Former UCI President Brian Cookson proposed shortening the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, and Vuelta a España to two weeks in order to create a new post-coronavirus race calendar that would allow all major races to be held later in the season .

So far, more than 100 races have been postponed and others cancelled. The Giro d'Italia will not take place in May, and all the men's and women's spring classics races scheduled for April are trying to figure out when they will take place The race calendar has become a giant puzzle for the UCI, race organizers, riders, and teams. [Some worry that it will be a two-speed peloton, as outdoor training is banned in Italy, Spain, and France, but it is still possible to train outdoors in Belgium, the U.S., and the Netherlands.

The Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, and Vuelta a España traditionally run for 21 days, with pre-race preparation and logistics making the Grand Tour campaign last four weeks. The Giro d'Italia was scheduled for May 9-31, the Tour de France for June 27-July 19, and the Vuelta a España for August 14-September 6.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has hit each country at different times, with tight blockades, travel restrictions, and different predictions for when sporting events will end. RCS Sport, the organizer of the Giro d'Italia, is considering holding the Corsa Rosa in early June as a way to show the world that Italy is recovering from the terrible effects of the coronavirus.

ASO has said little about the Tour de France going ahead as planned, but the French government is keen to protect the symbolic value of the race, even if it means limiting the number of spectators and the size of the Tour caravan. It is hoped that the Vuelta a España will be held as scheduled, but other major races and perhaps even the Giro d'Italia could be held at the same time.

Cookson's proposal to shorten all three Grand Tours to two weeks runs the risk of overshadowing each other's races.

"Given the current situation in France, I would be very, very surprised if the Tour de France were held on the scheduled dates. But if the situation improves sufficiently, here are my suggestions."

"With the Olympic Games postponed to 2021, there would be room in the calendar for the Tour de France to be shortened and held in late July or early August; a two-week Tour would be followed by a two-week Giro d'Italia in early September before the World Championships, and a similar two-week Tour in October. Vuelta a España to be held in October.

"The postponed spring classics races and smaller stage races such as the Tour of Britain, Tour de Pollogne, and other national tours will probably be held at the same time as the Grand Tour, allowing more teams and riders to race. The postponed monuments (Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and Il Lombardia) could be held on the midweek weekend.19]

"This way, even if special circumstances forced us to shorten all the major events scheduled could be held."

"The event would be held in the middle of the week.

." Of course, many of the same issues apply to the women's road calendar.

RCS Sport was quick to push back against current UCI President David Lapartient's proposal to shorten the Giro d'Italia, forcing the UCI to clarify that no decision had been made on the redistribution of dates and the format of related events. An important conference call of Giro d'Italia officials is scheduled for April 1.

Shortening the duration of the Grand Tour would mean a significant loss of TV rights, start and finish town fees, and sponsorships.

"Some of the organizers may not like the idea of shortening the duration of the event, but think long term, think of the teams, and perhaps most importantly, think of the fans who want to see the race, even if it is somewhat different from previous years," Cookson said.

"All of this obviously depends on a significant improvement in the global health of Europe, especially in France, Italy, and Spain. Sadly, there are no signs of that yet. If the situation does not improve, entire seasons could be lost, which would be disastrous for the economics and sustainability of the sport.

"Of course, the health of the global population is paramount, and cycling is important to those of us who care about the sport we love and the people who make it happen. But if we can begin to recover something, anything, in 2020, the two-week Grand Tour could be part of the answer."