Paris-Roubaix 2020 cancelled amid coronavirus surge in France

The news comes after the Lille Metropolitan area was placed on red alert over a rise in coronavirus cases on Thursday

There is nothing quite like the challenge of the Paris-Roubaix (ASO/Bruno Bade)

Paris-Roubaix will not take place in 2020 as a rise in coronavirus cases has forced its postponement for the second time.

The 118th running of the popular men's race and an inaugural women's edition of the 'Hell of the North' had been set for 25 October, rearranged from its original date of 12 April, but organisers announced on Friday the race would not return before 2021.

The news comes after the Lille Metropolitan area was placed on red alert over a rise in coronavirus cases on Thursday.

A statement from organisers said: "At the request of the Prefet du Nord, Prefet des Hauts de France and following the Health Minister Olivier Veran's announcement yesterday that placed the Lille Metropolitan area on maximum alert, the 118th edition of Paris-Roubaix (UCI WorldTour) and the 1st edition of Paris-Roubaix Femmes (UCI Women's WorldTour), originally scheduled to take place on October 25th, will not be organised...

"We will see you on the cobblestones on April 11 2021 to celebrate one of the greatest monuments in world cycling."

The announcement of a first ever women's edition of the famous race had been among the the highlights of the heavily revised season calendar when it was released by world governing body the UCI in May, with Britain's Lizzie Deignan among the riders to make the race a key target.

PA