NTT Pro Cycling boss Doug Ryder says cycling’s biggest teams would survive if the 2020 Tour de France was canceled.
However, he believes the coronavirus pandemic could have a severe impact on teams below WorldTour level.
“It would be sad if the Tour is not on, but cycling will survive and come through this stronger and better,” Ryder told PA.
“Hopefully all the WorldTour teams would still be on the startline in January 2021, but my big concern would be for the Pro-Conti teams, they’re on smaller budgets and a lot of their partners are in retail.
“They are people’s passions and I’m worried about those teams because that is a significant part of cycling.”
The world governing body’s president David Lappartient said earlier this year it would be a “disaster” for cycling if the Tour was cancelled, with huge fears over how a sport reliant on sponsor exposure for its funding could cope with the loss of its biggest shop window.
.@letour in doubt as @UCI_cycling extends suspension of racing #TDF2020 https://t.co/4d8fmOsZ8m
— Ian Parker (@iparkysport) April 1, 2020
