2021 races and COVID

gsk82

gregster04 said:

I know it’s not going to cause anyone to lose much sleep but the 2021 Tour de Yorkshire has been cancelled today.

It’s obviously disappointing for me, particularly as I usually get roadside for at least a day or 2.

Hopefully not a sign of things to come.

It's already served its purpose. Yorkshire is now known throughout the country, and to a lesser extent Europe, as a place to go cycling.

Covid is a convenient excuse though. The organisers are in disarray at the minute thanks to a piss taking former boss and the fall out from that.

gregster04

gsk82 said:

gregster04 said:

I know it’s not going to cause anyone to lose much sleep but the 2021 Tour de Yorkshire has been cancelled today.

It’s obviously disappointing for me, particularly as I usually get roadside for at least a day or 2.

Hopefully not a sign of things to come.

It's already served its purpose. Yorkshire is now known throughout the country, and to a lesser extent Europe, as a place to go cycling.

Covid is a convenient excuse though. The organisers are in disarray at the minute thanks to a piss taking former boss and the fall out from that.

Yep, I think you’re right. We had a good run and had the Worlds before Welcome to Yorkshire imploded. I’m very doubtful of it coming back in 2022 as they’ve suggested.

jimmythecuckoo

coopster_the_1st said:

jimmythecuckoo said:

We don't need to worry. BoJo said a vaccine was coming around Christmas... and a politician wouldn't lie!

This post aged well...

jimmythecuckoo

gregster04 said:

I know it’s not going to cause anyone to lose much sleep but the 2021 Tour de Yorkshire has been cancelled today.

It’s obviously disappointing for me, particularly as I usually get roadside for at least a day or 2.

Hopefully not a sign of things to come.

Finally I am going to be in Yorkshire and the blimmin' race gets cancelled.

blazing_saddles

The first race of 2021 that we will be able to watch is confirmed:

https://twitter.com/Cyclingnewsfeed/status/1329124756709380100

blazing_saddles

The Flanders classics next year will be raced without crowds:

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/no-fans-at-tour-of-flanders-and-other-classics-in-2021-according-to-organisers-484380

rick_chasey

blazing_saddles said:

The Flanders classics next year will be raced without crowds:

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/no-fans-at-tour-of-flanders-and-other-classics-in-2021-according-to-organisers-484380

I know they won't as it'll prove they were wrong to do so but given the crowds were the main reason to change the route, i'd love it if they went back to the old '00s route.

blazing_saddles

rick_chasey said:

blazing_saddles said:

The Flanders classics next year will be raced without crowds:

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/no-fans-at-tour-of-flanders-and-other-classics-in-2021-according-to-organisers-484380

I know they won't as it'll prove they were wrong to do so but given the crowds were the main reason to change the route, i'd love it if they went back to the old '00s route.

On that note, the E3 gets another new name and some additional lumps.

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/e3-saxo-bank-classic-adds-more-climbs-to-race-route/

blazing_saddles

I guess that there will be a bit more interest than usual in the new season opener, the Vuelta a San Juan,
Chris Froome is down to begin his ISN leadership there.

gweeds

Tour of Colombia cancelled.

carbonclem

Luke Rowe positive

blazing_saddles

Info released a couple of days ago, but as it stands, the IOC have made it impossible to complete in both Le Tour and Olympics.

Athletes participating in the Olympic Games must be quarantined for the first two weeks after arriving in Tokyo. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided this, write various Belgian media. This decision has major consequences for cyclists. For them it will be impossible to combine the Olympic Games with the Tour de France.

The Tour de France starts next year on June 26 and ends on July 18. Road cycling will be on the Olympic program between 24 and 28 July. This would make it impossible to complete the Tour and participate in the Olympic Games.

yorkshireraw

blazing_saddles said:

Info released a couple of days ago, but as it stands, the IOC have made it impossible to complete in both Le Tour and Olympics.

Athletes participating in the Olympic Games must be quarantined for the first two weeks after arriving in Tokyo. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has decided this, write various Belgian media. This decision has major consequences for cyclists. For them it will be impossible to combine the Olympic Games with the Tour de France.

The Tour de France starts next year on June 26 and ends on July 18. Road cycling will be on the Olympic program between 24 and 28 July. This would make it impossible to complete the Tour and participate in the Olympic Games.

wouldn't it be a lot cheaper / easier for the LOGOC to fund vaccinations for anyone who's heading to Tokyo? A lot of athletes don't usually plan to be in the city 2 weeks before the games, so that's all extra accommodation costs etc?

I noted MvDP stated he would have to skip the TDF to go for the Olympic MTB title. Which sort of assumed Alpecin Fenix were going to get a Tour wildcard?.....

andyp

yorkshireraw said:

Which sort of assumed Alpecin Fenix were going to get a Tour wildcard?.....

They will, as they finished top of the European Pro Continental team rankings last season, which guarantees them a Tour wild card.

RichN95.

andyp said:

yorkshireraw said:

Which sort of assumed Alpecin Fenix were going to get a Tour wildcard?.....

