Paris (AFP)
The Tour of Lombardy, one of the "monuments" of the cycling season, has been advanced from October 31 to August 15, one week after the other great Italian classic, Milan-Sanremo, the International Cycling Union announced on Friday (UCI).
The 2020 calendar turned upside down by the coronavirus pandemic, which had been announced at the beginning of May, was modified again on Tuesday by the Professional Cycling Council (PAC) and then approved by the UCI steering committee.
Compared to the calendar in early May, the main change is due to the Tour of Lombardy which is now part of the Critérium du Dauphiné and risks being deprived of several long-runners, drawn by the French test preparatory to the Tour de France .
The Cyclassics Hamburg (Germany), whose date had not yet been set, will take place on October 3 while another German race, Eschborn-Frankfurt, has been canceled this year.
Two other competitions, the Ride London (Great Britain) and A Travers la Flandre (Belgium), were also canceled. As for the Tour of Guangxi (China), previously scheduled from October 15 to 20, it will be contested from November 5 to 10.
The WorldTour (first division of world cycling) will resume on August 1 in Italy by the Strade Bianche.
In the calendar published by the international federation, the national championships take place from August 20 to 23, the European championships from August 24 to 28, and the world championships scheduled in Switzerland from September 20 to 27.
The UCI finally clarified that the health protocols planned for the resumption of competitions were being finalized and would be communicated in the course of next week.
. The new WorldTour men's calendar:
August 1: Strade Bianche (ITA)
August 5 to 9: Tour of Poland
August 8: Milan-Sanremo (ITA)
August 12 to 16: Dauphiné (FRA)
August 15: Tour of Lombardy (ITA)
August 25: Bretagne Classic (FRA)
August 29 to September 20: Tour de France
September 7 to 14: Tirreno-Adriatico (ITA)
September 11: Quebec GP (CAN)
September 13: Montreal GP (CAN)
September 29 to October 3: BinckBank Tour (BEL)
September 30: Flèche Wallonne (BEL)
October 3 to 25: Tour of Italy
October 3: Cyclassics Hamburg (GER)
October 4: Liège-Bastogne-Liège (BEL)
October 10: Amstel Gold Race (NED)
October 11: Ghent-Wevelgem (BEL)
October 18: Tour of Flanders (BEL)
October 20 to November 8: Tour of Spain
October 21: Bruges-De Panne (BEL)
October 25: Paris-Roubaix (FRA)
November 5 to 10: Tour of Guangxi (CHN)
. Canceled races:
Tour of Catalonia (ESP), initially scheduled from March 23 to 29
E3 Classic (BEL), March 27
Tour of the Basque Country (ESP), from April 6 to 11
Tour de Romandie (SUI), from April 28 to May 3
Eschborn-Frankfurt (GER), May 1
Tour de Suisse, from June 7 to 14
Clasica San Sebastian (ESP), July 25
Ride London (GBR), August 16
Across Flanders (BEL), moved to October 14
© 2020 AFP