Portugal's public broadcaster RTP (opens in new tab) reported Thursday that the 2020 Volta a Portugal has been postponed due to the host city's reluctance to welcome the race amid a coronavirus outbreak.

The Volta a Portugal was scheduled to run from July 29 to August 8. No new dates have been set for the UCI 2.1 event, but the RTP quoted an unnamed official of the race organization as saying that "if conditions are met in the meantime and all parties involved agree to new dates" in 2020 He stated that the event could be held.

Race organizer Podium Events has yet to make an official announcement about the postponement of the event.

Portugal has implemented early blockade measures and conducted extensive inspections in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country. Blockade measures began to be lifted in May, but restrictions on public gatherings remain in place, which appears to have led to some reservations by the host country.

Viseu and Viana do Castelo announced this week that the Volta a Portugal stage would not take place as planned. Viseu and Viana do Castelo announced this week that the Volta a Portugal stage will not take place as scheduled. We proposed a postponement," said Viseu Mayor Almeida Enrique, while the local government of Viana do Castelo said that holding the Volta a Portugal would "give contradictory signals" to society.

Last week, the Portuguese Directorate General of Health gave the go-ahead to host the 2020 Volta a Portugal after reviewing plans presented by the Portuguese Cycling Federation (FPC) regarding social distance, quarantine, and coronavirus testing.

Portuguese soccer's Primeira Liga recently resumed behind closed doors, and Lisbon is scheduled to host the final Champions League match in August.

Earlier this week, however, the Portuguese government reinstated a curfew and other restrictions in the greater Lisbon area following a recent increase in infections in the capital.

First held in 1927, the Volta a Portugal has been held 81 times. It last disappeared from the calendar in 1975, when Portugal transitioned to democracy after the Carnation Revolution the previous year; the 2019 edition was won by João Rodrigues (W52-FC Porto).

The Portuguese Volta is the first road event to be postponed since the UCI released its latest draft of the revised 2020 calendar earlier this month. The Tour de France (August 29-September 20), Giro d'Italia (October 3-25), and Vuelta a España (October 18-November 8) are among the events rescheduled for the fall, but the postponement of the Volta a Portugal highlights the tentative nature of the rescheduled calendar

The postponement of the Volta a Portugal underscores the temporary nature of the rescheduled calendar.