Published December 19, 2020 05:53PM
Tour Colombia 2.1 canceled for 2021
This announcement comes on the heels of similar cancelations of large events in the southern hemisphere for the coming season.
LA UNIÓN, COLOMBIA - FEBRUARY 16: Arrival / Julian Alaphilippe of France and Deceuninck-Quickstep Team / Celebration / during the 2nd Tour of Colombia 2019, Stage 5 a 177,2km stage from La Unión to La Unión / @TourColombiaUCI / Tour Colombia 2.1 / on February 16, 2019 in La Unión, Colombia. (Photo: Maximiliano Blanco/Getty Images)
The Colombian Cycling Federation announced Saturday that the Tour Colombia 2.1 will not take place in 2021.
The Federation cites a high number of COVID-19 cases worldwide, and difficulty ensuring health and safety protocols for caravans, teams, riders, spectators, media, and all involved in the event.
In a statement issued by the UCI, the Tour Colombia 2.1 hosts said, “Given the outbreak of contamination from the COVID-19 pandemic in recent months in the world, particularly in Europe — home to most of the pro-continental and continental teams — we cannot guarantee [the health] assistance or expected protection from the contagion.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced cycling and other large sporting events to rethink the hosting and staging of mass-participation sporting events for spectators and participants alike, due to the challenges presented by the pandemic.
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This announcement comes on the heels of similar cancelations of large events in the southern hemisphere — The Santos Tour Down Under, the Jayco Herald Sun Tour, and the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race — which have previously been canceled for similar concerns.
The Tour Colombia 2.1 has recently been an early-season highlight drawing top talent from WorldTour Teams. Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) won the 2018 edition, Miguel Ángel López (Astana Pro Team) took the win in 2019, and Sergio Higuita (EF Pro Cycling) was the 2020 champion.