The French Cycling Federation (FFC) announced Saturday its bid for the 2020 UCI Road World Championships in collaboration with the Haute-Saône prefecture.

The UCI announced earlier this month that the road race world championships in Aigle Martigny, Switzerland, had been canceled due to government COVID-19 regulations, but said it hoped to find a new location in Europe, at least for some races

The event was cancelled due to government COVID-19 restrictions.

The event was scheduled to run from September 20-27.

"The FFC and the Haute-Saône department are announcing a reconstruction project to host the 2020 World Cycling Road Race Championships," the French federation announced on its social media channels.

In its search for a new venue, the UCI said it would respect the design of the mountain route, which was to be held in Switzerland.

The world-class men's peloton will compete in the Haute-Saône region in the 2020 Tour de France, contesting a time trial on stage 20 from Lille to La Planche des Belle Filles on September 19. The region, known for its ski resorts, has hosted the Tour de France five times in the past decade.

According to a report in L'Est Republican (opens in new tab), the infrastructure used to host the Tour de France could also be used to host the World Championships. The magazine also reports that Luxeuil is being considered as a starting point and that the circuit would include a climb up the Col des Chevrails.

The Haute-Saône region is not the only region bidding for the world championships; the Tuscan region of Bardella announced last week that it had also bid to host the eight-day event.

Unione Sicristica Pecciolese, organizer of the Giro della Toscana and Coppa Sabatini, met with the UCI and confirmed their willingness to negotiate the terms of an eight-day event and discuss the details of the route.

The UCI confirmed that it will decide on a new venue for the 2020 Road World Championships by September 1 The UCI announced that it will decide on a new venue for the 2020 Road World Championships by September 1.