Cycling Australia outlines post-coronavirus plan for the National Road Series
Cycling Australia (CA) has outlined its plans for the remainder of the 2020 National Road Series (NRS) season as the sport continues to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
Due to “federal and state and territory government restrictions that remain in place across the country” no NRS events can be held until at least September. After “working closely with all NRS teams, organisers and sponsors”, CA has outlined two possible scenarios for the resumption of racing: one in which the NRS restarts in September; the other in which racing is delayed until October.
Scenario 1: Racing from September
September 4-6: Tour of the Tweed
September 19: Grafton to Inverell
October 8-10: Tour of Gippsland
November 10-15: Tour of the Great South Coast
November 28-29: L’Etape Australia
December 8-12/10-12: Tour of Tasmania
Scenario 2: Racing from October
October 8-10: Tour of Gippsland
October 23-25: Tour of the Tweed
November 14: Grafton to Inverell
November 28-29: L’Etape Australia
December 8-12/10-12: Tour of Tasmania
Cycling Australia has said that the scenarios outlined above are subject to change, and that they depend on government restrictions put in place to deal with COVID-19. CA added that “in the case where restrictions are not opened at least four weeks prior, some events will be cancelled and not rescheduled.”
The 2020 National Road Series got underway in mid-February with the Melbourne to Warrnambool. It is the only event that has been held in the series so far.
The 2020 edition of both the Tour de Brisbane (April 5) and Tour of the Tropics (July 31-August 2) were cancelled as a result of coronavirus but both will return in 2021. Grafton to Inverell was originally scheduled to run May 9 but will be postponed to later in the year (see scenarios above). Cycling Australia’s plan suggests that the Tour of the Great South Coast won’t run in 2020 if the NRS season doesn’t resume until October.
Meanwhile, Cycling Australia has also revealed that it will run a “virtual 2020 eNRS”, starting in May. Details of the series will be announced in the coming days.
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