The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) confirms that the two final stages of the UAE Tour (23-29 February), which were to be raced Friday and Saturday, were cancelled late yesterday evening after two cases of coronavirus were suspected among two staff members of one of the participating teams.
While waiting for the results of tests and their communication, the United Arab Emirates authorities, the event’s Organising Committee and the UCI, by mutual agreement, took the decision to interrupt this event, the third race on the 2020 UCI WorldTour calendar, in the interests of the health of riders and their staff, and to avoid the virus spreading.
The country’s public authorities have taken the health measures recommended in such circumstances, including testing everyone involved in the race (notably riders, staff, organisers and officials). Depending on the results obtained, these individuals will either be able to leave the country or, if contamination is confirmed, will be placed in quarantine.
On the sporting side, the UCI has decided, in collaboration with the organiser and in line with the UCI Regulations, that the final classification of the event will be established on the basis of the classification at the end of the fifth stage, won Thursday by the Slovenian Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates). British rider Adam Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) therefore wins the UAE Tour ahead of Pogačar and Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Pro Team).
The UCI is in constant contact with the organisers of upcoming races in order to follow the evolution of the situation, notably concerning the spread of the epidemic, with the double concern of protecting riders from all risk of contamination and avoiding the propagation of SARS-CoV-2 to other countries.
With the complexity of the current situation, notably concerning the spread of the epidemic, the UCI is doing everything within its power to ensure the health of riders and people concerned.
As a reminder, the UCI recently released an update “Coronavirus: situation following the appearance of new outbreaks” which contains recommendations for individual protection and measures to be taken at international competitions being held in China and international events organised outside China that welcome delegations from countries at risk.