While the cycling world accepts the fact that there will be no Classics this spring and the Giro d'Italia will have to find an alternate date before the end of the year, Matt White is concerned about a few smaller races on the calendar.

Team boss Mitchelton Scott is still waiting to see what the new UCI calendar will look like, but with the coronavirus still raging in Europe and many other parts of the world, even races that will certainly be held later this year could face economic forces that could face pressure.

"A lot of people seem to be stuck in general. Not just the big races, but the smaller races as well," White told Cycling News. [Many people are thinking about the lack of races in the classics right now, but even the races that are currently set for the second half of the season could suddenly become a financial burden for sponsors and force them to pull out," White said.

"We're going to see a lot of changes in the calendar from now through the end of the year. Hopefully we can reschedule the Giro and the Monument. But I hope the smaller races can survive as well.

The Giro d'Italia is the biggest race that has so far had to be postponed for 2020. The race's organizer, RCS Sport, is exploring alternatives to start later this year, and White hopes the race will still take place, rather than being held for a season.

"It would suck if the Giro didn't happen in 2020," White said. But it might have to be adjusted, it might be two weeks, it might be 10 days, the venue might change, but either way, I would love to see the Giro held this year."

White had hoped that his star GC rider, Simon Yates, would line up for this year's Giro, but like the rest of the World Tour teams, Mitchelton Scott will have to shuffle the deck. Whether the Tour de France will be held in July depends on the threat of a pandemic, but assuming the race starts in June, White expects it to be a stacked Tour, with the Giro leaders moving their main competition to July.

For now, White's riders are forced to stay indoors as European countries impose varying degrees of blockades on the public.

"Eighty-five to ninety percent of the team stays indoors. 'We can't leave the house except to go to the supermarket. Therefore, only about five players can train without a home trainer for the next 14 days, and that will likely be extended. Thus, most athletes are down at this stage. Unless they have a gym at home, they can't cross train; they can ride for a period of time on Zwift or a home trainer, but most of the big stars have moved their finish lines to the Tour de France. White expects many big-name riders to switch calendars.

"Riders like Simon, Nibali, and Karapas, who were peaking for the Giro, may be forced to change their programs and compete in the Tour instead. Before that happens, we need to look at the actual calendar. It would still be three or four weeks away.

"For an athlete like Simon, his big goal is the Olympics, and the possibility of competing in the Tour might be a good way to prepare without the Giro. However, in order to have a clear plan, the calendar needs to be announced. Many people will not wait to compete in August or September."

If the race were to return in June, its competitiveness would be a sight to behold. Riders will be eager to race, but the level of competition is unknown.

"Everyone will be scrambling to compete," White said.

"We know how they are training. Not as much as in the race, but through the way they're coached and all the data we have, we know how they're moving." The only thing missing is the rhythm of the race. But first we need to make sure the athletes are healthy, that they can train on the road, and that we have a newly adjusted calendar for the rest of 2020."