Update: Cycling Canada extends event postponements due to COVID-19
Tour de Beauce and Canada Cup XC round added to list of affected events.
Update: April 4. Cycling Canada extends suspension of race calendar to June 14, 2020
Cycling Canada extended its suspension of the national race calendar on Friday, in response to the growing COVID-19 outbreak. All events scheduled to take place up to June 14 are now cancelled or postponed.
Tour de Beauce road race and Baie-St-Paul Canada Cup cross country mountain bike race are now among the races affected.
“In order to continue to support the efforts from public health authorities to minimize the transmission of the virus, and to reduce the pressure on athletes and members, Cycling Canada is now recommending that all cycling events on the Cycling Canada calendar be postponed or cancelled until June 14.”
Cycling Canada is working with event organizers to establish new calendar dates where possible. An order of priority for rescheduling events is included in Friday’s announcement. Canadian championships events will be given first priority in claiming new spots on the calendar, followed by UCI-sanctioned domestic events and, third, national calendar events. Any events already scheduled to take place when the season resumes “will have the right to maintain their calendar placement and sanction, subject to UCI approval.”
Canada’s governing body for cycling will reassess the situation on April 20, 2020.
A full calendar of events affected by the change and their status has been posted and will be updated regularly by Cycling Canada.
The original story, published March 13, 2020 can be read in full below.
Cycling Canada issued an updated advisory regarding the COVID-19 (coronavirus) on Friday. Canada’s governing body for cycling issued recommendations for athletes and organizers.
Cycling Canada has taken the step of recommending the postponement of postponing all Cycling Canada calendar events. This includes 2020 Canadian Youth & Para Track Cycling Championships originally scheduled for April 3-5 in Milton, Ontario.
RBC Training Grounds events have also been postponed.
Additionally, Cycling Canada is “recommending that our provincial and territorial associations implement a similar process” of assessing the safety of proceeding with planned events and races.
Canada’s Sport Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC), of which Cycling Canada is a member, has started issuing an advisory on COVID-19. Updates will be published every 48 hours, at 4:00 PM EST. SMAC’s advisory for March 13, can be found here in English and in French.
Cycling Canada’s full advisory on COVID-19 can be found below:
Cycling Canada advisory on COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic is a novel and rapidly changing situation. Cycling Canada has been monitoring what national and global health agencies are recommending, the best practices being adopted by other Canadian sport organizations and businesses, and travel restrictions that are being put into place around the world.
Our current travel recommendations for Cycling Canada athletes, officials, coaches and staff are below. “Essential” events are ones that have a direct impact on Olympic or Paralympic qualification and preparation; travel to those should be restricted to targeted athletes and key staff, and will be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Please note that these recommendations may change as the situation evolves.
- Avoid all non-essential travel by mass transit (bus, train or plane); travel by car if possible.
- Avoid attending non-essential events, particularly indoor events attended by large numbers of people.
- Avoid travel to affected areas (see the WHO and Health Canada websites for the latest information).
- Travel to essential events will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and must be authorized by Cycling Canada senior management.
- Cycling Canada will attempt to accommodate those who are unable to travel or do not wish to travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Besides the potential health risk, there is a risk of imposed quarantine while abroad or upon return to Canada – this should be addressed in contingency plans.
Status of Domestic Events
In order to support the efforts from public health authorities to minimize the transmission of the virus, Cycling Canada is recommending that all cycling events on the Cycling Canada calendar between March 15 and June 14 be postponed or cancelled. This includes the postponement of the 2020 Canadian Youth & Para Track Cycling Championships originally scheduled for April 3-5 in Milton, Ontario.
Cycling Canada calendar of events.
As this is a rapidly evolving situation, Cycling Canada will reassess the situation on April 3rd for events that are scheduled between May 2nd and June 14th. Due to the wide range of events and jurisdictions, we are recommending that our provincial and territorial associations implement a similar process. We believe this is in the best interest of the cycling community and public health at large. Event organizers should consult with their local government and health agencies to determine the risk associated with their event.
Cycling Canada will continue to publish updates as they become available. We are committed to ensuring that our members have access to the most current information.
Organizers who are concerned that their event will be impacted should contact their provincial and territorial associations, all of whom are prepared to assist with the postponement or cancelation process.
We will work diligently and collaboratively with our organizers and provincial organisations to reschedule as many of our planned events as possible.
Hygiene recommendations that apply to everyone:
- Wash your hands frequently.
- Cover both your nose and mouth when coughing. Try to cough or sneeze into your arm, away from others, or into tissue paper (to be disposed of in toilet). Wash your hands immediately afterwards.
- Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness.
- Face masks are most effective in preventing transmission when worn by the person who is ill.
