Strade Bianche Pro Race is officially cancelled due to corona-virus fears

Coronavirus, is now official in Italy. La Strade Bianche Pro Race, scheduled for Saturday 7 March, will not be held. The decision, expected, came on the morning of Thursday 5 March.

After the Gran Fondo was cancelled yesterday, today came the expected news . "Until 7pm yesterday - said the mayor of Siena , Luigi De Mossi - we were convinced that we could do it. Then the decree arrived and RCS represented a series of health difficulties that led us to take this decision, even if everyone wanted to run. We are convinced that this event will only be postponed and not canceled. "

Italy has two clusters of coronavirus cases, in Lombardy and in the Veneto region. Over 1,500 people have tested positive for the virus to date.

Not yet officially cancelled are Tirreno-Adriatico which takes place from March 11 - 17 and Milan-San Remo on March 21, these are in areas without any major outbreaks.

Paris-Nice is also expected to be held as planned despite France banning public gatherings of more than five thousand people in confined spaces. 

Remco Evenepoel is due to lead Deceuninck-QuickStep at Tirreno-Adriatico, Vincenzo Nibali (Trek-Segafredo) and Greg van Avermaet (CCC Team) also starring - no show from Geraint Thomas  as Team Ineos suspend racing until April.