They will, as they finished top of the European Pro Continental team rankings last season, which guarantees them a Tour wild card.

And they've said they are going to do all three Grand Tours. As a result it is likely that the Giro will only have one Italian team.

yorkshireraw

RichN95. said:

andyp said:

yorkshireraw said:

Which sort of assumed Alpecin Fenix were going to get a Tour wildcard?.....

They will, as they finished top of the European Pro Continental team rankings last season, which guarantees them a Tour wild card.

And they've said they are going to do all three Grand Tours. As a result it is likely that the Giro will only have one Italian team.

aha, thanks both. Didn't know that.

No_Ta_Doctor

During the weekend cross commentary they seemed to think the 14 day quarantine was for support staff, not athletes

blazing_saddles

No_Ta_Doctor said:

During the weekend cross commentary they seemed to think the 14 day quarantine was for support staff, not athletes

Yup.
Scrap that it's all change:

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/tour-de-france/no-quarantine-obligation-makes-riding-both-tour-de-france-and-tokyo-olympics-possible-487162

Belgian newspaper Het Nieuwsblad reported that all athletes wishing to participate in the 2021 Olympic Games would have to quarantine for two weeks before competing, and with the road events taking place at the start of the first week between July 24-28, this would come too soon after the end of the 2021 Tour de France on Sunday July 18.

However, when Italian outlet Tuttobici then asked the Tokyo 2020 organisers about this they were directed to a statement made in November by Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto saying athletes would not be required to quarantine in order to compete.

Instead, strict rules will be enforced in the Olympic village and training areas. Plans are reported to include athletes not allowed to arrive in Tokyo more than five days prior to their event and to leave within 48 hours after it finishes, in order to reduce the number of people present.

blazing_saddles

Unsurprisingly not looking good for getting much of the early European season again.
The Mallorcan Challenge postponed (hoping for May):

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/challenge-mallorca-postponed-due-to-coronavirus-pandemic/

gweeds

Here we go again

RichN95.

blazing_saddles said:

I guess that there will be a bit more interest than usual in the new season opener, the Vuelta a San Juan,
Chris Froome is down to begin his ISN leadership there.

Now cancelled. I think all the WT teams had already pulled out.

rick_chasey

Not hopeful for the classics.

blazing_saddles

Some weeks away so definitely not a cert but the UAE Tour set to go ahead as planned.

https://twitter.com/uae_tour/status/1349654820915974144?

(no doubt helped by the fact that the UAE are currently sitting in a podium spot in the vaccination olympics)

blazing_saddles

Seems the Giro is having a few problems finding venues to host starts and finishes.
Then, on the eve of this:

https://twitter.com/giroditalia/status/1351273431321501706

Pross

I guess that the reason for spending money to be a start / finish town is to attract crowds and help the economy so it's hard to justify that funding if people are having to stay away. They could have probably done with the race being moved to a later slot again in the hope that the crowds can return by then.

joe_totale-2

Given the likely schedule of Covid 19 vaccinations throughout the world, at what point may it be more sensible for the UCI to start looking at 2021 having another compressed calendar of racing as what happened last year?

RichN95.

joe_totale-2 said:

Given the likely schedule of Covid 19 vaccinations throughout the world, at what point may it be more sensible for the UCI to start looking at 2021 having another compressed calendar of racing as what happened last year?

I think 2020 has showed that they are quite capable of continuing fairly normally, so I think will try to do it again this year - at least for the World Tour. A lot will depend on what happens in the next six weeks.

pblakeney

joe_totale-2 said:

Given the likely schedule of Covid 19 vaccinations throughout the world, at what point may it be more sensible for the UCI to start looking at 2021 having another compressed calendar of racing as what happened last year?

Makes sense to me. A repeat of 2020 as 2021 will still be an abnormal year.
All the work is being done this year in the hope of 2022 being "normal".

blazing_saddles

I wouldn't have thought that teams and personnel would be much of an issue this year, as they likely all get the jab pretty soon, it they haven't already had it.
Then it becomes the same old question of crowd control.

By the time the Giro comes around I would think conditions for racing should be OK.
However, the classics may well end up in the same autumn slot as last year.

blazing_saddles

Meanwhile, races are announcing participating teams for the early season stage races.

Paris-Nice have given B&B, Arkea, Total Direct and Alpecin wildcard invites.

Teams for Algarve:

Astana-Premier Tech
BORA-hansgrohe
Cofidis
Deceuninck-Quick-Step
Groupama-FDJ
INEOS Grenadiers
Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
Israel Start-Up Nation
Jumbo-Visma
Lotto Soudal
Movistar
Team DSM
Trek-Segafredo
UAE Emirates

Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
Rally Cycling
Atum General-Tavira-Maria Nova Hotel
Efapel
Feirense
Kelly-Simoldes-UDO
L.A. Aluminios-L.A. Sport
Louletano-Loulé Concelho
Radio Popular Boavista
Tavfer-Measindot-Mortágua
W52-FC Porto

Catalunya:

https://twitter.com/VoltaCatalunya/status/1351473540843843585