The organizers of the men's one-day race "Gooikse Pijl" have announced that a women's version of the race, called "GP Oetingen," will be held in March 2021.

The postponement of the Ronde van Drenthe women's World Tour Stage Race has opened a slot on the March race calendar for a new Belgian one-day race.

"With GP Oetingen, we are building up the Gooikse Pijl for elite women," Danny Sketch, chairman of the Gooik Sportief group, which organizes the Gooikse Pijl, told Sporza on Monday.

"The two races are on different dates but complement each other perfectly," he said, with the new GP Oettingen set for March 14 and the men's race on September 19.

"We hope to set the bar high for the women's race soon and attract some great participants to Oettingen," Sketch continued.

"With the Ronde van Drenthe cancelled (and possibly postponed), the World Tour races could take over the schedule.

The new race will take place on the same 12-km circuit as the men's race, a circuit around the town of Ettingen, 20 km west of Brussels in South Flanders, central Belgium, which the women will complete 10 times.

This year, Danny van Poppel of Circus Wanty Gobert won the men's Guiccse Pile ahead of Gerben Theisen (Lot Soudal) and Arvid de Klein (Liwaard Redines).