Dwars door Vlaanderen will go ahead despite Brussels terror attacks

Flanders Classics, organisers of several one-day races in Belgium, have announced that Wednesday's Dwars door Vlaanderen will go ahead after suspected terror attacks in Brussels.

Reports suggest that a suicide bomber targeted the city's Zaventem airport, with a later explosion taking place at a city centre metro station.

After meeting with police at midday, the organisers released a short statement saying that the race is still scheduled to go ahead.

"For the moment, Dwars door Vlaanderen will take place tomorrow, despite the terrorist attacks that took place in Brussels on Tuesday morning. The organisers mourn with the victims of these terrible acts. More information in due time," the statement read.

Dwars door Vlaanderen organiser Guy Delesie told nos.nl before the meeting that if the terrorism threat level in Belgium remained at level four the race would probably not go ahead.

"At the highest terrorist threat [level], the race [will] not [go ahead]," he said.

"Currently we have heard nothing from the police or an authority that the race should be cancelled. For now the highest threat level is only for today, not for tomorrow."

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Delesie said that team managers were already contacting him asking how riders can get to the races in Belgium this week, with flights to and from Brussels airport currently cancelled.

He said that, if the race does go ahead on Wednesday, some teams may only have "three or four riders" because others will not be able to get to the start line in time.

More races are scheduled in Flanders in the next few days, with E3 Harelbeke on Friday and Ghent-Wevelgem on Sunday.

More to come...