In a statement released Tuesday evening, the UCI, the governing body of cycling, said that the postponement of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games due to the coronavirus crisis was "in the interest of the health and sport of all involved and concerned, not just the athletes He stated that he was satisfied "for the sake of ...

The announcement of the postponement of the Games was made earlier in the day, presumably by International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Dick Pound, who told USA Today on Monday that the postponement was a possibility and that the Canadian and Australian Olympic committees would withdraw from the 2020 Summer Games slate The announcement may have been hastened by the decision to pull out. [Cycling, a historic sport in the Olympic Games and the third most medal-winning Olympic sport in five disciplines (road, track, mountain biking, BMX racing, and BMX freestyle), is a major player in the international calendar and Olympic and Paralympic qualification for cycling. Important decisions have been made in the same direction in recent weeks regarding procedures, in order to protect health and ensure equity in the sport. Our federations are in close contact with the IOC in order to align our eligibility procedures with their decisions regarding the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games."

At the same time, the UCI took the opportunity to state that it is working to re-set the calendar for 2020, when the Games will resume, with a particular focus on the Grand Tours (Giro d'Italia, Tour de France, Buenos Aires Tour de France, and Vuelta a España, and focusing on the five most prestigious one-day races known as the Monuments, including the already postponed Milan-San Remo, Tour de Flanders, and Paris-Roubaix.

"The UCI represents the cycling family (the Association of International Cycling Race Organizers (AIOCC), the Association of International Professional Cycling Teams (AIGCP), and the Professional Cyclist Association (CPA)) and the riders of our sport as athletes are at the center of our concerns The statement continued, "We are increasing our contact with the [Steps must be taken to ensure a strong resumption that allows a phased return to training and competition, while respecting the health of the athletes and the equity of the sport...The UCI, together with its partners, will move forward united in the interests of cycling...The UCI, together with its partners, will move forward united in the interests of cycling...The UCI, together with its partners, will move forward united in the interests of cycling. move forward in unison.