UCI reshapes 2020 race calendar around rescheduled Grand Tours & Classics – We’ve all seen events cancelled & rescheduled these days. And for pro road cyclists & every city that hosts elite road racing, the 2020 race schedule has been completely up in the air. Well this week, the UCI has come together with a tentative plan. The three Grand Tour get reshuffled, World’s stays the same, and the 5 Monuments will get squeezed into a race calendar that will likely extend into November this year.
It still is in broad strokes as really no one knows definitively how & how quickly we will bounce back from COVID-19, but the UCI, teams, riders & organizers have come to an agreement over video conference on a reshuffling of the 2020 UCI International Road Calendar. The UCI, AIOCC, ASO, RCS, Unipublic, Flanders Classics, AIGCP, CPA unanimously approved the plan to get racing back on schedule. The plan…
Individual National Championships will kick off the serious return to racing Aug 22-23. Then, a delayed Tour de France will be the first multi-day test, postponed to Aug 29 – Sept 20, but retaining the full route & three-week duration. UCI Worlds will stay unchanged in Aigle, Switzerland Sep 20-27. Next, the rescheduled Giro d’Italia, and after that the Vuelta España, will each follow Worlds retaining their full 3 weeks of racing. The UCI says the “most prestigious one-day road races” aka the Monuments of Milano-Sanremo, the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège & Giro di Lombardia will has out dates later into the autumn, taking priority over lesser races.
As for what the riders think, Deceuninck – Quick-Step riders Julian Alaphilippe & Sam Bennett chimed in on the matter, happy to see “a light at the end of the tunnel.”
As for other racing, the UCI is still working on other schedules, and promises updates for the Women’s WorldTour and all other all international cycling disciplines no later than May 15. And of course it all comes with the giant caveat… “This calendar will nevertheless remain dependent on the world health situation.”
Full details from the UCI here.
Live Chats: Inside Pro Racing & Industry Tech
- Tune in with the Pros & Shimano on Facebook Live – With national and international bike races on hiatus, the best bike racers in the world are being forced to stay at home. So, Shimano is bringing them to us, via Facebook & Instagram for a series of live interviews and social media takeovers. There are the world’s top roadies, mountain bikers & BMXers, from yellow jersey Julian Alaphilippe to XC’s Maxime Marotte, with a dose of Wyn Masters, Tahnée Seagrave & many more thrown in there. Check out Shimano Road or Shimano MTB pages on Facebook to catch up.
- 3T Tech Talks with Gerard Vroomen – Want an inside view of what one of the most vocal & innovative minds in cycling tech is thinking? Gerard Vroomen will also be broadcasting on Facebook with regular face-to-face events on-hold, espousing on highly debated technical topics, then following up with Q&A sessions. The first ones next Monday will be Gerard alone on tire sizing. But expect more to be added in the coming weeks, joined by other industry insiders with strong opinions. blog.3T.bike
Fundraising & Contests
- Design the Movistar jersey to support Red Cross – Movistar’s Italian clothing sponsor Alé has launched a “Let’s Design the Champions’ Jersey” contest to support the Red Cross & the Italian Civil Protection. Open to all fans, anyone can download the jersey pattern, design your own take on their pro kit, and share your work on social media, with hashtag #SeguimosConectados and tag @Alecyclingofficial & @movistar_team. Alé will create the winning design, and the Movistar Team will wear it during the first UCI calendar race when they get back to racing after the quarantine. Then, the jerseys will get signed by the team’s athletes, and will be auctioned to raise money for the Red Cross & Italian Civil Protection. AleCycling.com
- Don’t forget to #cycleinshelter tomorrow to fight COVID-19 & win! – Join industry insiders from Ritchey and many more to challenge COVID-19! Sheltered in? Riding the trainer to no end? Why not make it worth something. On April 18, they are hosting a pledge ride where every virtual mile you cycle means real dollars for COVID-19 relief! All proceeds will be directed through a GoFundMe to be allocated to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy. Get friends & supporters on-board. Ride however you can. Raise money & get a shot at tons of prizes being donated by the industry… including exclusive Bikerumor wool socks, plus prizes from Ritchey, Ornot, Stages, Performance Cycling, Pear Izumi & many more!! Full details on their Facebook Event page.
Gear Deals & Industry News
- Free Fast Strap Friday, today only from Restrap – UK bikepacking bag maker is running an ultra-limited promotion. Today only. All orders placed onFriday, April 17 over £100 will receive a FREE mixed pack of their new Fast Straps worth £16 and automatically sent with the order. Simple, light & secure, the tough Hypalon Fast Straps are useful for carrying luggage anywhere on the bike, for tying items together, or even repairs. Restrap.com
- Hunt Bike Wheels expand to the US with Boulder base – We knew it was coming, but Hunt made official their US HQ debut at the start of April. There’s now a permanent staff on the ground in Colorado to offer owners & potential buyers more direct customer support, as well as local after-sales support & wheel servicing. Plus, now there is a new dedicated US-oriented website. US.HuntBikeWheels.com
Mega COVID-Deals keep coming!
- Don’t forget those CoronaDays Deals, with more to come! – The global pandemic is going to stick around for a while, and cycling businesses big & small are still trying to keep turnover up to keep employees working. As long as end consumers still have income streams, they can benefit while helping bike companies stay afloat. Last week added new GoPro discounts, big Thesis bike savings, and a lot more. And we expect to see more coming soon this weekend too. Dig through them all in our CoronaDays Deals roundups!
