Governing body will monitor situation
Although there are ongoing concerns about the situation in Japan, in particular the crippled nuclear reactor in Fukushima, the UCI has said that the 2011 UCI Indoor Cycling World Championships will continue as planned.
The championships were awarded to Kagoshima, and will run from November 4th to 6th of this year. It is located in the south of the country.
The UCI has said that at this point in time, the situation is safe and that there is no reason to move the location. “This decision was taken after a thorough evaluation of the situation, in close cooperation with the Japanese authorities,” it said in a statement.
“Mr Hiroyuki Mori, Mayor of Kagoshima and President of the Organising Committee, gave assurances that the current events have had no negative impact on the region which, as a result, is ready to host the World Championships in November.”
It also noted that Kagoshima is 1,150 kilometres South-west of Fukushima.
The nuclear power plant has been leaking radiation as a result of the huge earthquake and resulting tsunami which hit the country in March. A large exclusion zone has been set up, and workers are battling to bring it under control. The severity of the incident was upgraded to seven on a scale of one to seven yesterday, bringing it level with Chernobyl.
The UCI has said that it will continue to monitor the situation, making it possible that the venue will be changed if things don’t settle down.
For now, though, its decision will be interpreted as a gesture of solidarity for those in the Kagoshima region, and Japan in general.