Volta Catalunya postponed due to coronavirus outbreak
Organizers have postponed the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya due to COVID-19.
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Organizers of Spain’s Volta Ciclista a Catalunya have postponed the 100th edition of the event to a later date due to the spread of coronavirus COVID-19.
The race was slated to be held from March 23-29.
“We have tried until the end to be able to celebrate such a special edition of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya as planned, but right now the prevention and health measures of the riders, teams, and the attending public are ahead of the competition,” race management released in a statement. “The Volta will return stronger to celebrate the 100th edition in the best conditions.”
Organizers said the decision came after the Catalan government made a decision to cancel major public events. The Barcelona Marathon was recently rescheduled from March 15 until October, and multiple professional soccer matches have already been postponed or canceled outright.
The Volta Catalunya is the latest WorldTour race to be shuttered in the wake of the virus’s rapid spread. Italian events Tireno-Adriatico and Milano-Sanremo have both been postponed to a later date due to the virus’s spread. The UAE Tour was canceled with two stages remaining after staffers with UAE-Team Emirates came down with the virus.
The Volta Catalunya’s postponement could have a major impact on those WorldTour riders hoping to prepare for the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France. The loss of Tirreno-Adriatico and other events forced riders to look elsewhere for early-season racing, and the Volta Catalunya was slated to attract major stars of the sport.