North West 200 international road races cancelled for 2020

The 2020 North West 200 international road race has been cancelled.

The event - set to take place from 12-16 May - was postponed on 17 March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Organisers said the "disruption and uncertainty" around the virus made it "impossible" for the race to go ahead.

Next year's North West 200 has been scheduled for 9-15 May and will be "even bigger and better", said the organising Coleraine and District Motor Club.

A statement read: "Since March the organisers of the North West 200 have been in consultation with all of the relevant agencies to explore the possibility of running the meeting at a later date during 2020.

"We have corresponded with officials from the Northern Ireland Executive, as well as Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, plus all of the NW200's stakeholders, considering every option available to us should there be a suitable window of opportunity.

The North West 200 is one of Northern Ireland's largest sporting events

"Despite these efforts, it is now obvious the disruption and uncertainty the virus will continue to place on all of our lives and activities in the coming months will make it impossible to deliver the extensive planning required to run an event on the scale of the North West 200."

The 2020 road racing calendar has been decimated, with the Isle of Man TT, Ulster Grand Prix, Classic TT and Manx Grand Prix, Armoy road races and all scheduled national races in the Republic of Ireland being cancelled.

The Cookstown 100 and Tandragee 100 races have been postponed, with both clubs assessing the possibility of holding their races in the autumn.

The Cookstown club has identified 11-12 September as a possible date for their meeting.