Due to changes in the UCI calendar for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the Hammer Limburg will not take place in 2020. Instead, the Hammer Youth will take place in June, and the professional event will return to the calendar in 2021.

The Hammer Series is a team-based race organized by the Véron business group, which represents the commercial interests of the 11 WorldTour teams.

The first Hammer event was held in Limburg in 2017, and the series expanded the following year with events in Stavanger, Limburg, and Hong Kong. Last month's Hammer Hong Kong event was cancelled due to the instability caused by the ongoing protests for democracy.

In 2020, the already busy June calendar will be tighter than usual due to the Tokyo Olympics, which will be held from July 24 to August 9. The Tour de France will start earlier than usual on June 27, so the Grande Palais will be held just four weeks after the Giro d'Italia closes on May 31.

The Criterium du Dauphiné, which usually starts a week after the Giro ends, will start on May 31, and the Tour de Suisse will start a week earlier on June 7; the ZLM Tour will run from June 3-7.

For the past three years, the Hammer Limburg has been held the weekend immediately following the Giro. In 2020, however, the WorldTour teams will send teams to both the Criterium du Dauphiné and the Tour de Suisse, making it unsuitable for the Hammer series.

"Several options were evaluated to find a new date that was feasible for all parties, but unfortunately we were unable to secure a suitable alternative for 2020," Veron said in a statement released on Friday.

Hammer Limburg is held in Sittard-Geleen, and alderman Jos Besems confirmed that the municipality will host the Hammer Youth in 2020 before welcoming the elite women's and men's event at the Tom Dumoulin Bike Park in 2021.

"While we are disappointed not to see the best teams battle it out at Hammer Limburg 2020, we are excited to continue our investment in Hammer Youth in 2020 and are already looking forward to the return of professional racing for men and women in 2021," Veron's Graham CEO Bartlett said.