The Vuelta a Burgos is the first UCI Pro Series race of the European road racing calendar, rescheduled for late July, and the five-day stage race will test the form and medical protocols of the riders in preparation for their return to racing after the COVID-19 coronavirus blockade The five-day stage race will feature 12 major WorldTour teams to test athletes' form and medical protocols in preparation for their return to racing after COVID-19 coronavirus containment.

According to local media reports, the Burgos Provincial Council, which is organizing the race, was inundated with requests from 40 teams, and in the end the 12 WorldTour teams, Spanish professional teams Caja Rural, Euskaltel Euskadi, Burgos-BH, and several Continental teams were given 22 slots.

Last year, only four WorldTour teams raced in the Vuelta a Burgos in mid-August, with Ivan Sosa winning the final mountain stage to take his second overall victory; if the COVID-19 epidemic is contained within a month, Movistar, Bora-Hansgrohe, Trek-Segafredo, Bahrain McLaren, Cofidis, Jumbo Visma, NTT Pro Cycling, UAE Team Emirates, Israel Startup Nation, Astana, Richard Calapaz, Alejandro Valverde, Enric Mas, Mikel Landa, Steven Kruijswijk, Nairo Quintana, Simon and Adam Yates, and Miguel Angel Lopez are scheduled to race.

The final race route has not yet been finalized and is subject to approval by local authorities, but is expected to include a tough mountain finish to the Picon Blanco and the 11km Lagunas de Neira climb, which Sosa won in a late attack. The race will be broadcast live and will be the first test of the 71-day World Tour calendar, which runs from August 1 to November 8.

The race will be a test of Spain's local and national laws regarding spectator size and protection of public health.

On June 21, Spain entered a phase described as "nueva normalidad" ("the new normal"), where travel across the country was permitted and borders were opened to foreign visitors and tourists. In all public spaces where social distance cannot be respected, the wearing of face masks is mandatory and crowd sizes are restricted.

The Vuelta a Burgos is also an important experiment for UCI medical protocols. Athletes will be required to undergo a COVID-19 test before traveling to Spain and will complete daily health questionnaires while staying in the protected team bubble and in the peloton bubble during the race.

If a suspected case of COVID-19 is discovered during the race, the UCI stipulates that local laws regarding quarantine and race suspension must be respected.

"We are trying to make sure that everything goes well and that it becomes a test event for other races," veteran race director Marcos Moral told the Spanish sports newspaper AS.

"Numerous television stations around the world want to broadcast this race. The Vuelta a Burgos recognizes that we will be among the first to face the new normal conditions. But if all goes well, it will be a showcase for the province of Burgos more than ever before."