Due to the current pneumonia epidemic (Covid-19) linked to the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), which has also affected Portugal in recent days, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) must announce that the opening round of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup which was to take place at Louzanpark in Lousã on 21 and 22 March will not take place on the scheduled dates.



The UCI fully supports the decision taken by the Lousã local authorities and the Montanha Clube to reschedule the event based on the instructions made on 10 March by the Portuguese public health authorities. In light of the current situation, the running of the event would have potentially presented a health risk to riders, to everyone involved in the event and to fans, and could have contributed to the spread of Covid-19.



The new date of the event will be announced by the UCI after consultation with the organising committee and the country’s health authorities, taking into account the overall calendar of the series and depending on the evolution of the spread of the coronavirus worldwide and in Portugal.



The UCI would like to thank the city of Lousã and the Montanha Clube for their cooperation in this difficult situation, as well as the riders, teams and all parties involved for their understanding. — UCI

Following the epidemiological situation that is being experienced worldwide resulting from Covid-19 and which has affected Portugal in recent days, Montanha Clube and Lousã City Hall have thus been forced to postpone the Mercedes-Benz UCI Mountain Bike World Cup which would take place at Louzanpark on the 21st and 22nd of March.



According to the “Orientation” of 03/10/2020 of the Director-General of Health, Graça Freitas, there are several points that make the realization of this event unfavorable since it is considered as a mass event and can contribute to the increase of the spread infection, and with the priority of protecting public health, the following guidelines are established:



- Postpone or cancel all events that involve or may involve the concentration of more than 150 people in municipalities where there are clusters (or outbreaks) with secondary transmission of COVID-19 or when there are confirmed cases in relation to which finds the epidemiological link.



- Postpone or cancel all events that, even with a concentration of less than 1,000 people, involve or may involve the participation of people who were present, in the last 14 days, in areas where there is active and sustained community transmission of the virus, namely, to date, Italy, China, South Korea, Iran, Japan and Singapore, updated according to the epidemiological evolution.



- Without prejudice to the previous guidelines, postpone or cancel all events that take place outdoors and that involve the concentration of more than 5,000 people.



The new date for the event will be the subject of debate between the organizing entity and the maximum organ of world cycling next week, Montanha Clube and UCI.



Montanha Clube, as the event's organizer, regrets what happened, which is a serious national and global public health problem. — Montanha Clube, Event Organisers

UCI Statement: Impact of the coronavirus on the UCI International Calendar



(March 4, 2020, 18:45PM)

Following a meeting held today with representatives of different members of the cycling family – teams, riders and organisers -, the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) specifies the following on the subject of the next events on its calendar given the current pneumonia epidemic (Covid-19) linked to the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).



The decision has been taken not to proceed with the cancellation of any events at this stage. Any possible decision to cancel will be taken by the health authorities in the concerned regions depending on the evolution of the local situation and different risk factors identified. The organisers and all members of the cycling family will be obliged to comply to any such decision.



For the events still taking place, it has been decided that each organiser must take a certain number of measures with the aim of limiting to a maximum the risk of the coronavirus spreading further. These include increasing the distance between the public and riders, particularly in the start and finish zones; respecting a strict medical protocol, variable depending on the country, but in any case including a process for dealing with suspected cases and the provision of a detailed map of establishments capable of carrying out diagnostic tests for the coronavirus; limiting the number of teams staying in each hotel; respecting certain hygiene measures, for example avoiding the use of the same pen by riders signing in at the beginning of the race.



If the organisers are required, on decision by their authorities, to refuse the participation of certain teams or if teams find themselves unable to take part in an event for a valid reason, the UCI will need to be informed rapidly. In such a situation, it will take necessary measures, on a case-by-case basis, to ensure that no team is penalised, either financially or when their sporting results are considered, in particular when it comes to evaluating their UCI WorldTeam or UCI ProTeam status.



If the evolution of the situation were to justify other measures, the UCI, which is permanently following the situation and remains in contact with all stakeholders via an ad hoc group, will rapidly take the necessary decisions.



The UCI reiterates that the measures undertaken aim to reduce the risk of infection among riders, team staff, the public and any other person involved in cycling, in order to avoid contributing to the spread of the coronavirus worldwide.



The UCI will write to each of cycling’s different groups – teams, riders, organisers and National Federations – with details of measures taken and the procedure to follow.



The UCI would like to thank the members of the cycling family for their contribution to this fight against the spreading of the coronavirus and calls for the unity of all parties, necessary in this context.



The same principles will be applied for all events on the UCI International Calendar, and for all disciplines.



Well that’s a real bummer.. looks like the first World Cup is Lousã has been cancelled due to the coronavirus. — Dean Lucas

(*Updated, 3/11/2020, 2:17 AM, PST)We have received confirmation from the UCI that the first World Cup has been postponed and an official announcement has been released. At the moment it looks like the event will be happening later in the year but a date is yet to be confirmed.There have been an increasing number of events and gatherings being canceled worldwide in recent days along with restrictions being placed on travel by various governments, agencies, and organizations.Here's what we do know: According to a letter published by the Portuguese Ministry of Health, guidelines have been established that indoor events with over 1,000 visitors and outdoor events with over 5,000 would be canceled by early April. Theoretically, the event could be held without spectators. We have previously reported that the UCI was maintaining a "hands-off" approach to individual events.The UCI released the following statement last week regarding events:The Mayor of Lousã has issued a statement with the recommendation to postpone the race, along with other events scheduled in the near future. That can be read here Dean Lucas also posted the following on Instagram: