Deceuninck-Quickstep boss Patrick Lefebvre spoke about his team's struggles during the Covid-19 coronavirus outbreak.

Lefebvre opened his talk by reprimanding those who ignored the Belgian blockade and went out on mass runs, speaking in his usual frank tone. The country's government has sent contradictory messages about cycling in the past, with Interior Minister Pieter de Crem speaking of a 50km limit, while Health Minister Maggie de Block said there was no limit.

"Every crisis offers an opportunity, and this is now evident: many people clearly see the coronavirus crisis as an opportunity to act like idiots," Lefevere wrote in Het Nieuwsblad (opens in new tab).

"Tim Declercq told me about a group of cyclotourists he passed in training this week. I don't understand. Everyone knows by now that coronavirus is not a distant event. You can go out and play sports, but do it alone.

"Tim is understandably angry when he sees a group of riders. They ruin it for everyone. Because soon enough, strange characters like Pieter de Klemm come out. He wants to save his country by keeping everyone within a 50-kilometer radius of his home.

Belgian virologist Marc Van Lanst said there is no need to restrict long-distance exercise, adding that keeping social distance while doing so is an important factor.

With the race off and Lefevere stuck at home with countless staff and riders from all over Europe, the veteran team manager decided to watch reruns of old races in his newly found leisure time.

"Retro racing helps me through a crisis. Today I watched Liège-Bastogne-Liège 2017 again: unfortunately Dan Martin finished second again. We also saw another victory for Philippe Gilbert and Niki Terpstra in the Tour de Flanders.

"It's always bad to live in the past, but I think it's forgivable in the current circumstances.

"We just saw Tom Boonen win the E3 Harelbæk. He was so isolated in the final that it made me angry again, and it reminded me how long ago 2005 was."

Lefebvre, like anyone in the sport, cannot predict when racing will return to normal. The coronavirus outbreak has not ended for now, so it is not clear whether the ASO's hope of holding the Tour de France in July, for example, is realistic.

As a result, athletes are training (mostly indoors) for target events that may be held at any time, and there is no clear prospect of racing resuming.

"As a professional, it is difficult for me to see an opportunity for myself," Lefebvre wrote. 'I had a conference call today with all the trainers and team leaders. All riders now have busy schedules, but no concrete prospects yet." [ASO will push the Tour, and there seems to be political will in France, but I am skeptical. Even a "Tour lite" would still bring 1,000 people from all over the world; can we do that by the end of June?

Lefebvre, who estimates the team's financial damage at 500,000 euros and whose staff on self-employment contracts had to take a 15% pay cut in March, does, however, have his own ideas about the post-season schedule.

"The cycling calendar has been extended to October 31.

"I have the Classics in Walloon scheduled for the three weeks before the World Championships and the Classics in Flanders the week after that. I think that will be the calendar.