The coronavirus pandemic has not ended up forcing race organizers to cancel or postpone events, and the Coxaide Cyclocross World Cup, scheduled for November 22, is the latest to fall victim to COVID-19.

According to Sporza (opens in new tab), organizers confirmed that after consulting with the Coxaide City Council, they chose not to host the event, which had been a cornerstone of the cyclocross calendar since the days of Roger de Flamingk, before the UCI organized the World Cup.

Since the first event in 1969, the race has twice been forced by organizers to cancel due to high winds, in 1977 and 2016.

Mathieu van der Poel and Ceylin del Carmen Alvarado, both from Corendon-Circus, won the 2019 elite race on a hilly, sandy course.

"We are still living in the era of the Corona," said Coxeide Mayor Marc Van den Bussche. 'It will be a race without spectators, and cyclo-cross without spectators is like a pub without beer. Cyclo-cross without spectators is like a pub without beer.

"In addition, the rules for the World Cup have become stricter this year. Everything has become more expensive, costing 250,000 euros. We have only budgeted 100,000 euros for this event and we don't want to take any chances with the community's money," said Vanden Busche, who usually makes up the shortfall with ticket sales.

The second race to be cancelled on the 2020-2021 UCI cyclocross calendar due to the pandemic comes after Digem cancelled the World Cup round, originally scheduled for December 27. The World Cup will start in Overijse on November 1, followed by Tabor in the Czech Republic on November 15 and Besançon in France on November 29; rounds in Dendermonde, Sonnhofen, and Namur are also scheduled for December.

This decision was a difficult one for the mayor, as he had to make the decision to postpone the event. But postponement does not mean cancellation. We hope to participate again next year."

Thomas Van Den Spiegel, CEO of the Flanders Classic, told Sporza earlier this month that he had concerns about the cyclocross season.

"Discussions are taking place today regarding the start and prize money, but we cannot rule out the possibility that more organizers will pull out. If that happens, the cross will not be held at all. At the moment, there is not a single organizer who is not worried," said van den Spiegel.

Coxaide hosted the rescheduled Belgian time trial championships in August, but cyclocross differs from road events in that organizers rely heavily on venue admission fees and food and beer sales.

"Logistical costs cannot be underestimated. Therefore, organizers may prefer to skip it this year," van den Spiegel added.