In a column in Het Newsblad magazine, Belgian team boss Patrick Lefebvre raises concerns about the coronavirus and the fact that Deceuninck-Quickstep staff will test positive for the virus and that if the Tour de France is canceled Concerns about impact on sponsorship model.

Lefebvre has been a team manager for decades and has experienced nearly every scenario the sport has gone through, but the global pandemic has created an unprecedented era, with governments shutting down entire countries in an attempt to bring the fight against coronavirus, making professional cycling has become inconsequential. [So far, the virus has claimed more than 11,000 lives. The hardest hit was Italy, where more than 4,000 people died in just a few weeks.

Hospitals have been stretched beyond their limits as the Italian health care system struggles to cope with the number of infected people, with Lombardy, one of cycling's most important races, being the hardest hit. Lefebvre has staff in that exact area and admits to sitting in front of the phone fearing the news that may one day come.

"When I read it, I worry. Every day I fear that one of my players or staff members will call me and tell me they are sick. Davide Bramati and Davide Ballerini both live in Bergamo, the worst-hit city in Europe.

Lefebure is also concerned about the economic impact of the virus on the sport: racing has been suspended throughout March, April, and May, with only faint hopes that competition will resume in June. However, the UEFA European Championships scheduled for June have been postponed, and there is growing concern that cycling's major event, the Tour de France, may be canceled or rescheduled for another date later in the year. There is no shortage of speculation, but the truth is that no one has a definitive answer at this point. It is not impossible to imagine a scenario in which the race is not held for the rest of the year.

"I understand that in that larger narrative, cycling is just a footnote, but I am also concerned because I am the manager of a cycling team. Every company that exports loses sales. And they save money quickly in marketing. It would be naive to think that the economic impact of the Corona crisis will not extend to cycling."

Closer to home, Lefebvre is worried about the future of his team, Deceuninck-Quickstep.

"But the most important showcase for my team, the spring, has completely passed. While we have certainly built historical credibility at Quickstep, Dezeuninck is only in its second year of sponsorship. They have won 83 races so far, and I hope they will consider that. 17]

But Lefebvre's biggest concern is potential anxiety about the Tour: the centerpiece event in July can make or break a team's season, and success there is often the main reason for a team's sponsorship. Teams invest millions of dollars with the confidence that the summer exposure will pay off, but with several teams already under pressure to find sponsorship money for 2021, the task will only get harder.

"If that happens, it would be a disaster," Lefebvre muses about a scenario in which the Tour is canceled.

"But it would be foolish not to consider this. My philosophy is always to start with the best case and the worst case. Worst case scenario, the season is over. I may be a pessimist, but who would have expected three weeks ago that half of Europe would suddenly be under house arrest?"

"The organizer, ASO, can take a hit, but not the teams. If the Tour de France goes away, the whole model of cycling could collapse."