Geraint Thomas is desperate for the Tour de France to go ahead this year after it was postponed by two months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Welsh winner of the race in 2018 is currently raising money for the NHS with three charity rides inside his garage at his home in Cardiff.
But the 33-year-old is hoping a delayed tour can now get the go-ahead in late August.
The biggest event in the sport has been postponed as world governing body the UCI unveiled the first details of its plans to reschedule the road cycling calendar.
The 107th edition of the Tour was due to begin in Nice on June 27 and conclude in Paris on July 19, but the opening stage will now take place on August 29 with the finale on September 20.
“It’s the pinnacle of cycling,” said Thomas, who won the race two years ago before finishing second to Ineos team-mate Egan Bernal last summer.
“It represents the sport and certainly it’s the thing that’s keeping me going at the minute.
“You’ve just got that target down the line. It’s hard when you don’t know when it’s going to be to try and stay in that positive frame of mind.
“In my head I’m just thinking the Tour is definitely going to happen.”
Following several weeks of discussions with local authorities due to host stages, the race will take place on the planned route with no changes, beginning on the French Riviera before heading for the Pyrenees and with the battle for yellow reaching a climax in the Alps.
Postponement of the race became inevitable on Monday when French president Emmanuel Macron announced there could be no mass gatherings in the country until mid-July.
Organiser ASO said: “We would like to thank all of the cycling stakeholders, Tour partners, its broadcasters in 190 countries, as well as all the authorities concerned by the Tour de France for their responsiveness and support.
“With them, we hope that the 2020 edition will help to turn the page on the difficult days that we are currently experiencing around the world.”
The fate of the Tour was seen as critical for the economics of cycling considering teams’ reliance on sponsorship, which is turn dependent on the exposure brought by the world’s biggest race.
The UCI statement read: “Holding this event in the best conditions possible is judged essential given its central place in cycling’s economy and its exposure, in particular for the teams that benefit on this occasion from unparalleled visibility.”
The new dates for the Tour came as part of a wider plan for the road cycling season announced by the UCI.
The suspension of all racing was extended until July 1, and until August 1 for the WorldTour events – which have been on hiatus since Paris-Nice ended one day early on March 14.
The Giro d’Italia, which had been due to begin on May 9 in Budapest, will now be scheduled to take place after the Tour but before the Vuelta a Espana, which will move back from its planned dates in August and September.
🗓2020 UCI International Road Calendar Update
👉 Suspension of competitions until 1 July (1 Aug for UCI WT)
👉 @LeTour will take place between 29 Aug – 20 Sep
👉 @aiglemartigny20 will still take place between 20-27 SepCheck out all the updates here 🔗https://t.co/PyRy3BPtE5 pic.twitter.com/inVDx4TIMb
— UCI (@UCI_cycling) April 15, 2020
The new dates for the Tour create a clash with UCI’s own Road World Championships, due to begin in Aigle-Martigny, Switzerland on September 20, but the world governing body said there would be no change to that event, which is due to begin with the men’s elite time trial on the Sunday.
That will leave the likes of Dutchman Tom Dumoulin – who finished second in both the 2018 Tour and the road world time trial that year – with a decision to make on their priorities.
The new Tour dates also clash with the Tour of Britain, currently scheduled for September 6-13.
Organisers of the British race, used to seeing their event take place at the same time as the Vuelta, are relaxed about the clash under these unique circumstances and would only move their own event if public health concerns warranted doing so.
The UCI said it was also working to reschedule the Monuments – the five biggest one-day races on the calendar – but had no finalised dates at present.
With regards to the Women’s World Tour, the world governing body said an update would be issued no later than May 15.
No date has been set for La Course, the one day women’s race which takes place as part of the Tour de France, but organisers said it would take place on a date to be determined.