The cycling world gained some clarity Wednesday when the UCI announced that it had reached an agreement with officials to change the date of the Tour de France from August 29 to September 20. The decision came just two days after French President Emmanuel Macron banned large gatherings until at least mid-July due to the COVID-19 epidemic.

The changed dates directly overlap with the last World Tour races in North America, the Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec and Montreal, which will be held on September 11 and 13. In a telephone interview with Cycling News on Wednesday, race organizer Serge Arsenault said he is ready to "bite the bullet" because the Tour de France is the only event that can prevent the further collapse of cycling.

"Every race in the world, not just cycling, but the entire world, is affected by the coronavirus.

"I am happy that the Tour de France will be held in August and September, even if it coincides with our race. I'm not just thinking about my race, I'm thinking about cycling as a whole." [The Tour de France is the main event in cycling. The Tour de France is a food for thought event for the riders, the teams, and all of us. Without the Tour de France, most sponsors might say they would participate again next year, but that would be too late. Having the Tour de France in August is the right thing to do, even if it coincides with our race"

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The UCI has suspended all cycling events until July 1, and so far 650 cycling race organizers have requested cancellations or postponements. This represents 30% of this year's UCI international calendar.

The sport governing body announced that it will work with the race organizers represented by the AIOCC, in particular the leaders, teams (AIGCP) and riders (CPA) of the ASO, RCS, Unipublic and Flanders Classics to determine a revised calendar. However, priority will be given to the three Grand Tours and the five Monuments.

In addition, the World Championships (September 20-27) and European Championships will be prioritized and the majority of national championships of cycling nations will be moved to the August 22-23 weekend; by May 15, the revised UCI Women's World Tour calendar and the entire UCI International Calendar (all men's and women's races in cycling disciplines) will be released.

Arsenault also set a May 15 deadline to decide whether to cancel or continue the two WorldTour races this September. He had a lengthy phone call with UCI president David Lapartient on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of moving the two events beyond October.

"Of course, having the Tour de France overlap is not good news for the Grand Prix, but if cycling collapses around the world, that would be worse than having the Tour overlap our events for a year," Arsenault said.

Arsenault said Canada's early winter will not allow him to work in the October timeslot because of the high likelihood of snowfall.

"I am not an organizer of snow fat bike races in the winter. I have sponsors, both public and private, and I must state that the chances of a World Tour race being held are less than 10%."

Arsenault is president of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec & Montréal. Every year, the organization provides a chartered plane to fly some 400 athletes and team staff from Europe to Quebec for the competition, all to ensure that the sport's most prominent talents are on the starting line.

He expressed concern about the health and safety of the athletes, especially surrounding the charter plane, and the lack of a world-class field in Quebec.

"Another important factor is the safety and health of the passengers. Even worse than a cruise ship is a plane; could I put my chartered plane in Paris in September and bring 400 people here?

"Against the Tour de France we could have survived, but I am a World Tour organizer. I will never lie about who we are and what you will see on the road."

"You have to decide if you are going to invest millions of dollars knowing it is not a real World Tour race. I don't. I always want to be clear and transparent."

Arsenault also confirmed that its future is secure, even if it has to cancel two World Tour races this year.

"I have to work not only for my own races, which will be safe from 2021 to 2030, but for cycling in general. I must do my part as well. The final answer will come on May 15, but if I have to [cancel], I will bite the bullet. I respect the decision of the riders, the citizens, and the organizers of this little world. It only comes once in a lifetime. I will not be selfish. We must work together."

When considering whether and when to cancel the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec and Montréal, Arsenault also faces uncertainty over official regulations due to the coronavirus. the UCI has suspended the races until July 1, but the Quebec government has called for the cancellation of all sporting and cultural events until the end of August, a date that could be further postponed.

"Even today, Quebec still does not allow major events to take place before September 1. So there are only 11 days (until the original date)," he said.

Arsenault acknowledged that regulations surrounding public gatherings could continue to change in both Canada and Europe in the coming months, which could affect the decision to cancel the event or continue as planned.

In addition, a leading expert on testing strategies to combat the COVID-19 pandemic told Cyclingnews that the tool, which will be held in August, could start a re-spread of the virus in Europe.

Arsenault said the health and safety of the riders and citizens is the top priority. However, he also expressed his belief that if the French government lifts health restrictions this summer, the Tour de France must be held for the survival of the sport.

"If we talk about it six weeks from now, the whole cycling season could be over," he said. But the best-case scenario is that the Tour de France is held in August for the health and safety of cycling." If the Tour does not take place, it will be a blow to all of us."

"The Tour is the Tour, and it is unique. It is greater than the Giro d'Italia, greater than the Vuelta a España, greater than all the monuments, and greater than my race. We are the best race in North America and in terms of quality we are close to the monuments. I have to be realistic. I am not a dreamer [When Macron and the UCI agreed to fit the Tour de France into my race schedule, I could have reacted in two ways. Be angry or understand the situation. I chose the latter. Next year will be a great Grand Prix."