NTT Pro Cycling Manager Doug Ryder stressed the importance of the Tour de France, saying that hosting the race this year was "crucial" to the team's survival in the coronavirus pandemic.

The Giro d'Italia and the spring classics have all been postponed.

The Tour de France was scheduled to begin on June 27 in Nice, but organizers are already considering postponing it by a month.

On the BBC World Service's "Newsday" program, Ryder stressed the importance of holding the Tour, saying that he hoped the Tour, the most important race for sponsors due to its size, would still be held in the summer.

"We hope that the Tour de France will be held at the end of June. [But the Tour de France could be shifted a few weeks and still be held in July. [But the Tour de France could be held in July, even if it is off by a few weeks. So I hope it is the right decision and that we can still race in France in July."

Although the effects of the pandemic are already being felt, the cancellation of the Tour de France could realistically spell doom for many teams. Riders from Lotto Soudal, Astana, Bahrain McLaren, and Mitchelton Scott have taken pay cuts or wage deferrals, non-rider staff have been temporarily laid off, and some sponsors have threatened to shut off the water tap.

No such measures have yet been taken at NTT, but riders stressed that all teams are on edge and a waiting game is being played to see when racing will resume.

"In cycling, we are 100% dependent on our sponsors, so cycling could really take a big hit and potentially get into trouble.

"And some of the teams are struggling quite a bit and are making some drastic decisions to try and maintain sustainability in the sport. So it's a very, very tough time at the moment

"We're very fortunate that NTT and our major sponsors are trying to do the right thing and are supporting us in as many ways as they can. Right now we are waiting and having a lot of conversations with the UCI [the world governing body for cycling] to understand when the season is going to start.