Coronavirus NI: Cookstown 100 called off - North West 200 launch postponed - Organisers due to meet public health officials on Monday as season hangs in balance

The Co Tyrone event was due to be the first Irish road race of the season from April 24-25.

A statement issued on behalf of the organising club’s chairman, John Dillon, said it was hoped to reschedule the race from September 11-12.

It read: “We have made this decision on a precautionary basis due to the situation which faces us all with the current coronavirus outbreak.

“We feel that with the outbreak predicted to get worse in the forthcoming weeks, it is in the best interests of riders, spectators and general public within the area to take this approach and act with due care and attention for anyone who may have been attending the event.

“On behalf of the Cookstown club I apologise for any inconvenience caused by this decision and hope that anyone effected by this understands the difficult position which the club has found itself in.”

As the COVID-19 outbreak continues to have an unprecedented impact on the sporting calendar, the organisers of the North West 200 have confirmed that this week’s official launch of the event has been postponed.

The ‘Meet the Riders’ evening had been scheduled to take place at the Lodge Hotel in Coleraine on Wednesday, March 18.

A statement said there are no plans to cancel the international road race but revealed that Event Director Mervyn Whyte and his organisational team are due to meet with the Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland, Dr Michael McBride, and public health representatives on Monday to ‘seek further advice and information’.

Friday’s statement from the NW200 organisers said: “In the light of the current public concern around Coronavirus, the organisers of the 2020 fonaCAB and Nicholl Oils North West 200 have decided to postpone the Meet the Stars of the North West 200 event scheduled for March 18 in the Lodge Hotel, Coleraine.

“The organisers will attend a special briefing with public health officials, including the Chief Medical Officer of Northern Ireland, on Monday, March 16, to seek further advice and information as we continue to plan for North West 200 Race Week on May 10-16. There are no plans to cancel Race Week at this time.

“Hopefully following Monday’s meeting further information will be issued re rescheduling of the Meet the Stars event during the coming weeks.”

Riders who had been confirmed to attend the NW200 launch included Glenn Irwin, Davey Todd, John McGuinness, Alastair Seeley, Adam McLean, Dean Harrison, Paul Jordan, Brian McCormack and high profile newcomer James Ellison.

In the Republic of Ireland, all GAA, football and rugby matches have been cancelled until March 29 at least, while horse racing meetings will go ahead behind closed doors during the same period. The first southern road race is scheduled to be the Kells meeting from June 20-21.

Meanwhile, it is understood the organisers of the Isle of Man TT have garnered the opinions of race teams over the possibility of running the event later this year in August, potentially in place of the Classic TT and Manx Grand Prix. However, the official stance at present is that the TT will go ahead as planned in June.

The launch of the 2020 TT Races is set to take place on Friday, March 27.