Remco Evenepoel (Deceuninck-Quick Step) will compete in the Volta a Catalunya later this month after the Tirreno Adriatico, an important preparation race for the Belgian for the Giro d'Italia, was postponed due to a coronavirus outbreak.

Evenepoel is currently training in Calpe to avoid the bad weather in Belgium, but his plans were dashed by the postponement of Tirreno, which was scheduled to start next Wednesday.

The seven-stage race, along with other races in Italy in March (Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo), was postponed due to restrictions on sporting events in Italy.

Evenpoel's preparations are well underway for the seven-stage Volta a Catalunya in Spain, starting March 23.

"It's a stage race very similar to Tirreno in terms of profile," Dečuninck-Quick Step coach Kane Pelgrim told Het Newsblad.

For the first time since 2007, the race will feature a time trial, with stage 2 set on the 21.1 km Pla de l'Estany course. The race will feature two summit finishes in stages 3 and 4, and will conclude on March 29 on a hilly course around Barcelona's Parc Montjuïc.

Evenepoel will battle for the overall title with Egan Bernal (Team Ineos) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar).

After the Catalunya Volta, Evenepoel will train at high altitude in the Sierra Nevada, Spain, Nieuwsblad reported. The two- to three-week camp will likely exclude Brabants Pile (April 15) from the program, but La Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège remain on the program.

Evenepoel, who will make his Grand Tour debut at the 2020 Giro d'Italia, hopes to wear the leader's pink jersey in the time trial on day one, although it remains to be seen how the 20-year-old will fare in his first race in three weeks, Evenepoel has proven his early season ability by winning the two races he entered: the Vuelta a San Juan and the Volta ao Algarve.