Trek Segafredo's Richie Porte gave voice to a chorus of athletes expressing their thoughts following the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) and Japanese government's decision Tuesday to postpone the 2020 Tokyo Olympics until perhaps next year.

"I think it's the right decision, unfortunately, due to the coronavirus outbreak. ." said Porte on the team's website.

"We're seeing people die, and with the number of people infected increasing, it's hard to argue that this wasn't the right decision," he said. [Porte was interviewed by Cycling News at the Tour Down Under in January, where he admitted that he is Australia's best climber and that he is far from qualified for the national team, despite the fact that the Tokyo road race is held on a tough, hilly course.

"I changed my race program to qualify for the Ardennes Classics," the 35-year-old said of the Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège in April. 'It's very disappointing, but I can understand why.'

Also, as Cycling Australia performance director Simon Jones said on Tuesday, the competition could be "16 months away."

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and IOC President Thomas Bach have agreed to hold the Olympics "by the summer of 2021," which would be roughly 12 months ahead of the original 2020 dates of July 24-August 9.