With four UCI Gran Fondo World Series (UCI GFWS) races withdrawing from the 2021 calendar and many of the remaining events petitioning the UCI for new dates in late summer right before the World Championships, the UCI is now considering moving the World Championships or possibly cancelling the event for a second consecutive year.
They released the following press statement,
“2020 has been a difficult year with the Covid-19 pandamic and also the first months of 2021 remain challenging. Lots of events have asked to move date to later in the season. We are actually receiving all these requests which will be submitted for approval to the UCI management board so we can communicate on the different postponements soon,”
“In this respect, it might be that also the 2021 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships will move date, although nothing has been decided yet.”
The World Championships are scheduled to take place in Banja Luka, Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-5 September. A dry-run test event (Gran Fondo Banja Luka) is currently scheduled 9 May, but the organizer has asked the UCI to approve a new future date.
Additional UCI GFWS events applying for new dates are Tour de Bintan, Granfondo Antalya, Gran Fondo Rio de Janiero, Granfondo Coimbra, Schleck Granfondo, Niseko Classic, Classique d’Appalaches.
The upcoming Gran Fondo Vosges event in France scheduled 16 May is also likely to apply for a new date or be cancelled due to the worsening pandemic situation in France.
Amateur cyclists must finish in the top 20% at a UCI GFWS event to qualify and earn a starting position at the Gran Fondo World Championships.
GRAN FONDO DAILY NEWS 