While several World Tour races, including the Tour de France, were given a lifeline by the new edition of the sporting calendar released by the UCI on Tuesday, the fact that so many major events are condensed into such a small window raises some questions. [Mitchelton-Scott sporting director Matt White believes that some sponsors might persuade teams to focus their riders on the Tour de France. Assuming the sporting event takes place and travel and social disturbance restrictions are relaxed enough to allow the race to resume, teams will face logistical and selection dilemmas on a scale never experienced before.

White told Cycling News on Tuesday that the "busy" calendar raises many questions, but that if the race resumes, major teams will have to solidify their Tour de France lineups before filling the gaps in other races. The Tour is set to run from August 29 through September 20, and White believes that the major team sponsors will be looking to put together the best team of eight riders to regain the exposure and results they lost in the first half of the year.

"It's going to be a hectic three months for sure, and that's true even without the addition of the smaller races," White told Cycling News on Tuesday.

"All teams will be forced to send their best GC teams to the Tour. Ineos can afford to have Richard Carapas focus on the Giro d'Italia and use Geraint Thomas, Egan Bernal, and Chris Froome at the Tour. No other team has the depth to do that.

"This means that riders who had the Giro as their May goal could turn to the Tour. In other words, the Giro may become an easy option for GC results. This year, more than ever, I think some sponsors will want to dictate to some teams who goes to the Tour. They will not want to wait for the Giro. For all teams, it will be a delicate planning process to figure out how to prioritize their races after the TDF. It is possible that the Vuelta a España will be a very competitive event.

White acknowledged that it is national governments, not the UCI or race organizers, that ultimately decide which races will be held. The fact that German WorldTour races were not included in the UCI's new calendar, and that the German government had already ruled out major sporting events taking place during the period when these races were scheduled, speaks volumes.

"How will the UCI fit them into its already crowded plans, with the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España overlapping?

"We still need to know if they are going to go ahead and where they fit in," White said. 'In my mind, I'm still waiting for the Tour of Burgos, the Czech Tour, Croatia, and the Tour of Denmark, and in October there's the one-day races in Italy and Belgium. There's a Canadian race, the Tirreno-Adriatico, and the Tour de France, and then there's a time when there are three World Tours going on at the same time. In addition, the Tour of Britain will be held at that time of year, and there will be a fourth program from a team with resources. In addition, the Giro, Vuelta, and Ardennes would be held within a week.

"It's good to have a calendar so we can start planning," he continued. But this pandemic is much bigger than the cycling world." We will grow a team that can re-adapt to a calendar like we have never experienced, but we understand that ultimately, the final decision will be made by the health authorities and the government."