The Vuelta a Burgos, the first big international race on the revised cycling calendar announced by the UCI earlier this week, remains uncertain whether it will run as scheduled from July 28 to August 1 due to restrictions in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Spain's state of emergency declaration has been renewed five times so far, and the current blockade restrictions will remain in place until at least June 6.

The vice president of the Burgos Provincial Congress said in a video press conference that a decision on hosting the Vuelta a Burgos will be announced next Tuesday.

According to the Diceland (open in new tab) website, "We will meet to make a decision about the Vuelta a Burgos," Lorenzo Rodriguez said. 'We analyze the pros and cons and decide accordingly. It won't be easy."

A report in the Burgos Noticias newspaper (opens in new tab) suggests that the race is unlikely to take place, citing local politicians' concerns about devoting resources to a sporting event amid a public health crisis.

The Vuelta a Burgos, a UCI 2.1 event, is usually held as a preparatory race for the Vuelta a España, but the revised calendar due to the coronavirus pandemic has made the 2020 Vuelta a Burgos even more important.

With the Tour de France being moved from August 29 to September 20, the Vuelta a Burgos will mark the beginning of preparations for La Grande Boucle. It will also serve as a test case for possible changes to the UCI calendar, as the World Tour race is scheduled to resume on August 1 at Strade Bianche.

Ivan Sosa (Ineos) won the race last year, and if the race is held this year, it is expected to be even more layered.

El Mundo (open in new tab) likened the Vuelta a Burgos to the first Bundesliga match played behind closed doors when European soccer was provisionally restored last weekend: "The Vuelta a Burgos will be the Borussia Dortmund versus Schalke 04 in cycling. It will be."