This includes the Sportive the day before (Sat 4th April)
Thursday evening, immediately after the announcement of the strict corona measures, organizer Flanders Classics had already understood that their Tour of Flanders was hanging on a thread. Their Round could officially take place two days after the provisional end of the measures, spokesman Tomas Van den Spiegel said then already “to take into account a cancellation”. That was also the final verdict less than 24 hours later. Minister of Sports Ben Weyts, therefore, made the decision. Even if the measures are best lifted after April 3, there is never enough time to get everything ready!! That a whole platoon from all over the world would settle in Flanders a few days after April 3… We must also show a sense of responsibility. ” A message that Flanders Classics has also understood. “What the minister says was already in the air,” said Van Den Spiegel. “You cannot impose measures until April 3 to organize the largest cycling festival in Flanders on April 5. We must understand that it will go in the direction of cancellation. And if you hear this message from the minister, it seems irreversible. ”
Flanders Classics hopes for a new date later this year. But whether that is realistic? The cycling calendar is already packed and Belgian federation chairman Tom Van Damme has already indicated that it will be extremely difficult to place the cancelled races on a new date. This increases the chance that the Ronde will reach a historic unique. Even in World War II, the race was ridden every year. It has been since 1918 and the First World War that the Round did not take place.
More and more other games have also announced that they have been postponed until further notice. The biggest victim is the Giro. After news from Hungary that the Giro start, which would normally take place in Budapest on May 9, became impossible, organizer RCS saw no other option than to postpone the entire Giro for the time being. Remco Evenepoel will not be able to start his first big round for the time being, although RCS expressly hopes for a new date.
