<p>AIGLE, Switzerland — The track cycling world championships have been pulled out of Turkmenistan because of the coronavirus pandemic, the International Cycling Union said.</p>
<p>The UCI said in a statement late Thursday that the championships “have been canceled in their initial format, at the request of their organizers, as the health constraints and restrictions linked to the COVID-19 pandemic make it impossible to stage the event in the country.”</p>
<p>The championships had been set for Oct. 13-17, more than two months after the track cycling competitions at the Tokyo Olympics.</p>
<p>The UCI said it was in talks with “several” potential hosts to replace the Central Asian nation.</p>
<p>Turkmenistan’s authoritarian president, Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov, often promotes cycling and other sports. He received an award from the UCI last year.</p>
<p>Turkmenistan has not officially confirmed any cases of coronavirus infections in the country.</p>
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