The UCI has released the new 2020 racing calendar
A women's Paris-Roubaix and plenty of overlap with the Giro d'Italia catch the eye
The men's and women's Strade Bianche on Saturday 1st August will be the first WorldTour races after the coronavirus pandemic as the UCI released its official rescheduled calendar.
As previously rumoured, the one-day classic in Tuscany will kickstart the cycling season while the rescheduled Giro d'Italia will clash with Liege-Bastogne-Liege, the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and the Vuelta a Espana.
The Italian Grand Tour has been pushed back from its original May dates to start on Saturday 3rd October and run until Sunday 25th October. This will clash with Liege which takes place on Sunday 4th October, Flanders on Sunday 18th October and Roubaix on Sunday 25th October.
As well as clashing with Amstel Gold Race (10/10), Gent-Wevelgem (11/10), Dwars door Vlaanderen (14/10) and Brugge-De Panne (21/10), the Giro will also run concurrently to the Vuelta, which now takes place from Tuesday 20th October to Sunday 8th November.
Despite warnings from the French government around professional sport, the Tour de France holds retains its previously announced Saturday 29th August start date. Additionally, the Criterium du Dauphine has been rescheduled from the 12th to 16th August, reducing down to just five stages.
The first Monument of the season will now Milan-San Remo, set to take place on Saturday 8th August, clashing with the Tour of Poland that runs from 5th to 9th August.
UK fans will note that the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey Classic will remain on Sunday 16th August.
The women's calendar was also announced by the UCI with the surprising inclusion of a Women's Paris-Roubaix taking place on Sunday 25th October, the same day as the men's race.
The cobbled Monument will debut its women's edition as part of a 18-event women's WorldTour calendar.
La Course by the Tour de France will now take place on Saturday 29th August while the Giro Rosa will take place from 11th to 19th September.
As for the women's Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Amstel Gold, Gent-Wevelgem and Tour of Flanders, they will all take place on the same day as the men's races.
Talking on the announcement, UCI President David Lappartient called the move an important step for the future of cycling.
'We have drawn up a solid, attractive and varied new calendar that is as realistic and coherent as possible. This has been achieved as early as was practicable and in line with information available today concerning the evolution of the pandemic,' said Lappartient.
'Riders, teams and organisers now have the dates they need to anticipate the resumption of racing on 1st August. This is a very important step that the entire cycling community, financially impacted by the pandemic, has been waiting for to move forward.'
Revised UCI 2020 calendar: men
Saturday 1st August: Strade Bianche
Wednesday 5th to Sunday 9th August: Tour of Poland
Saturday 8th August: Milan-San Remo
Wednesday 12th to Sunday 16th August: Criterium du Dauphine
Saturday 15th August: Il Lombardia
Sunday 16th August: RideLondon-Surrey Classic
Thursday 20th to Sunday 23rd August: National Championships
Tuesday 25th August: Bretagne Classic - Ouest-France
Saturday 29th August to Sunday 20th September: Tour de France
Friday 7th to Friday 14th August: Tirreno-Adriatico
Friday 11th September: GP Quebec
Sunday 13th September: GP Montreal
Sunday 20th to Sunday 27th September: World Championships
Tuesday 29th September to Saturday 3rd October: BinckBank Tour
Wednesday 30th September: Fleche Wallonne
Saturday 3rd to Sunday 25th October: Giro d'Italia
Sunday 4th October: Liege-Bastogne-Liege
Saturday 10th October: Amstel Gold Race
Sunday 11th October: Gent-Wevelgem
Wednesday 14th October: Dwars door Vlaanderen
Sunday 18th October: Tour of Flanders
Tuesday 20th October to Sunday 8th November: Vuelta a Espana
Wednesday 21st October: Driedaagse Brugge-De Panne
Sunday 25th October: Paris-Roubaix
Revised UCI 2020 calendar: women
Saturday 1st August: Strade Bianche
Satursday 8th August: Postnord UCI WWT Vårgårda West Sweden TTT
Sunday 9th August: Postnord UCI WWT Vårgårda West Sweden RR
Thursday 13th to Sunday 16th August: Ladies Tour of Norway
Thursday 20th to Sunday 23rd August: National Championships
Wednesday 26th August: GP de Plouay
Saturday 29th August: La Course by Le Tour de France
Tuesday 1st to Sunday 6th September: Boels Ladies Tour
Friday 11th to Saturday 19th September: Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile
Sunday 20th to Sunday 27th September: World Championships
Wednesday 30th September: La Flèche Wallonne Féminine
Sunday 4th October: Liège-Bastogne-Liège Femmes
Saturday 10th October: Amstel Gold Race Ladies
Sunday 11th October: Gent-Wevelgem
Sunday 18th October: Tour of Flanders
Tuesday 20th October: Tour of Guangxi Women’s WorldTour
Tuesday 20th October: Driedaagse Brugge-De Panne
Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th October: Tour of Chongming Island
Sunday 25th October: Paris-Roubaix
Friday 6th to 8th November: Ceratizit Madrid Challenge by La Vuelta
All dates could be subject to change and cancellation
