UCI will announce new venue for World Championships this week

The UCI is scheduled to announce the new venue for the 2020 World Championships this week.

Switzerland was due to host the Worlds in Aigle and Martigny regions in late September, but the event was cancelled last month due to coronavirus restrictions. 

Cycling’s international governing body then said it would set about finding a new venue for the 2020 Worlds, to ensure the event could still go ahead this year. 

On Sunday (August 30), UCI president David Lappartient said a new host location has been found, with more details to be announced later this week.

Lappartient said: “40 years ago Bernard Hinault took the Rainbow Jersey during the epic 1980 World Champs in Sallanches. 

“We're happy to announce the UCI Road World Championships legend will continue in 2020 with a new venue!”

The announcement is now expected on Wednesday, September 2. 

While the road Worlds were initially given the green light back in June to go ahead despite the pandemic, doubts emerged because of the local health regulations in the Aigle-Martigny area. 

Then on August 12 news emerged that the 2020 World Championships would be cancelled because authorities in Switzerland have extended the ban on sports gatherings of more than 1,000 people.  

As coronavirus cases in Switzerland began to rise in August, the Swiss government decided to extend the ban on large sporting events until October 1. 

Organisers said that with 1,200 riders expected to take part across 11 events, and with the number of fans who would attend, it would be impossible to hold the event safely within the guidelines set out by health authorities.

The Worlds were due to kick off on Sunday, September 20 with the elite men’s time trial, which would have clashed with the final day of the Tour de France in Paris. 

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 Earlier this year loose plans emerged to hold the World Championships in the Middle East if they could not be held in Switzerland, but these were later abandoned.  

The UCI said it will work to find an alternative location in Europe on the same dates, with a route as challenging as the Swiss courses.