The Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix have not yet been officially postponed, but Greg Van Avermaat (CCC Team) knows it is only a matter of time.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought the cycling calendar to a standstill in Europe and beyond.

The CCC team was one of seven WorldTour teams that withdrew from Paris-Nice following the postponement of Tirreno-Adriatico, and the Belgians have spent the past week in the Sierra Nevada with the forlorn hope that the suspension may be only temporary They trained, with the E3 BinckBank Classic and Ghent-Wevelgem already postponed and the cancellation of the Tour de Flanders imminent.

"Normally I would be working in Tirreno right now, but instead I'm at home. 'I got back from the Sierra Nevada on Friday, and now I'm at home waiting to see what happens. I try to stay home as much as possible and limit my contact with the government measures as well as follow up on them."

"Mentally, it's quite difficult to train now. It was not easy in Spain. Normally, I would be finishing up the spring classics now, Paris-Nice and Tirreno. Right now I'm just training to stay in condition."

The Tour de Flanders is the race Van Avermaat covets above all others, and although at 35 years of age he has lost the chance to compete in the Ronde, he is mindful that, given the Covid-19 pandemic, postponing a cycling race is a trivial matter.

"There are worse things in the world.

"It's a shame, because we've been trying to achieve certain goals all winter. But not being able to do what you want to do is the same for everyone in society. Right now, public health is more important than sports. Let's think again about when we can resume."

Van Avermaert, the Rio Olympics champion four years ago, hopes to have a chance to defend his title on an equally grueling course in Tokyo on July 25.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe insisted over the weekend that the 2020 Olympics be held, but doubts are mounting about the Olympics' chances. Van Avermaet, however, believes the Games are something to aim for after the loss of the Spring Classic.

"Let's hope that the Olympics will be held. I think that will be one of our main goals," said Van Avermaet, who is also hopeful that alternative dates for the Spring Classic may be found after the season is over.

"If there is still room on the calendar, it would be nice to run a number of Classics in the fall. That would be fun for a one-day specialist like myself. Otherwise, it's a missed opportunity."