Cycling news - Italian races could be cancelled due to coronavirus measures, admits organisers

ByEurosport

Updated 04/03/2020 at 15:34 GMT

Mauro Vegni, race director of Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo, admits the races will be cancelled or move to June or September if the Italian government sanctions more stringent measures to contain the spread of coronavirus.

Strade Bianche

Image credit: Getty Images

EF Pro Cycling have asked the UCI and race organisers RCS Sports to withdraw from the three major races, while Team Jumbo-Visma have decided not to participate in Italy this weekend.

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Mitchelton-SCOTT have made the decision to withdraw its teams from the next period of racing until March 22.

RCS Sport said on Monday that Saturday's one-day race Strade Bianche and Milan-San Remo would go ahead with EF Pro Cycling team principal initially advocating of the decision, but he has since changed his mind "180 degrees".

"We're close to the dates for three big races: Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico and Milan-San Remo and as we said a few days ago, our intention is to put on the races and so put on a show for the fans," Vegni told Tuttobiciweb on Wednesday.

However the news about the coronavirus that is emerging is clear: The indications from the (Italian) Scientific Committee leave little space for manoeuvre and if they are adopted by the government, we'll be forced to cancel the three races.

"We intend to work alongside the UCI to find new slots in the calendar for these races, which we absolutely don’t want to lose," Vegni said.

"We've got an alternative plan so the races aren't lost. They could be held after the Giro d'Italia in June or even in September," Vegni told the Adnkronos news agency.

Many football matches in Italy have been postponed.

Italy is the worst-hit European country from the pandemic with 2,260 cases and 79 deaths in the nation.

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