Bridge collapse in Yorkshire may reroute the Road World Championships

A bridge collapse near Yorkshire will probably result in changing the route for the UCI Road World Championships 2019.

The UCI Road World Championship is a bicyclist racing event that is organized annually. In 2019, the event will take place in U.K.'s Yorkshire from September 21-29. The men's challenge consists of a 285-kilometer route that begins in Leeds and passes through Cray Summit, Buttertubs Summit, Grinton Moor Summit and then returns to a technical circuit in Harrogate.

However, extreme rainfalls in the region have caused severe infrastructure damage including road closures and the collapse of the Grinton Moor bridge that used to be part of the road's route. The organizers of the event are considering changing the route of the championship as it is highly doubtful whether the bridge can be repaired until the beginning of the race.

The intense precipitation has caused additional problems, including floods, in Yorkshire. "At the current time, our thoughts are with those affected by the flooding. We will address any damage to race routes with North Yorkshire county council in due course," Andy Hindley, Yorkshire 2019 chief executive, stated.

The 150-kilometer women's route does not pass through Grinton and, therefore, it will not be affected by the bridge collapse.

In 2014, Grinton Moor bridge received focus as it became part of the prominent Tour de France route.