But locked up in Spain for almost two weeks, the West Australian has softened after seeing the wider impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Durbridge has only been allowed out of his Girona apartment for groceries in the last nine days, his team one of the first to pull their riders from races as measures to curb the spread of coronavirus ramped up earlier this month.

The 28-year-old had beaten time trial world champion Rohan Dennis for his second straight national title in January and his hopes were high after two years hampered by early-season injuries.

Instead of racing he's been reduced to cooking, reading books and daily sessions on virtual riding app Zwift, unaware when he'll next get the chance to ride in real life.

"I was really excited, thought this could be the year I could potentially do what I wanted to do at the classics (in Europe) ... and all of a sudden it gets ripped out from underneath you," he told the Stanley Street Social podcast.

"I was devastated about all the races and thought 'this could have been my year'

"I was bit like 'what's happened, my races, my season, my contract, my career' and then started to realise this is actually a lot bigger than cycling and my career.

"Of course (it concerns me); everyone who is up for contracts, or even in contracts, would be nervous about how the economy is going to take the hit because we are based off sponsorship.

"You are nervous about what you're doing next year, but I think 90 per cent of the peloton is."

Isolation has otherwise been a case of so far so good for Durbridge and his wife, who have the luxury of a sun-drenched terrace and the ability to connect with thousands of everyday cyclists on Zwift.

"We're lucky enough to live in a connected world, and training inside can be a fun thing," he said.

"I'm sure in a couple of weeks it's going to get old though.

"We don't know what we're training for, or when we'll be racing so it's very difficult.

"So we ride for enjoyment to stay sane, but we're not really pushing the envelope ... the indoor bike takes a lot of mental bullets out of you."

Australian Associated Press