Spanish cycling race La Vuelta will not start in NL this year

By Janene Pieters on Wednesday, 29 April 2020 - 10:59
Left to right: Berda alderman Daan Quaars, Utrecht alderman Klaas Verschuure, Vuelta director Javier Guillen, former Vuela winner Joop Zoetemel, and Den Bosch alderman Huib van Olden after it was decided to start La Vuelta 2020 in the Netherlands
Left to right: Berda alderman Daan Quaars, Utrecht alderman Klaas Verschuure, Vuelta director Javier Guillen, former Vuela winner Joop Zoetemel, and Den Bosch alderman Huib van Olden after it was decided to start La Vuelta 2020 in the NetherlandsPhotogomez SportLa Vuelta Holanda

The La Vuelta will definitely not start in the Netherlands as planned this year, the organizers of the Spanish cycling race announced on Wednesday.

Three stages of the race were set to happen in the Netherlands in August, but the start of the race had to be moved to the autumn due to the coronavirus. That proved to be unfeasible due to te availability of accommodations along the route at the time, and the uncertainties still surrounding the situation around Covid-19, the organizers said.

"It is of course a great pity," spokesperson Annelieke Dijkstra of La Vuelta Holanda said to NL Times. According to her, they did everything they could to make hosting the stages in the autumn work."But we just couldn't manage it, which is a pity for everyone who worked very hard on this, we were all really looking forward to it. It is a disappointment, but public health comes first."

"We are now looking into starting in the Netherlands in 2022, but then you have to look at the dates, venues that are available, whether all the public and partners that we have agree. So we will now look at the possibilities on this area."

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