The third victory in three races of the insatiable Dutchman Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) during the first stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné, was not the only one to fuel the peloton's discussions after the race. Another news, which fell at the end of the afternoon, was on everyone's lips: the World Road Championships, scheduled for September 20 to 27 in Aigle and Martigny in Switzerland, are canceled because the Swiss authorities have extended the ban on events of more than 1,000 people.
The UCI, the international federation, announces that it is giving itself until September 1 to find, on the same dates, a replacement solution in Europe on a route as mountainous as the Swiss route. A complicated mission, if not impossible.
The route seemed ideal for Pinot, Alaphilippe and Bardet
The blow is very hard for the three best French riders, Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), Julian Alaphilipp e (Deceuninck-Quick Step) and Romain Bardet (AG2R) who had all made the race of September 27 one of the major objectives of their season. The steep and demanding route seemed ideal for their qualities. Bardet and Alaphilippe had also decided not to finish the Tour exhausted to maintain their chances of wearing a rainbow jersey. At the foot of his bus, Pinot also confessed his disappointment. “Obviously, this is not good news. I've been thinking about it for three years. It was truly magnificent terrain. It won't change my preparation for the Tour, but it's a big goal that goes away. "
His Swiss teammate Stefan Küng sees the damage and wonders if the cycling season will even come to an end. “It's a shame,” he admits. I didn't think about it. This proves that today, we must not see further than the day after. The situation has become so complicated that we no longer know anything. "
