Road bikes & Covid-19: Minister explains rules - road bike training still permitted in Austria

In the course of the measures taken by the Austrian Federal Government to contain the corona COVID-19 virus and the associated exit restrictions, the Austrian Cycling Federation ÖRV has been increasingly confronted with questions from unsettled cyclists in recent days. Since, for example, training rides are not explicitly listed and regulated in point 4 of the exceptions (outdoor exercise), Vice Chancellor and Sports Minister Werner Kogler today explained his view in a press release:

"The exercise mentioned in the regulation is intended to maintain physical and mental well-being and to fulfil people's natural need for exercise," says Kogler. However, the following should be avoided:

▪ Group rides (with people who do not live in the same residential unit), because the necessary distance is not guaranteed when slipstreaming and riding side by side.

▪ Single rides lasting several hours, because the longer the rides, the greater the likelihood of a fall and injury, avoidable rescue missions put a strain on the already strained healthcare system or even jeopardise human lives. For the same reason, mountain bike tours away from tarmac roads, especially in the mountains, should be avoided.

▪ Single trips lasting several hours at a higher intensity, as these can have a negative impact on the body's defences.

▪ The use of public transport to get to "suitable" cycle routes.

The Austrian Cycling Federation welcomed the clarification and called for responsible behaviour.