Dillon Corkery as a junior on Flanders roads in 2017 (Some photos in this report courtesy of Martine Verfaillie as indicated)

Good news for all Belgian organizers of cycling races: from 1 July, competitions in all sports can be organized in our country. Furthermore, after July 1 there is no longer a limit for the number of participants. The national cycling federation wants to publish a new calendar at the end of next week. The National Security Council met a few days ago to discuss a relaxation of corona measures. These new measures initially seemed good news for (youth) cycling, given the scope to organize cycling races with a maximum of fifty participants from 1 July. The measures now appear to have been relaxed even further, so that from 1 July organizers no longer have to take into account a maximum capacity of fifty participants. The cycling federation wants to receive official permission tomorrow from the GEES experts and the competent ministers to organize races from 1 July.

Brandon Douglas as graduate of the project a couple of years ago living the dream

The Flanders cycling federation also wants to organize cycling races on public roads in a month but will need the approval of the mayors. The first conversations went positively. Normally organizers have to wait fourteen weeks for a green light, but several mayors are now willing to process such requests faster. Frank Glorieux, as CEO of Cycling Flanders, is happy with the latest developments but realizes that there is still a lot of work to be done. “Monday, June 8 is a very important day. Then we hope to get the signature of Minister of Sports Ben Weyts to organize small races in June and large races in July. ” Don’t worry: a plan is already ready, we have already heard from the cabinet on Saturday evening that we will be able to race with larger platoons from 1 July, because the limit of fifty participants will be lifted in competitions, ”says Glorieux in conversation with Sporza. “That is the first step towards real racing.” It promises to be busy weeks for Glorieux and his colleagues. Everything was canceled until July 31, so it is now all hands on deck to draw up an emergency program. But don’t worry: a lot is already ready. We have worked hard in recent weeks to have a program ready. We will finalize it in the coming days. Hopefully, we can publish the calendar for July then Friday

Youri Bultynck (CEO & owner of Legend Sport Agency and Errea Point SouthWest ) one of the instigators behind the efforts to get racing in the Flanders back on the road asap.

Will Irish racers able to travel to Belgium this summer, and be allowed from organisers to start is the questions for now, as it will depend on the restriction to travel abroad here, and the permission to compete in Belgium from my homeland…we have to wait for that, but it is a great step in going back to normal as such…I got the news yesterday from Youri and included was this message of him which I very much appreciate, he refers to the report I made a few weeks ago, highlighting his cause and situation of the organisers of cycle events >> There will be racing in Belgium this summer!! Pressure on the boiler, also thanks to your contribution, thanks Dany<<