Cycling Australia create NRS hope with coronavirus plans at the ready

Despite the loss of a number of events on the National Road Series (NRS) calendar due to the coronavirus, Cycling Australia has produced a plan that should ensure race organisers, teams and sponsors are all on the same page if racing resumes.

Cycling Australia has created a plan for the resumption of National Road Series after consulting with stakeholders Source: Con Chronis/NRS

Over the past few weeks, Cycling Australia has worked with NRS stakeholders on a plan that posits two scenarios should federal and state/territory travel restrictions be removed by August or September. 

The Tour de Brisbane (originally scheduled for 5 April) and the Tour of the Tropics (originally scheduled for end of July) will be postponed until 2021. 

In both scenarios, the Grafton to Inverell, originally scheduled for 9 May, is pushed back to either September or November and in the second scenario, where racing resumes from October, the Tour of the Great South Coast (originally scheduled for August 25-31) will be postponed.

The original NRS 2020 calendar Source: Cycling Australia

Cycling Australia has also stated the scenarios "may also change further depending on future (restrictions) and in the case where restrictions are not opened at least four weeks prior, some events will be cancelled and not rescheduled," ensuring a month's worth of preparation time.

The NRS plan for resumption of racing

Scenario 1: Racing from September

September 4-6: Tour of the Tweed

September 19: Grafton to Inverell

October 8-10: Tour of Gippsland

November 10-15: Tour of the Great South Coast

November 28-29: L’Etape Australia

December 8-12/10-12: Tour of Tasmania

Scenario 2: Racing from October

October 8-10: Tour of Gippsland

October 23-25: Tour of the Tweed

November 14: Grafton to Inverell

November 28-29: L’Etape Australia

December 8-12/10-12: Tour of Tasmania

Cycling Australia is also set to announce details of a virtual 2020 eNRS which will begin in May.