positive immediately after breathing in the virus. The problem, however, is accessing the particles by a nasal swab. Before infection starts, and the virus is replicating, there will be very few particles, and they may not be detected. However, within a day or two, one should definitely test positive. Some people are even exhibiting symptoms by then.

Thank you—I’ve been wondering about that for a while now.

 

[RedheadDane]

I am not very optimistic about the virus control for this second semester. I don't know if Europe will take the same position as USA. I doubt it. In that case there won't be much cycling.

I really don't see how Europe taking the same position as USA would be necessary to ensure racing.

 

[yaco]

The possible issue will be with the GT's - One day races and short stage races be ok.

 

[SKSemtex]

I wrote it here 3 weeks ago. Our incapability or unwillingness to spend one summer vacation in our own country will cost us a second wave, which will be very difficult to handle. It was relatively easy to locate and track the contacts of those positivly tested in the first wave, but this time it will be almost impossible.

I am very skeptical about cycling races after the summer holiday.

We will be very lucky if we get at least : Strade, MSR, GDL. Tour will be the extra bonus.

I am not a fan of lockdown, the cost of lockdown are too high but we live in an era where politicians will have to lockdown if they want to be re-elected and
re-election is the only mantra our present leaders have.

 

[Escarabajo]

I really don't see how Europe taking the same position as USA would be necessary to ensure racing.

The leaders in the USA do not want to stop at any cost. So they are trying to avoid further lockdowns. As you can see now. Europe might do the lockdown again for the second wave.

 

[Oldermanish]

I really don't see how Europe taking the same position as USA would be necessary to ensure racing.

The leaders in the USA do not want to stop at any cost. So they are trying to avoid further lockdowns. As you can see now. Europe might do the lockdown again for the second wave.

And now the US is seeing coastal states having a First Wave extension. We also have college and pro sports franchises that have had their teams under constant observation and, supposedly, under strict distancing seeing many positive tests. Enough to close down the sports? I think so. When American baseball professionals that stand over 50' apart on the field (except the batter and catcher) can't convince all of their players to participate it's looking like most team sports will be as challenged as reopening and elementary school.

 

[yaco]

And now the US is seeing coastal states having a First Wave extension. We also have college and pro sports franchises that have had their teams under constant observation and, supposedly, under strict distancing seeing many positive tests. Enough to close down the sports? I think so. When American baseball professionals that stand over 50' apart on the field (except the batter and catcher) can't convince all of their players to participate it's looking like most team sports will be as challenged as reopening and elementary school.

It's actually good that players in team sports are being identified as positive before they enter the bubble - This means that with regular testing and effective hygiene practices they are good to go, as they are not exposed to the general community.

 

[Unchained]

Having American riders has always been a semi liability for pro cycling teams,a extensive communication difficulties being one but now that U.S. racers may have to sneak into Europe to race is pretty exciting to me..so YouTube posts from American racers can have dramatic Mission Impossible or Borne Identity music playing as they try and get to training camps or a routine kermesse..
It is contrary,but intelligent to explore the alternatives discussed in The Move podcasts discussion on shortening most 3 week tours and making modifications to race formats of all kinds..and probably not just because of the unforeseen pandemic but the survival of the sport on any kind of scale. I think bike racing will always be around but the participation and economic zero lines may have many countries at an almost start from scratch beginning point post pandemic..
From what I observe,the push for pro cycling growth in the middle East and Africa,Asia looks like a serious stall to something that was brand new..

 

[Earns1985]

van der Poel´s team will decide tomorrow if they will travel to Romania to start at the Sibiu Tour..
https://www.radsport-news.com/sport/sportnews_120631.htm