NINE Bathurst cyclists will miss out on their chance to race for a world title this year with the 2020 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships now officially cancelled.
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On the back of their efforts at the Bathurst Cycling Classic in March - one of 27 world series qualifying events - Bruce Goddard, Mark Windsor, Dennis Martin, Tony Barlow, Richard Hobson, Ian Glen, Jodie Martin, Jarrod Bell, Stephen Dunstall had all earned the right to compete at the world age titles in the road race.
Windsor and Martin had also qualified for the time trial world championship in their respective age group, with both set to be contested at Vancouver and Whistler in September.
But with only six of the road race qualifiers staged and just three for the time trial before the coronavirus pandemic forced the shutdown of sporting events across the globe, the world championships were in doubt.
Organisers had "been working hard to consider all possible options and scenarios", but late last week were finally forced to cancel the event.
The call was made as the re-opening from COVID-19 plan released by the provincial government of British Columbia would not permit a 'mass gathering' event the size of the world titles in September.
"We are incredibly disappointed with this outcome, although we know it is the correct decision," they said in a statement.
The news of the cancellation was something Windsor had anticipated, saying "I am personally thinking there is little chance of these cycling worlds going ahead" just one day before the announcement.
Windsor admits he was even surprised that the Bathurst qualifiers went ahead on March 14-15.
"Bathurst, it was just amazing that round of the world series got put on, it was like the last major bike race in the world," he said.
"It was unbelievable that went ahead, the next day virtually everything stopped. There were like 2,000-odd people in that race, the Bathurst Cycling Classic, it just shows how fast it all happened.
"We had qualifying for the world title one day, the next day the whole world stops."
While the cancellation comes as a blow to the nine riders who had hoped to represent Australia, there was still a positive for Bathurst.
UCI Granfondo World Series manager Erwin Vervecken gave the Bathurst qualifier the thumbs up.
He attended the Bathurst Cycling Classic, which utilises the Mount Panorama circuit, for the first time this year.
"It's the first time I went here, it has been part of the world series since 2017 ... Australia is of course a far event for me," he said.
"This [road race course] is really great, it's challenging, it's hard at the beginning and then coming back, well the last part is a bit more down hill so it's the right way, it's well organised, so I'm happy.
"It allows the climbers to attack from the start and then the strong riders to try and hang on, maybe have a gap and come back in the down hill."
