It remains to be seen whether the 2020 UCI Road World Championships in Switzerland in September will go ahead as planned, but optimism was boosted Wednesday when the Swiss government significantly eased its blockade.

Wednesday's update by the Swiss Federal Council was reported by French and Belgian newspapers as having implications for the 2020 World Championships.

However, despite measures to allow gatherings of up to 300 people by early June, events of more than 1,000 people remain banned until the end of August at the earliest.

Large sporting events will have to wait until June 24, when the Federal Council will review the 1,000-person limit. Therefore, the 2020 World Championships will remain in limbo for another month.

But even if permission is not granted, the easing of the lockdown, which one newspaper described as "earlier than expected," will give organizers hope. The health status classification, currently "abnormal," is scheduled to be lowered on June 19, giving reason to believe that the ban on large gatherings may not be extended until September.

While L'Equipe reported on Tuesday that the World Championships in Aigle and Martigny are almost certain to go ahead as planned, Het Nieuwsblad and AS recently reported that it is almost game over for the Swiss organizers and that the UCI will move to the Middle East in November The UCI will try to save the World Championships by moving it to the Middle East in November.

The Aigle Martigny 2020 organizing committee (separate from the UCI) denied these reports and insisted that it was business as usual.

"We are still in the process of organizing the World Championships, as if it would take place in September as usual," a spokesperson told Cycling News.

"Of course, it depends on his health and the decision of the Federal Council. But until we are told that it is not possible to hold the competition, we are preparing as usual."