Mauro Veni, head of race organization for the Strade Bianche, Milan - Sanremo, Tirreno-Adriatico, and Giro d'Italia, expressed concern over the recent surge of coronavirus cases in Italy.

In recent days, a small area of Italy (mainly around Lombardy) has been placed on lockdown as the number of diagnosed cases has increased from just a handful to over 250.

Italy now has more cases than any other country outside of China and South Korea, including Japan and Singapore. So far, the virus has killed 2,619 people and more than 79,000 cases have been reported.

Most of the RCS Sport races will be held in the coming months, with the Strade Bianche taking place in less than two weeks, followed by Tirreno and Milan-San Remo before the Giro in May.

According to Veni, he is more concerned about the future of Milano-Sanremo since it will be held closest to the coronavirus infected areas of Italy.

"Like everyone, we are concerned about what is happening. At the same time, we hope that with time the situation will improve and the number of infected people will not increase," Veni told Cycling News at another RCS race, the UAE Tour.

"The deciding factor will be the number of cases and whether the situation is under control. Also, geographical factors must be taken into account. At the moment, Tuscany, where the Strade Bianche will be held, seems to be okay. I don't think there are any problems at this point, but we will monitor it."

Last weekend, a number of Italian soccer matches were postponed as a result of the recent spike in infections. The Venice Carnival was also affected.

"Milan-San Remo is my biggest worry," Veni said.

"Milan is one of the two most important places that have recorded the highest number of infected people so far. But we follow all the guidelines of the government and the Ministry of Public Health. Tirreno is a different place. It is different from Venice and Milan, but it is the area around Milan that I am most concerned about because of the situation in Lombardy."

Public health risks are the most obvious concern, but another issue may be the economic impact of canceling the race. Nevertheless, the Milan-San Remo route could be changed if it places additional strain on Milan.

"At the moment, there is no Plan B for Milan-San Remo. It makes no sense to cut three-quarters of the race. We have no choice but to follow the government's instructions. There are still three weeks until Milan-San Remo."

Surprisingly, RCS Sport later contradicted Veni in a brief official statement, indicating that it was open to all possible options.

"With regard to the three spring bike races (Strade Bianche, Tirreno Adriatico, and Milan Sanremo), RCS Sport reiterates its efforts to ensure the smooth running of these events," the official statement said.

." To this end, RCS Sport is in constant contact with the relevant authorities and appreciates that, in cooperation with them, it will take all the most suitable measures to carry out the sporting events."

In cycling, a coronavirus has so far caused the postponement of the Tour of Hainan and two Chinese teams have withdrawn from the Tour de Langkawi. Last week, the UCI intervened, postponing all races in China in April and May and announcing that it would monitor the health of riders and staff from "delegations at risk" participating in international competitions