photo by: John Young/Journal-World File Photo

In this file photo from June 28, 2015, cyclists competing in the men's pro race speed around a corner during the Tour of Lawrence downtown criterium.

The 2020 Tour of Lawrence bike racing event has been called off because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A post on the event’s Facebook page earlier this week said organizers had concluded, “with deep sadness,” that they could not “safely and successfully hold the Tour of Lawrence this year.” The post said the Tour of Lawrence would not be rescheduled and would return in 2021.

“We have elected to support the great races that already host events on dates in late July through early September,” the post read.

The 2020 race was originally slated for July 3-5. While most of the action throughout the years has been focused on downtown Lawrence, the race’s plan to return to the University of Kansas campus for the first time since 2014 was set to include more than 450 feet of climbing per lap during the 5-mile campus circuit.