Published May 19, 2020 01:45PM
UCI releases complete 2020 racing calendar
The UCI has released dates for U-23 and junior events, as well as lower-tier races on the pro calendar.
Today the sector is one of the big attractions at Paris-Roubaix. (Photo: James Startt/VeloNews)
Just two weeks after unveiling the long-awaited update to the 2020 WorldTour racing calendar, the UCI has unveiled the full 2020 racing schedule to include race dates for U23 and junior races, plus lower-tier UCI events for pro men and women.
“After the calendars for the UCI WorldTour and UCI Women’s WorldTour, and that for mountain bike, the athletes, teams, and all stakeholders now have the entire 2020 UCI International Road Calendar,” said UCI president David Lappartient in a release. “However, we know that these dates, as important as they are, remain subject to modification depending on the development of the pandemic in the coming weeks and months. We will adapt to any context if necessary but can be pleased that our sport is progressively defining an overall framework enabling us to anticipate a return to normal.”
New dates were given to 91 events: 61 for men elite, 19 for women elite, 6 for under-23 men, 4 for junior men, and 1 for junior women.
Of about 1,000 events postponed or canceled since March – the equivalent of 45 percent of the UCI International Calendar — road cycling is the discipline most impacted by the health crisis, accounting for 40 percent of all the requests for postponement or cancellation.
The Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España are contesting for space on the calendar with the one-day classics, and will see significant changes to their schedule and depart towns, while the women’s WorldTour calendar sees the addition of Paris-Roubaix towards the end of three months of compressed racing.
Prioritizing the security, safety, and health of everyone involved in racing remains the priority of the UCI and its partners. The calendar is being constantly evaluated to keep abreast of the evolution of the impact of COVID-19 on racing.
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If need be, the UCI will make any further necessary adjustments to the 2020 calendars for the UCI WorldTour and UCI Women’s WorldTour at the next meetings of the Professional Cycling Council and UCI Management Committee, on June 9th and 10th.