A major Lochaber mountain bike tournament has been pulled from this year’s events calendar in light of coronavirus.
Organisers of the Fort William UCI Mountain Bike Word Cup competition said hopes of running the event at the Nevis Range this year had been dashed, given government advice on travel and social distancing.
Event governing body Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and fellow partners had investigated possible re-scheduling options but these proved unsuccessful.
The event was due to take place on June 6 and 7.
A UCI spokesman said they were looking forward to bringing the event back “even bigger” in the future.
He said: “We are sorry to have to make this decision but we are sure you can understand the reason why.”
This year’s event would have been the 19th consecutive competition and advance ticket sales suggested another amazing weekend of mountain bike action was in store, amidst some of the region’s finest scenery and on some rugged and testing trails.
The spokesman added: “Thanks to all fans, riders, teams, event crew, contractors, sponsors and partners for their support.
“We’re looking forward to an even bigger UCI World Cup weekend in the future.”
Those who purchased advance tickets can either secure a full refund or have them re-allocated to a future event.