All of cycling's five Monuments and its three Grand Tours will find a spot on the 2020 calendar despite COVID-19, says the UCI governing body.

Already, the Milano-Sanremo, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix and Liège-Bastogne-Liège have been scrapped due to the spread of Coronavirus in Europe.

"Looking to the resumption of the cycling season, priority will be given to events on the calendar at the date of the resumption and, depending on the space available and taking into consideration the possibility of overlapping, to the three Grands Tours and cycling's Monuments," read a UCI press statement.

"With this decision, cycling wishes to be able to guarantee the visibility of our sport, which will find itself in competition with other major international sports events, while ensuring the best possible exposure for the most-viewed races."

The UCI also extended the calendar to November 1 to allow road races space to run once COVID-19 begins to disappear.

Italy is the worst hit nation outside of China. Yesterday, it recorded its highest number of deaths in a 24 hour period due to the virus – 475. There are currently 35,713 cases, leaving the country unable to host any event like the Giro d'Italia, May 9 to 31. 

FloBikes understands that organizer RCS Sport is already considering running its Giro at the tailend of May and well into June. The reports suggest a start in Sicily instead of Budapest, Hungary. However, this seems premature given the country's current situation.

"We're working with RCS Sport to find a place for the Giro d'Italia, undoubtedly in autumn," Lappartient told France TV Sport.

"The possible avenues are a Giro at home in Italy and obviously, redesigned. Perhaps not of the same length."

The four current spring monuments could find a place late in the year near the fifth Monument, Lombardia. The UCI and race organizers must find a solution once the COVID-19 situation stabilizes.

"The Giro, together with the postponed Classics, are our priorities, we have high hopes of seeing it raced," Lappartient added.

"As for the Tour de France [June 27 to July 19], for now, nothing has changed."