Less than three weeks after saying he had nothing to fear from the Paris-Nice race, Thibaut Pinot admitted that fighting the spread of the coronavirus Covid-19 takes precedence over any competition, even the Tour de France.

Currently at his home farm in Merci, Franche-Comté region, Groupama-FDJ's Pinot is resting up after a recent race block. He will begin training on a turbo trainer in the next few days, but the French rider told Cycling News that the spread of the virus has reached close to home, as the death toll from the pandemic in France exceeded 1,300 on Wednesday evening.

France is currently on lockdown, but while Pino is at home tending to his animals, his parents continue to work and are on the front lines of French defense. For now, the hardest part of being isolated for the leaders of Grouppama-FDJ is more mental than physical.

"Being cooped up is not such a burden mentally. I live in the country and I'm surrounded by nature. This time gives me a chance to take care of the animals I have at home. They are very labor intensive."

"But what upsets me the most is not being able to see my loved ones. My parents live a kilometer from my house and I can't see them. My mother is a nurse and my father works at a funeral home. They are in direct contact with the virus every day. So we definitely want to take the necessary precautions so we don't infect each other

"For now, I am resting. The original plan was to have an off period after the Catalunya Volta, but this period was eventually carried over to the day after Paris-Nice. So for me, not riding at the moment is not a constraint on my preparation. As for resuming training, I plan to resume indoor training with my home trainer this weekend. Normally, I would train according to the weather forecast. I don't have this problem anymore."

Pinot started the season with the Tour de France as his goal. Last year, he battled with Team Ineos in the Pyrenees, but was injured in the final week and was forced to retire.

This year, he intended to return to the race and try for the maillot jaune again, but with the pandemic trapping billions of people in their homes and the blockade likely to be extended, the Tour de France in July is far from certain.

The UEFA European Championships, Giro d'Italia, and Olympics, originally scheduled for June, have all had their dates postponed.

The Tour may be held later in the year and may be shortened due to a revamped cycling calendar. On Wednesday, however, the French sports minister indicated that the race could still be held "behind closed doors." Paris-Nice was held under such conditions, with roads strictly closed and spectators not allowed to enter the start and finish zones. The race ended a day early before reaching Nice.

Asked if he thought the situation in France would improve enough to host the Tour in July, Pinot replied: "I have no opinion on that. For now, the most important thing is that the health of Europe improves."

"The question is not whether the Tour de France can be held at any cost. My concern is the fact that canceling the Tour de France would mean that the pandemic has not stopped; I don't know if ASO can postpone the Tour; I don't know if the Tour can be postponed; I don't know if the Tour de France can be postponed. Of course, it's hard to imagine a season without the Tour or the Grand Tour, since it's my job."

"I'm not sure that the Tour de France would be able to hold a pandemic, because it's not a pandemic.

However, Pinot also understands that the world of pro cycling is a pittance compared to the larger problems the world is currently facing.

"The most important thing is public health. Sport is certainly important and carries a lot of emotion, but it's not a priority right now. The race seems a bit trivial right now. There are many other priorities that should take precedence over learning that the Tour has been cancelled or postponed. So I'm not complaining, and if I have to train for a month on my home trainer, I will do it and I really don't think I am allowed to complain. We are experiencing an unreal situation and bike racing is next to nothing after this."