Elia Viviani is changing his August race calendar to target Milan-San Remo, the Tour de France, and the Giro d'Italia, which were forced to suspend their seasons due to the coronavirus outbreak.

These three races were included in the Italian rider's original 2020 schedule, and he told "Il Corriere della Sera" (opens in new tab) that despite his new position on the calendar, he still hopes to be competitive in each event He said that the goal was to.

Milan-San Remo is currently set for August 8, but could be postponed to August 22. The Tour de France is scheduled for August 29-September 20, and the Giro d'Italia for October 3-25.

"We have redone the program several times while the calendar changes, but the objective remains the finish line on Via Roma," Viviani told Il Corriere.

"I'm skeptical of the idea of going on August 8 with no race and 20 days to go until the Tour, it would be better to race on August 22, because that's when the Tour is scheduled to start. We are waiting for confirmation."

Viviani moved to Cofidis from Detunink-Quick Step and has yet to win in his debut season. Cofidis hopes that Viviani will end the French team's long struggles in the Tour de France. Cofidis last won the Tour de France in 2008, when Sylvain Chavanel won in Montluçon.

"My priority this year is the Tour because I am the leader of the French team, Cofidis," Viviani explained. 'But I want to return to the Giro in the spirit of 2018. I want to ride at full throttle from start to finish with Maglia Ciclamino on my back.

The Italian won four stages at the 2018 Corsa Rosa, including two early road stages in Israel, and claimed the points prize victory in Rome.

Viviani's 2020 season was initially built around defending his omnium title at the Tokyo Olympics, and he competed at the track world championships in Berlin in February with that goal in mind. The Tokyo Olympics were then postponed until 2021, and Viviani noted that the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on the cycling calendar could significantly alter preparations leading up to the Games.

"The track is a project that had to be slowed down due to the situation, but we hope to resume training at the Montichiari stadium soon," Viviani said.

"The Olympics is a strange goal. Without the World Cup this winter, we will go into the Olympics with only the European Championships ...... It would be an absurd feeling not to have competition with the rest of the world before Tokyo."

While many World Tour teams took pay cuts and laid off staff after the March season interruption, Viviani said Cofidis players will receive their full 2020 salaries if the season resumes in August as currently scheduled.

"I am lucky because I have received my full salary so far," Viviani said.

"Only if the season does not resume at all, I am scheduled to receive a 15-20% reduction. But I know colleagues who have been left without salary or sponsorship. If soccer, which was considered untouchable, is in crisis, so is cycling ......."