Tour of Flanders cancelled over coronavirus concerns

Organisers of the Tour of Flanders made the long-anticipated decision to cancel their April 5 race, saying they will work with the UCI and representatives of the teams and riders to look at the potential for scheduling a new date later this year.

Flanders joins fellow spring Monuments Milan-San Remo, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Paris-Roubaix on the chopping block as pro cycling continues to react to the Covid-19 coronavirus.

"Tonight, the federal government has imposed a number of additional measures in the fight against the Covid-19 virus," Flanders Classics, organisers of the race, said in an update posted on their website. "In addition, the deadline for the measures has been extended to 5 April. This means that Flanders Classics is no longer in the possibility to organise the Tour of Flanders on the planned date."

Tomas Van Den Spiegel, CEO of Flanders Classics, said the new government restrictions make it impossible to have the race on April 5.

"There are, of course, more important issues than bike racing right now," Van Den Speigel said.  

"We hope that we will all succeed in creating a climate in which we can, in the short term, resume our normal daily lives.”