World Rallycross News: French round cancelled for 2020

Loheac has featured as the planned second round of World RX's revised 2020 calendar, on 4-6 September, but Loheac boss Patrick Germain admitted earlier this month that the event was in doubt.

The French round has now been cancelled due to mass gathering measures that will currently be in place in France until days before the event was due to take place, and the difficultly in maintaining social distancing before and during the race weekend.

"Due to restrictions imposed by the French government prohibiting mass gatherings until August 31 due to continuing health concerns regarding COVID-19, the Bretagne World Rallycross of France at Loheac, which is scheduled to take place on 4-6 September, is cancelled," said the event in a statement.

The Loheac event annually hosts the largest on-site attendance of any World RX round, with the circuit's paddock adjacent to a small public road, while on during the race weekend the village and its surrounding campsites are taken over by rallycross teams and fans.

"This decision was taken after careful consideration and consultation with the FIA, the promoter of the championship (IMG), the French ASN (FFSA) and the Loheac Rallycross Sports Association," the statement continued.

"The health and safety of all those involved remained the priority, a number of options have been explored in the hope of keeping the event going, but unfortunately it is not logistically possible to apply the social distancing measures required on this site, and no other date is available is available. We will come back even stronger in 2021."

Loheac is one of only two rounds to have maintained the same date in the World RX schedule since the creation of the World Rallycross Championship in 2014. The event returned to the international rallycross roster in 2013 having not been part of the European Championship since the opening round of the 2001 season.

Details are yet to be released by the championship as to how the cancellation effects the proposed revised 2020 calendar, which is planned to start at Holjes in Sweden on 20-23 August.

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