Next weekend’s UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships are reportedly at risk of cancellation due to a surge in cases of COVID-19 in Belgium, where the event is due to take place in the port city of Ostend.
On Friday, the Belgian government announced that it was tightening up restrictions on travel abroad for Belgian citizens in a bid to contain the spread of new variants of the coronavirus.
From tomorrow, the country will also require visitors from the United Kingdom, South Africa and South America will have to quarantine for 10 days under the new measures.
They will also have to provide a negative test for COVID-19 on the first and seventh day of their quarantine.
Sporza reports that Mayor of Ostende Bart Tommelein told weekly TV show De Zevende Dag (The Seventh Day): “I am in consultation with the various organisers, Belgian Cycling, the UCI and Minister of Sport Ben Weyts.”
“We asked the virologists for advice and we are looking into whether the measures should be further tightened.
“No-one will be on the World Championships course without a negative corona test,” he added.
“If the World Championships go ahead, we have to strictly limit the number of people anyway.”
The Great Britain Cycling Team will be represented by 12 riders at the slimmed down championships, which this year lack the junior races.
Tom Pidcock, a past world champion in the discipline at junior and under-23 level, rides in the men’s elite category, where he finished second to Mathieu van der Poel 12 months ago, while the country is represented in the women’s elite race by Evie Richards, twice under-23 world champion.
We have asked British Cycling whether members of the team and support staff will be affected by the new restrictions in Belgium.
Sure, it is in fact possible to buy something decent. But I would guess that a lot of people on this site have already got bikes of a certain level...
Again hope I'm not coming across as picking a fight! I think two "citation needed" there though....
Also the same as NS here in the Netherlands. No full size bikes during peak hours, only folders (and they're supposed to meet a minimum dimension...
Not the same petitions as the ones you link to were delivered in December and March and claimed 170 signatories, the one in the BBC report claims...
The obvious reason why drivers don't do that is that there'll be cars in their way, whereas there's almost always space for a cyclist to squeeze...
Did you pay on a credit card? If you did you may be able to take advantage of s. 75 refund
I think it's reasonable to say that everyone on the UK roads has extensive experience with traffic doing circa 30mph.
Compromise - in favour of the status quo e.g. the vast numbers with cars - will no doubt occur....
Well the problem there is having motorists in the tall grass verges!...
You might also argue that that the group as a whole were in part responsible.