Organizers cancel 2020 Pan-American cyclocross championships in Arkansas
Organizers have canceled the 2020 Pan-American cyclocross championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas, vowing to return with the FayetteCross UCI race in 2021.
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Organizers of the 2020 Pan-American cyclocross championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas have canceled the event due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.
The race was slated to provide riders a sneak peak at the venue that will host the 2022 UCI world championships.
The news was released Tuesday afternoon.
“We made the decision to cancel in the interest of the health of athletes, spectators and the entire community of Northwest Arkansas,” said race director Brook Watts in a statement. “The good news is we have made a commitment to stage FayetteCross on Oct. 2-3 in 2021. People will be able to have a sneak peek at the 2022 World Championships course in Centennial Park.”
The Pan-American race is the latest high-profile cyclocross race in North America to cancel its 2020 edition due to the pandemic. Earlier this month it was revealed that the 2020 UCI World Cup opener, held at the Trek Bicycles headquarters in Waterloo, Wisconsin, was also off for 2020.
According to the release, the Pan-American Cycling Confederation has opted not to reschedule the event, and will instead cancel it outright for 2020. That means defending champions Kerry Werner (Kona) and Maghalie Rochette (Specialized-Feedback Sports) will hold their respective titles for an additional year.
The host venue for the 2021 Pan-Am Championships has not been released. Organizers in Arkansas said they will return in 2021 with the FayetteCross race, and said they intend to attain UCI designation for the race. That event will be held October 2-3, 2021.