Ronde van Drenthe Women's WorldTour and 1.1 men’s races, renamed Bevrijdingsronde van Drenthe this year, along with Drentse Acht van Westerveld have been cancelled due to government restrictions concerning health and safety precautions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
The races were optimistic earlier in the week that they could go ahead if there were no dramatic changes, but that is no longer a possibility.
In a Thursday afternoon press conference, Dutch health minister Bruno Bruins announced that all events in the Netherlands with more than 100 people attending are cancelled with immediate effect.
"Sadly, this means that our races will not go ahead,” race secretary Huub van Issum confirmed to Cyclingnews. "We hope to be back next year."
The Drentse Acht van Westerveld (1.2) was supposed to be raced Friday, March 13, followed by the men’s Ronde van Drenthe on Saturday and finally the Women’s WorldTour race on Sunday.
The Dutch ban on public events with more than 100 attendees will run until at least March 31.
As Flemish authorities cancelled all sports events until the same date, the next races on the Women’s WorldTour, Driedaagse Brugge-De Panne and Gent-Wevelgem, face cancellation as well, leaving the spring season in the balance.
More to follow...
