The Hague, Mar 18 (AFP) Dutch organisers postponed the annual classic Amstel Gold Race Wednesday due to the coronavirus pandemic, following in the footsteps of other major cycle races in Europe.

The announcement which affects both the men and women's races scheduled for April 19 comes after the cancellations of the Paris-Roubaix race and the Tour of Flanders.

"It's a difficult decision and a real shame," race organiser Leo van Vliet said in a statement. "We have no other choice." The organisers said they hoped to reschedule a new date with the International Cycling Union (UCI) but doing it this year seemed uncertain.

First ridden in 1966, the Amstel Gold Race is the Netherlands' premier one-day cycling event featuring a track winding through the low hills of the country's southern Limburg province.

Organisers postponed the Paris-Roubaix race on Tuesday amid fears that the same might happen for the Tour de France due to the spread of the COVID-19 disease. AFP

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