The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) takes note of the Swiss Federal Council’s decision – linked to the current Covid-19 pandemic – to maintain, until 30 September 2020, the ban on events uniting more than 1000 people.
Given this decision, the organising committee of the Aigle-Martigny 2020 UCI Road World Championships and the political authorities of the cantons concerned have sadly estimated that the conditions could no longer be met to host the event scheduled to take pace in Aigle (Vaud) and Martigny (Valais).
The UCI therefore acknowledges that the 2020 UCI Road World Championships will not take place in Aigle-Martigny. It would like to sincerely thank the organisers, cities and cantons as well as the Swiss Confederation, partners and volunteers for their work over the last months during this extremely difficult international health crisis that we are all going through.
Our Federation, which was greatly looking forward to welcoming the world’s best riders to “its” home, close to its headquarters and its training centre in Aigle, shares the disappointment of the athletes, national teams, organisers and everyone implicated in this exceptional project.
Given the sporting importance of the UCI Road World Championships for cycling, the UCI would like to clarify that it will work towards finding an alternative project to ensure the 2020 edition of the event can take place, with the priority being in Europe and at the dates initially scheduled. It could include all or some of the planned races. The UCI will look for a host city that would be able to provide a route as challenging as that in Aigle-Martigny and which would therefore suit the same type of riders who had initially planned to participate in Switzerland.
Conscious that time is of the essence for the athletes, the National Federations and all implicated parties, the UCI will communicate more information as soon as possible and will take a final decision by 1st September at the latest.
Likewise, the UCI informed all its National Federations that the Ordinary Congress of this 2020 that would be held during the course of the World Road Championship itself has been canceled and it will be held on November 5 through Videoconference
Source: UCI Press