Despite the announcement of the fall race calendar, Alejandro Valverde is still considering postponing his retirement, questioning whether he will turn the pedals in anger again this year.

Earlier this week, with all racing suspended until July due to the coronavirus outbreak, the UCI announced that the Tour de France will run from August 29 to September 20, with the World Championships, Giro d'Italia, Vuelta a España, and the One-Day Classic.

However, Valverde is far from convinced that all of that will happen and accepts the possibility that 2020 will be a "lost year."

"Let's see what happens. It's still a long way until the summer. Valverde told the Spanish newspaper El Mundo (opens in new tab), "It is important that the Tour takes place, but looking at the current situation [which is not going well at all], I don't know what will happen."

"Everything is very complicated. We want to bring the sport back, but realistically speaking, it is very doubtful that we will be able to race this year. When the blockade first started I never thought we would lose this year, but looking at the situation I'm more and more convinced."

Valverde, 39, is under contract with Movistar until the end of 2021. He recently confirmed that he will target next year's Tokyo Olympics, which was his major goal this summer, but is now thinking about racing through 2022.

"We'll see what happens. The truth is that all of this is a dramatic change and we have to look at all sides.

"There is a possibility that I will postpone my retirement, but I will wait to see how everything unfolds before I make a decision."

Valverde also spoke of his aversion to static indoor training. While professionals in most countries are allowed to leave their homes and train on public roads, in Valverde's native Spain, as in France, they are not allowed to leave their homes for exercise.

"Rollers tire you out physically and mentally," Valverde says.

"Thanks to the latest generation of technology, it's easier to simulate race routes, but some riders do insane rides of five or six hours. They don't know what their next goal is. Training on a roller stand doesn't motivate them. You can't do specific work because you don't know what your goals are."