With the dates for men's and women's World Tour races set by the UCI, riders and teams are faced with difficult decisions regarding scheduling as France and Italy offer alternative and often rival calendars in August and September.

The main focus of the new men's calendar was to ensure that the dates of the three Grand Tours, the major classic races, and the World Road Race Championships. [The Tour de France will run from August 29 to September 20, the Giro d'Italia from October 2 to 25, and the Vuelta a España from October 20 to November 8, with 18 stages. Five monuments have also been rescheduled, with Milan-San Remo taking place on August 8, Il Lombardia on August 15, and the Tour of Flanders on October 18. Paris-Roubaix will be held on October 25 and Liège-Bastogne-Liège on October 4.

Many of the riders competing in the Tour de France are expected to hone their form in French races, especially the Criterium du Dauphiné in mid-August. Some, such as Vincenzo Nibali (Trek-Segafredo), have already stated that they will enter the race with an Italian program combined with a high-altitude training camp.

"Until the Giro d'Italia starts on October 3 in Sicily, teams can stay in one country and race in several blocks with different types of riders.

On August 1, Tuscany will host the Strade Bianche, followed by the Gran Trittico Lombardo further north on August 3. The following day, Milano-Torino, will be held on August 5, with a likely finish on the Basilica di Sperga climb in the center of Turin to favor the sprinters. The following Saturday, Milan-San Remo, will also be full of sprinters.

The race continues to be climber-friendly. Egan Bernal won Gran Piemonte in 2019, and this race is also expected to finish in Santuario di Oropa on August 12, giving climbers a chance to test their form before Il Lombardia on Saturday, August 15.

Race organizer RCS Sport announced that Il Lombardia will start in Bergamo in memory of the many victims of the COVID-19 pandemic in the region. The race will finish in Como after climbing Muro di Solmano, Madonna di Ghisallo, and the key Civiglio climb and the short San Fermo di Battaglia climb overlooking Lake Como.

The Giro delle Miglia will bring the curtain down on the hilly race on Tuesday, August 18. The riders will return home for their national championships on the weekend of August 22-23, before the Tour de France begins in Nice on Saturday, August 29.

The Italian calendar will continue during the Tour, with the Trofeo Matteotti on August 29, the Marco Pantani Memorial on August 30, and the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali stage race on September 1-5. Tirreno Adriatico will host important preparations for the Giro d'Italia on September 7-14, followed by the Giro della Toscana - Memorial Alfredo Martini on September 16, the Coppa Sabatini on September 17, and the Giro della Appennino near Genoa on September 20 The Giro d'Italia will be held in two weeks. The Giro d'Italia will begin two weeks later on October 3 in Sicily.

European racing resumes with the Sibiu Cycling Tour in Romania on July 23-26 and the Vuelta a Burgos on July 28-August 1, while the French calendar begins with La Route d'Occitanie near the Pyrenees on August 1-4. which will be held near the Pyrenees from August 1-4.

The Mont Ventoux Challenge is on August 6, before the Tour de l'Ain (August 7-9) and the Criterium du Dauphiné (August 12-16), which clashes with the Ile Lombardia.

Other races include the Tour du Limousin (August 18-21), the French National Championships (likely to be held in Brittany on August 22-23), and the Mercan Tour Classic Alpes-Maritimes (August 24). The Bretagne Classics (August 27) and Tour Poitou-Charentes coincide with the start of the Tour de France, while the Tour du Dubs (September 6), GP de Fourmise (September 13), Grand Prix Gisberg (September 20), and Paris Camembert (September 22) are also on the September French calendar.