It costs the UCI expensive, to a variety of races and events have been cancelled in recent weeks.

The International Cykelunion (UCI) is undergoing its most serious crisis since the Second world War.

How does this sound from the president David Lappartient as the explanation of the fact that the union now operates an extensive austerity programme.

– the Postponement of the olympic and paralympic games in Tokyo, a large number of postponements and cancellations of events on the UCI’s international calendar, and the uncertainty in relation to the second part of the season has a big impact, says Lappartient on the UCI’s website.

More than 650 races and other events have either been cancelled or deferred, which is equivalent to 30 percent of the UCI’s annual programme.

Thus goes the union missing out on huge revenue and has among other things had to repay the so-called registreringsbidrag, as the canceled race has paid for being a part of the UCI’s calendar.

Cykelunionen has therefore decided to send all 130 employees home on the wage subsidy scheme. At the same time, the management down in salary, development projects need to be reconsidered, just as there is cut in the grant to the national federation.

so far in the sport put on pause until 1. June. All of the spring cycling classics and the Giro d’italia is either cancelled or postponed.

It remains to be seen whether cykelårets traditional highlight, the Tour de France, are settled. After the plan to Tour start 27. June.

/ritzau/