Lithuania offers to take over European cycling championships from Belarus

After Belarus was officially stripped of cycling’s European Championships following the regime’s forced landing in Minsk of a Ryanair passenger flight to detain a dissident blogger, Vilnius has offered to jump in as host.

“Lithuania is ready to host the 2021 Elite Track European Championships,” Lithuania’s Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė told EURACTIV in a statement after the European Cycling Union pulled the event from Minsk.

“We have everything that athletes and the European Cycling Union needs: infrastructure, experience of hosting European championships and friendly fans – this is our pledge to the union and the athletes of 50 cycling federations,” she added.

The European Cycling Union replied saying “Dear Prime Minister we would be delighted to develop your proposition.”

Earlier this week, Germany, Lithuania and the UK announced they would pull out of the championship, if held in Belarus.

Earlier in January, another major sports event, the men’s world ice hockey championship, were withdrawn from Belarus in the wake of Lukashenko’s massive crackdown on mass protests in the country. (Alexandra Brzozowski, EURACTIV.com)