Axel Merckx, director of the Hagens Berman Axion development team, wants to host the UCI Road World Championships in the United States in 2025 or 2026, and Portland, Oregon has been mentioned as a possible venue.

The Road World Championships were last held in Richmond, Virginia in 2015. That year, Peter Sagan of Slovakia won the elite men's road race and Lizzie Armitstead (now Lizzie Deignan) of Great Britain won the elite women's road race.

The Canada-based Merckx, whose father is five-time Tour de France champion Eddy Merckx, told Het Nieuwsblad that although he is just getting started, he is strongly involved and passionate about the event in Portland.

"The plan looks good, but it's still in the early stages," Merckx said. 'The organizers haven't raised any money yet, and we're hoping for support from the local authorities.' [We hope to host the World Championship as early as 2025, but it could be 2026. There is still time." Due to the coronavirus crisis, it could be a little later."

Merckx, who won a stage victory in the 2000 Giro d'Italia and a bronze medal in the 2004 Olympic road race, explained his role: "The organizers want to make the course attractive. The organizers want to make the course attractive, but it should not become a battlefield. I think a world championship (road race) circuit should give all types of riders a chance to win the rainbow jersey."

With the COVID-19 epidemic still ongoing in Europe, the Middle East is being discussed as a possible alternative venue for the World Championships this season.

The World Championships will then be held in Bruges and Leuven, Belgium in 2021, Wollongong, Australia in 2022, Glasgow, Scotland in 2023, and Zurich, Switzerland again in 2024. 2025 will likely give preference to African countries but the United States will also be a strong candidate.