After several days of speculation, organizers of the "Volta a Catalunya" have opted to suspend the race due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Scheduled for March 23-29, Catalunya will be the fourth UCI Men's World Tour event, following Strade Bianche, Tirreno-Adriatico, and Milan-San Remo.

As of noon on Wednesday, race organizers remained adamant that the Volta a Catalunya, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, would be held and, like Paris-Nice, would take steps to distance itself from the public at the start and finish.

However, as Spain and its regional governments took increasingly stringent measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus, including canceling most sporting events and insisting that they be held behind closed doors, the Volta a Catalunya had to be canceled The event was cancelled.

"The race will be suspended until a later date," a press release from Volta a Catalunya said Wednesday afternoon. We request the UCI for a new date later this year or in 2021, as this race has been held without fail every year since the end of the Spanish Civil War in 1939."

"We have worked until the last moment to organize these special editions, but now precautionary measures and the health of the athletes, team staff, and the general public must take priority. The Volta is back and will be held in the best conditions possible," race organizer Ruben Peris said in the same release

." We never forget that we are hosting this great spectacle for the public to enjoy"

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This year's Volta was to feature top racers such as Chris Froome (Team Ineos), defending champion Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana), former winner Nairo Quintana (Alcare Sumsic), and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar). A full lineup of top racers was scheduled. Tom Dumoulin (Jumbo-Visma) was also scheduled to return to the competition after missing nine months due to illness and injury.

As of now, the next WorldTour race to be held in Spain is the Tour of the Basque Country on April 6-11. However, it remains to be seen if the race will actually take place.