According to the results of a survey conducted by Sporza (opens in new tab), the majority of Belgian professional riders would prefer to continue competing "behind closed doors" once the new late season calendar resumes.

The survey focused on the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus on Belgian professionals and identified three main areas of concern: "races without spectators," "training time needed before races resume," and "the percentage of riders who will have to give up part of their income." [The Tour de France was scheduled from August 29 to September 20, the Giro d'Italia from October 3 to 25, and the Vuelta a España from October 18 to November 8. Major one-day races will also be held between August 1 and November 8. And the sport's governing body has revealed a revised overall international road calendar that includes 61 elite men's events.

UCI President David LaPariente emphasized that the revised calendar announced is dependent on the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus and the health precautions and guidelines stipulated in each country.

Tim Declercq of Deceuninck-QuickStep acknowledged that some races, such as the Tour de Flanders, are difficult to control for large crowds, but that smaller races or those in remote areas may be able to be held without spectators.

Oliver Naessen of AG2R La Mondiale told Sporza, "The world will not end just because there are no spectators. These are difficult times, difficult measures, not the ones we dream of when we prepare."

The public health restrictions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic forced different levels of public health restrictions in different countries. Some countries, such as Italy and Spain, experienced complete blockades, while others restricted social activities and public gatherings. This means that some athletes were able to continue training outdoors fairly regularly, while others were confined indoors.

According to the Sporza study, approximately 75 percent of athletes in Belgium were able to continue training outdoors. However, 70 percent said they would need a month of racing to return to high-end racing form. Since the Tour de France is scheduled to begin on August 29, athletes may not be able to race for a month, but training camps are likely to be scheduled.

"It's simple," Nyssen told Sporza. 'If everyone has to fight with the same weapons, so be it. For the time being, riders from different countries will be able to cycle again. I expect the general level of the Tour to go down. I don't think it's unusual for everyone to reach an acceptable level fairly quickly, but there is still a difference between 60-80% and 100%. one loss may be made up for with fresh legs. sitting in the mountains for 30-40 days, fatigue sets in. It's very hard to predict, but I don't think we'll do any better than we have in previous years."

The COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak has also had a major impact on companies and sponsors. Six men's World Tour teams have reportedly negotiated reduced or unchanged salaries for their players and staff, including the CCC team, Astana, Lotto Soudal, Bahrain McLaren, and Mitchelton Scott.In April, the UCI announced that the CPA and AIGCP Men's Team Association had agreed to a UCI announced that they had signed an agreement to protect the principles and processes of professional men's teams.

According to a Sporza survey, nearly 60% of the Belgian riders who participated took a 20-40% pay cut.

"I replied that I had to give up a bit," Nyssen told Sporza. 'I didn't have to hand over my salary, but there's a good chance the bonus won't be achieved, like the 13th month.' No one gets rich in a crisis, but I think it's a punishment that the contract we agreed to turns out not to be so binding."