Organisers cancel Canadian WorldTour races
The one-day races in Montréal and Quebec were due to take place in September
Organisers of Canada’s one-day WorldTour races have opted to cancel the events.
The management behind the Grand Prix Quebec and Grand Prix Montréal have announced the races will not go ahead because of the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
WorldTour racing is schedule to return on August 1 with Strade Bianche, as the UCI has rescheduled most major races after all events were suspended in March due to Covid-19.
But as racing returns, the Canadian organisers have scrapped both their races, which were due to take place during the Tour de France on September 11 and 13.
President of the two races, Serge Arsenault said: “Over the past few months, we have worked tirelessly to organise our races with the strictest respect for sanitary conditions, attempting to respond to different scenarios and in constant liaison with the authorities concerned. Today, too many uncertainties remain (opening of borders, compulsory quarantine, authorisation to hold gatherings, etc.). He would not have been responsible or respectful towards all those who trust us since 2010 to postpone this decision further.”
The UCI has put strict measures in place to minimise the risk of coronavirus spread, as racing returns after a five-month lay-off.
Despite the precautions, a number of teams have already pulled out of races taking place in Spain and Romania.
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Arsenault added: "All the efforts made to both preserve our quality standards and ensure the safety of all have turned out to be in vain. There is obviously a deep sadness in putting our races on hold, when in just ten years they have become important events on the international circuit and are greatly courted by the greatest riders in the world. But above all, we are at the service of the riders, the teams, the spectators and our partners.”
>>> How to watch Strade Bianche 2020: live stream the first WorldTour race of the reset season
President of the UCI, David Lappartient, said: “"I understand the reasons which led the organiser of the Grands Prix Cyclistes de Québec and Montréal to make the difficult decision to cancel these two events in 2020, while obviously regretting their absence from the UCI WorldTour calendar this season.”
The organisers say the events will return in September 2021.
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Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
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