Mitchelton-Scott's Amanda Spratt said that the forced rest of the riders due to the coronavirus crisis has helped her accept the fact that the 2020 cycling season will be completely different.

"It was hard when I first heard that all the races, including the cobbled classics and the Ardennes, had been canceled," Spratt admitted on the team website on Thursday. There was some conflict within myself. It felt strange to be depressed about it when so many people around the world were suffering so badly at the same time due to the virus and its global effects. [But at the end of the day, this is our job and our passion, so it's also normal to feel this way," she said.

Spratt said that all change means you have to be flexible and ready to make your own changes when it comes to your goals.

"But I had a lot of great support around me, and being connected to people helped me to see the bigger picture. 'It's hard to plan too far ahead, and it's easy to sit here and speculate for hours. I talked a lot with my coach, Gene Bates, and we came up with an exciting and motivating plan."

Spratt said that while no one knows when the next race will be held, they will plan as if the Giro Rosa (June 26-July 5) will take place.

"If it doesn't, I'll move on to further goals for the season. I've always been an optimist and I like to stay positive, so I'm trying to stay focused and motivated," she said.

With the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics announced this week (which, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), would have taken place July 24-August 9, but will now be held "by the summer of 2021"), Spratt put her disappointment to the side and considered the bigger picture forced him to think about the bigger picture.

"To be honest, I wasn't surprised when the announcement was made. The Australian Olympic Committee had already stated as much, so it was a bit of a relief that the IOC had reached the same conclusion." [Now that we are in a global crisis, it is clear that the most important thing is the health and safety of all, and this should always take precedence over any cycling race or sporting event. I think it is really, really important to remember this," Spratt said. [and I think we need to focus on this now so that we can do everything we can to stop the spread of the virus."

"Obviously I am disappointed that my major goal, the Tokyo Olympics, will not be held this year, but I am happy that it has been postponed rather than cancelled," she continued. My goals and dreams haven't changed. It's just that the dates have changed, and I've come to terms with that."

Spratt added that had the Olympics been held this summer as scheduled, it might not have been a completely "fair" competition.

"So many athletes are now on lockdown and unable to train properly, while others can still train outside normally," she said.

"I also believe that the Olympics should be a celebration of sport and an opportunity to inspire and be inspired. In the current global crisis, this would not have been possible or appropriate."