The UCI has decided to shorten the competition time for the under-23 men's road race at the Yorkshire World Championships due to safety concerns and the need for natural light for television coverage.

Friday's road race was originally scheduled to finish just after 7 p.m. local time, but the UCI has moved the scheduled finish time by 30 minutes. The race started 10 minutes earlier in Doncaster and one of the Harrogate finish circuits was removed. The race distance will now be 173 km, with only two laps of the 14 km Harrogate circuit.

The initial late finish was due to the long duration of the race. The women's junior road race will be held in the morning and the under-23 road race in the afternoon. Race officials and vehicles will have at least an hour to return to Doncaster after the junior women's race to coordinate the under 23 men's race.

The inclement weather that hit the under 23 men's and elite women's time trials led to flooding and several crashes, highlighting the need for optimal race conditions, as visibility during inclement weather is critical for rider safety. Sunset is just before 7 p.m. on Friday, but low clouds and rain have reduced the amount of light well before that time.

"As a result of the adverse weather forecast and the expected poor visibility, the UCI, in consultation with the Yorkshire 2019 Organising Committee for the 2019 UCI Road World Championships, has decided to change the distance and start time of the under 23 road race," the race organisers announced.

"This action was guided by a concern for athlete safety while maintaining the sporting interest of the event."

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"In addition to the safety of the athletes, this decision was made to ensure sufficient light conditions for the host broadcaster to deliver a high-quality production until the end of the race, using the full range of planned production equipment, including camera helicopters.

The statement concludes: "The UCI and Yorkshire 2019 will continue to closely evaluate the weather forecast and race conditions and make the appropriate decisions."

The UCI has also announced that the UCI will be taking the decision on the race.

The under-23 road race is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. local time and finish at 6:35 p.m. local time based on a 40 km/h schedule.

Cycling News will provide complete live coverage of the under-23 road race on Friday.