Coronavirus: Teams delay travel to Italy as doctors urge cancellation of races

Some of cycling’s top teams are delaying their travel to Italy for the forthcoming UCI WorldTour races as they await clarification of whether or not they will go ahead in light of the worsening coronavirus outbreak. Meanwhile, 14 doctors from UCI WorldTour teams are reported to have written to RCS Sport calling for Strade Bianche, Tirreno Adriatico and Milan-San Remo to be cancelled.

As we reported on our live blog earlier today, EF Pro Cycling boss Jonathan Vaughters has pulled his team from the three races due to coronavirus, risking sanctions from the UCI since WorldTour teams are required to compete in all races on the calendar.

The Belgian website Sporza reports that support vehicles and staff from Deceuninck-Quick Step have stopped in Reims, north-east France, rather than heading on to Tuscany where Strade Bianche is due to take place on Saturday, with manager Patrick Lefevere saying that he is waiting to hear more news regarding the coronavirus situation in northern Italy.

Likewise, Jumbo-Visma’s vehicles are yet to leave its service course in the Netherlands, with a spokesman saying they hoped for clarification today, adding “You can’t wait much longer.”

CCC, meanwhile, had planned to head to Italy today but have delayed departure for 24 hours, meaning that, unlike last year, they will be unable to do a planned reconnaissance of the Strade Bianche route tomorrow.

Sporza adds that doctors from 14 UCI WorldTour team have written to race organisers RCS Sport calling on the trio of races to be cancelled, outlining four key reasons why they believe that is the correct course of action.

First, the say that priority must be given to the health of riders, team staff and spectators.

Secondly, they are concerned that no provisions have been put in place for what happens if a rider falls ill during a race, pointing out that this is not uncommon at a week-long race such as Tirreno-Adriatico; should the entire team be quarantined while the rider is tested for coronavirus?

Thirdly, they say no plan is in place for riders who need to be hospitalised following a crash; with hospitals in Italy facing a very high workload due to the virus, they say that a rider would probably need to be taken to a hospital abroad.

Finally, they highlight the broader implications for the season. If riders and staff end up being quarantined, and with some teams still in isolation in the UAE as more cases have been confirmed there, their spring campaigns risk being compromised as well as their preparations for races later in the season such as the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France.

Yesterday, a scientific committee that is advising the Italian government on the outbreak recommended that all sporting events in the country be suspended for the next 30 days to try and contain the virus.

Today, RCS Sport’s Mauro Vegni told Italian website TuttoBici that if the government adopted that recommendation, it would have no option but to cancel the races.

He added that he would hope to work with the UCI to find a slot for them later in the year, although last weekend the governing body’s president, David Lappartient, said it would be extremely difficult to find space on an already crowded calendar for any events that were cancelled.