Giro d’Italia 2020 - Race director Mauro Vegni: Of course I am worried about the impact of Covid-19

After the news that Paris-Roubaix had, due to cases of Covid-19 rising in northern France, been cancelled, Giro d’Italia race director Mauro Vegni said that the impact the pandemic has on the Italian Grand Tour is something he cannot control, adding that he was worried for the prospects of the Giro when asked about the impact Covid-19 could have on the race.

“Of course I am worried [about the impact that a resurgent coronavirus could have on the Giro] because we don’t have any more stats about the pandemic right now in Italy,” said Vegni on Eurosport 1 at the start of Stage 7 when asked whether he worried about the next week of the Giro.

“The reality is that there is an increase in cases we think, and it can become one of the most important issues for us and the Giro.

However, while concerned about the difficulties that a resurgence of the disease could cause to the race, Vegni seemed confident it would reach its conclusion on October 25 in Milan.

When asked whether inclement weather could cause disruption in the third week, Vegni said:

“We are ready to manage any situation – everybody needs to keep calm because we don’t want to make decisions that could be dangerous for any athlete. We have a lot of respect for all the riders and we are just remaining calm.

“I am asking all the guys at the Giro that we need to defuse the topic because if we keep talking about it [the weather] it could become a real issue; let’s just see what happens.”

October 25 – the day Paris-Roubaix had been rescheduled to - had been set to be one of the busiest days in the history of cycling, with both the Paris-Roubaix races – men and women - scheduled on the same day as the final stage of the Giro d'Italia and Stage 6's climb of the Tourmalet at La Vuelta.