The 2020 Grand Prix Cyclistes de Québec & Montréal has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement Thursday, the race organization said it would have been "impossible" to guarantee the safe and reliable operation of the event amid the coronavirus pandemic.

GP Quebec and GP Montreal were scheduled to take place on September 11 and 13, respectively. These events clashed with the Tour de France (August 29-September 20), which was rescheduled in the revised UCI calendar.

The GPCQM announced last week that it would make a final decision by the end of July, but it has long been clear that a World Tour race in Canada is unlikely to be held in 2020. Large gatherings are banned in Quebec until at least August 31, and a 14-day quarantine is mandatory for anyone entering Canada until that date.

"Over the past few months, we have worked tirelessly to organize the race, strictly adhering to health requirements, working hard to deal with different scenarios, and staying in constant contact with the relevant authorities," said Serge Arseneau, president of the organizing committee.

"Today, there are still too many unresolved issues, such as border opening, mandatory quarantine, and permission to hold the rally. To postpone this decision any longer would be neither responsible nor respectful to all the parties who have placed their trust in us since 2010.

The GP de Québec and GP de Montréal have been a fixture on the World Tour calendar since their first editions in 2010 and have quickly established themselves as popular venues on the road to the World Championships.

Michael Matthews and Greg Van Avermaet won the 2019 event, respectively, and previous Canadian winners include Peter Sagan, Philippe Gilbert, and Rigobert Uran. Although the direct competition with the Tour de France had compromised the depth of the field, Arsenault was mindful of the complications caused by the coronavirus pandemic, but was hopeful that the September competitions in Quebec and Montreal would go on as planned.

"All the efforts we made to uphold our quality standards and ensure everyone's safety were ultimately in vain," Arsenault said on Thursday, after 10 short years of being the key event on the international circuit that the world's best cyclists have been looking forward to! It is obviously deeply saddened that we have to "pause" our race. But our first obligation is to the riders, the teams, the fans and our partners."

Arsenault confirmed that the Canadian World Tour event will return in 2021. He said, "Cycling fans, we say: see you next year, on September 10 and 12, 2021."

UCI President David Lapartient expressed regret over the cancellation of the Canadian race. Catalunya Volta, Tour of the Basque Country, Tour de Romandie, Clasica San Sebastián, E3 Binkbank Classic, RideLondon-Salée Classic, Eschborn-Frankfurt, Dwars door Fraunderen, and the Euro Eyes Classic. This will be the latest World Tour event to be cancelled in 2020, following the The Tour of Guangxi is also likely to be cancelled due to restrictions on international sporting events in China.

"We understand why the organizers of the Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec & Montréal made the difficult decision to cancel these two races for 2020. We all look forward to their return in 2021." We applaud both Quebec and Montreal for their invaluable support for cycling and thank the organizers for their commitment to the sport.