Cycling news - UAE Tour cancelled due to coronavirus, what happens next?
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Updated 28/02/2020 at 11:51 GMT
After the final two stages of the UAE Tour were cancelled due to coronavirus the early stage of the cycling season is at risk to further disruption due to the global crisis.
A view from inside the Crowne Plaza hotel, which is on lockdown due to fears of the Corona Virus, looking towards the hotel where cyclists from the UAE Cycling Tour are being held on February 28, 2020 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The Crowne Plaza hotel is populate
Image credit: Getty Images
WHAT HAS HAPPENED?
Late on Thursday evening it was confirmed by the race organisers that the final stages of the UAE Tour had been cancelled.
This came after two people involved in the race had tested positive for the coronavirus COVID-19.
A press release from the Abu Dhabi Sports Council read "The Abu Dhabi Sports Council has cancelled the remaining rounds of the 2020 UAE Tour after two Italian participants had tested positive for the novel coronavirus, known as COVID-19."
It was later confirmed that the two Italians in question were staff members of a participating team.
The hotel that housed all the media, race officials and organisers is under lockdown while testing occurs and VeloNews have an account from their reporter on the ground.
Chris Froome, making his return to the peloton after a horrendous training crash, tweeted confirming that he was awaiting testing.
Froome’s compatriot Adam Yates, the leader at the time of cancellation, has since been confirmed as the race winner.
The results for those being tested aren’t expected until Saturday.
WHAT HAPPENS NOW?
Honestly? No-one has a clue.
It may sound like a joke but it’s true. A lot of what happens next will depend on what happens with the coronavirus and how it spreads.
If it can be contained over the coming weeks and months then ideally all the cycling events planned in the calendar will go ahead, though there has been no official word.
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A view from inside the Crowne Plaza hotel, which is on lockdown due to fears of the Corona Virus, looking towards the hotel where cyclists from the UAE Cycling Tour are being held on February 28, 2020 in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The Crowne Plaza hotel is populated
Image credit: Getty Images
However RCS Sport, the organising body for events such as Milan-San Remo, Tirreno-Adriatico, Strade Bianche and the Giro d’Italia were present at the UAE Tour and like everybody else their staff will be tested.
Italy has been the hardest hit country in Europe regarding the number of confirmed cases with the north of the country really suffering in areas such as Lombardy and Milan.
As things stand all of the above races as well as the Women’s Tour race the Trofeo Alfredo Binda-Comune di Cittiglio are at risk.
The Italian government is suspending some, or in places all, sporting activity in parts of the north of the country and the organising bodies have said they will respect any sanctions put in place.
LOGISTICAL NIGHTMARE
There is a wider issue as well. Even if some events, either in Italy or another country, are able to go ahead there will have to be more safety protocols to help reduce the risk of the virus being spread by those who are coming from elsewhere to watch or take part in the race.
For one-day races this isn’t so bad as you can put controls in place to limit the area the race takes in but if we get to something like the Giro d’Italia that could end up being a logistical nightmare.
Of course looming over the Spring Classics will be the shadow of the Tokyo Olympics. The biggest names in the peloton are set to compete in Japan but until the outbreak is stemmed there will remain questions over whether the games can go ahead or not.
And if you want an example of how difficult it can be to stop the spread Danish rider Michael Morkov had left the UAE Tour the day before the cancellation in order to go compete at the Track World Championships which are currently taking place in Germany.
He has now been placed in isolation by the Danish team whilst Albert Torres was also due to compete in the Madison at the weekend but he is currently still in Abu Dhabi.
See how quickly a chain reaction can develop? That is the risk facing not just cycling, but the whole of sport given the globalisation of such events.
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