Viviani not released by Cofidis to defend European road race title

Italian sprinter Elia Viviani (Cofidis) – pictured at the 2020 Milan-San Remo – will not defend his European road race title
Italian sprinter Elia Viviani (Cofidis) – pictured at the 2020 Milan-San Remo – will not defend his European road race title (Image credit: Getty Images Sport)

The current European road race champion, Elia Viviani, will not be permitted by his Cofidis trade team to ride for the Italian national squad to attempt to defend his title in Plouay, France, on August 26. The sprinter will instead remain in his team's 'bubble' preparing for the start of the Tour de France in Nice on August 29.

The rescheduled UEC Road European Championships elite men's road race takes place just three days before the start of the Tour, although the decision is less about its proximity and more about ensuring that the French WorldTour team's riders stay as safe as possible from the risk of the coronavirus in the countdown to the start of La Grande Boucle.

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