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The COVID-19 keeps taking its toll.

The biggest travesty of course is the tragic death toll in the U.S. and worldwide followed by the associated economic downturn, but our favorite bike racing discipline hasn’t been spared.

At the UCI Cyclocross World Cup scheduled in Overijse, Belgium, the U23 and Junior races for both the men and women have been canceled.

🚨 Cancellation of the Junior & U23 events in Overijse 🇧🇪Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the youth races in Round Five of the 2020/21 UCI Cyclo-cross World Cup in Overijse have been cancelled.

Posted by UCI on Wednesday, January 13, 2021

At the following weekend’s 2021 UCI Cyclocross World Championships in Ostend, the UCI plans to hold both the Elite races and the U23 races for men and women, but have just announced the cancelation of the Junior Women and Junior Men’s races.

The UCI offered a brief statement on the change:

The competent authorities of Belgium have confirmed that both the Elite and Under 23 races for men and women at the 2021 UCI Cyclo-cross World Championships can go ahead as scheduled on 30 and 31 January in Ostend (Flanders, Belgium). However, due to the current pandemic (Covid-19) linked to the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), the Men Junior and Women Junior races will be cancelled.

The small six-member USA Team is unaffected, but undoubtedly there are many Juniors with shattered dreams, thanks to the endurance and threat of the COVID-19 virus.