The UCI president talked to DirectVelo and said he shall wait until March before any races are rescheduled. The list of postponed events grows weekly and already consists of such names as the Tour Down Under, the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and the Volta ao Algarve.
“We have taken the position that everything that can be ridden will be ridden, the road season has to start. Apart from the United Arab Emirates, travel movements outside Europe will be limited.
“Most races will be held in Europe. Some countries are almost completely in lockdown, other countries have strict rules. In Belgium, we can race behind closed doors.
“I was at the Tour of Flanders [last year] and that worked very well. So, actually, the Belgian races are not up for discussion.”
According to Lappartient, it is possible that a race block system will be put in place again. Similar to what has been done in Italy last year with Il Lombardia, Strade Bianche and other Italian races at the start of the 2020 season.
We’re not past the pandemic yet. However, we do hope the Tour is a beacon of a new life as well.
