Organizers of the Giro d'Italia have hit back at suggestions that this year's Corsa Rosa could be shortened to just 18 days as part of a fall race calendar that has been significantly altered by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.

The rough plans for the revised cycling calendar were revealed Wednesday, a sign of a historic power struggle between rival race organizers and an alleged alliance between the Tour de France and French UCI president David Lapartiento.

The UCI and ASO confirmed that the Tour de France has been postponed from August 29 to September 20, with the UCI Road World Championships scheduled for September 20-27.

The UCI announced that the Giro and Monument Classics will take place, but did not confirm the dates. According to several reports, the Giro and the Classics overlap in October, with the Corsa Rosa possibly taking place October 3-25, the Tour de Flanders on October 11, and Paris-Roubaix on October 18. Il Lombardia could be held on October 31 and Liège-Bastogne-Liège on November 8.

France, Italy, Spain, and Belgium, like most of the world, are currently under blockade, and more than 15,000 deaths have been reported in France since the coronavirus outbreak began. It remains to be seen if the 2020 Tour and other races will ultimately be held as scheduled or not at all, but race director Christian Prudhomme is trying to sell the Tour as a symbol of recovery.

The ASO also manages the Vuelta and appears ready to accept a shortened race duration this year.

However, RCS Sport is opposed to shortening the Giro d'Italia in a similar fashion, leaving the Tour de France at 21 days, and believes it could set a dangerous precedent for the future.

If the Giro is shortened, the loss of television rights, stage towns, and revenue from sponsors would set the Tour apart from other Grand Tours.

Mauro Veni, race director of the Giro d'Italia, told La Gazzetta dello Sport, "It's the only thing that has been talked about for the last two months. The newspaper, like RCS Sport, is owned by the RCS Media Group.

"They are ready to sacrifice the Vuelta by shortening the days and changing the slots on the calendar. France has openly asked us to reduce the Giro d'Italia from four to three weekends to free up dates for the end of the season. We have to defend ourselves."

The UCI has announced that the national championships will be held on the weekend of August 22-23, with the other races scheduled for August, so that riders can prepare for a short but intense WorldTour and Grand Tour season. However, Belgium and Germany have already announced that they will not allow any sporting events or public gatherings until August 31, making August racing difficult. Meanwhile, the UCI's decision to reschedule national championships before the Tour de France has angered RCSport.

"Paris-Roubaix was perfect as the week before the Tour. With a national championship, many riders have to travel to their home countries and leave again, and RCSport CEO Paolo Bellino expressed his despair at such a packed race calendar and the financial implications it would have.

"I have three objectives: to organize the Giro, to organize a Giro that lasts three weeks, and to organize all the races. Of course, with the calendar starting in August, it is difficult not to hold races at the same time. But the UCI should help us and not question the duration of the Giro. That would be unfair. I take it as a lack of respect, not only for the Giro, but for Italy as a whole."