Image 1 of 2 ProTour director Alain Rumpf with UCI head Pat McQuaid. (Image credit: AFP) Image 2 of 2 Pat McQuad, Christian Prudhomme, Yan Shi and Alain Rumpf at the Tour of Beijing press conference. (Image credit: Sirotti)

The UCI today announced that the Tour of Hangzhou, which was on the WorldTour calendar in its very first year and set to take place from October 17-21, has been postponed, adding that it would "seek to be part of the UCI WorldTour calendar in 2013".

The addition of the Tour of Hangzhou to the calendar was facilitated by the UCI's sports promotion branch, Global Cycling Productions, together with the Chinese Cycling Association, Chinese Sports Ministry and the city of Hangzhou.

The decision to scrap the 2012 edition, "was made by the UCI together with all the implicated parties ... after an in-depth analysis of the situation two months out from the event," the UCI's press release read.

"Despite the efforts of all those involved in this initiative – and the UCI wishes to thank them for their commitment – not all the general conditions necessary to guarantee that the race would fulfil the UCI WorldTour quality criteria had been met."

GCP director Alain Rumpf said that despite putting a lot of work into the race this year, they needed more time to "fine-tune certain internal matters in China".

"In choosing to delay the first edition, we can ensure that the event will meet the expectations of all our partners, as was the case last year with the Tour of Beijing," Rumpf said.

UCI President Pat McQuaid reiterated the Tour's importance in the globalisation of the sport, calling the race, "a very important element in the UCI's strategy for the development of cycling, and the decision to postpone the organisation of this event will have no negative consequences on the project."

The second Tour of Beijing is due to take place from October 9-13.

