Cycling: La Vuelta moves start, cuts stages

MADRID • One of cycling's three Grand Tours, the Vuelta a Espana, has been officially affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

The race will feature fewer than 21 stages since a 19-stage race was completed in 1985, organisers confirmed on Wednesday night.

Its race start - three stages were originally planned to take place in the Netherlands - will also be axed, with the Vuelta instead starting in the Basque Country town of Irun in Spain.

While the dates have yet to be finalised because the Tour de France has been pushed back to Aug 29-Sept 20, Vuelta organisers said they had no choice but to shorten their own race to 18 stages because of all the resulting logistical hurdles.

"It is obvious that when you design the race, you do not expect to have to make changes of this magnitude, but we have to be sensitive with the current situation," said race director Javier Guillen.

"We have to assume that it is very difficult to substitute an official start at this point for all the planning and logistics involved."

Martin van Hulsteijn, a director on the organising committee, also called it a "bridge too far", leading to the shortened affair.

Organisers added they hoped to start the 2022 race in the Netherlands

Cycling's premier race, the Tour de France, remains a doubt after the French government banned all major sporting events and leagues until September due to the Covid-19 crisis.

The sport has been hit hard, with no races since March's Paris-Nice event - its final stage was removed owing to virus fears - and there are no scheduled events until August.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE