The world cycling championships, due to take place from Sept. 20-27 in Aigle-Martigny in Switzerland, have been canceled because of restrictions to prevent the spread of coronavirus.

Swiss federal authorities Wednesday banned gatherings of more than one thousand people until Sept. 30.

"Because of this, it is impossible to organize the world championships," the organizers said.

"We are, of course, disappointed," Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) President David Lappartient said.

"This naturally leads the UCI to think about an alternative solution. From today, I will, therefore, work to guarantee the staging of the world championships in their entirety or in part, if possible on a circuit just as steep."

The coronavirus pandemic has severely disrupted the cycling season with the Tour de France moved from its normal mid-summer slot to an Aug. 29 start.

"The jersey of the world champion is the holy grail for the entire peloton", added Lappartient.

He said that a final decision on holding the championships in 2020 would be taken no later than Sept. 1.

However, the international federation is engaged in a race against the clock with less than six weeks before a scheduled Sept. 20 start.

"The UCI is working on several sites – the Netherlands, Italy, Austria and France, but it is working more on Austria," a source close to the organization told Agence France-Presse (AFP).