NEXT year's Tour de Yorkshire has been postponed until 2022 due to coronavirus pandemic.

The sixth event had been due to take place between April 30 and May 3, 2020, but organisers Welcome to Yorkshire and the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) say "the developing situation with Covid-19 meant the event simply became untenable".

James Mason, Welcome to Yorkshire’s chief executive, said: “During these uncertain times Welcome to Yorkshire need to focus on the immediate needs of the industry without committing both financial and human resources towards any activity or event that we cannot be certain of.

"Cycling has become synonymous with Yorkshire and the Tour de Yorkshire has become a firm fixture on the world cycling calendar due to the reception the riders and teams receive in our county.

"Whilst it is very disappointing that we will be bereft of this wonderful race for another year the decision we have made is the right one and perhaps the only one we could make.

"The uncertainty in front of us meant it was impossible to plan or commit the resource that the race needs. This has been a mutual decision made by Welcome to Yorkshire and the ASO and we will all now look forward to putting all our energies into bringing the race back bigger and better than ever in 2022.”

Yann Le Moenner, the director general of ASO said: “We fully understand Welcome to Yorkshire's position and are totally associated with this joint decision."