Belarus: Germany and the Netherlands withdraw their team from Euro track cycling - France 24

Berlin (AFP)

The German and Dutch cycling federations announced on Wednesday the withdrawal of their teams from the European Track Championships organized at the end of June in Belarus, increasingly isolated after the diversion of an airliner.

The German federation "contacted the European Cycling Union (UEC) after the events of the weekend and made it clear that under these circumstances the participation of the German national track cycling team in the Championships of Europe in Minsk (June 23-27) was not possible, ”she said in a statement.

The German federation "urges an alternative solution", the statement added.

For its part, the Dutch federation (KNWU) indicated that "the safety of runners and staff cannot be guaranteed".

The Dutch had to travel with a very strong sprint team.

The UEC is due to decide on Thursday whether or not to keep the competition in Minsk.

The European Cycling Union has not detailed the options at its disposal, while the health crisis does not help urgently find a fallback solution to host the biggest meeting of European trackers before the Tokyo Olympics .

Already in January, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) had to withdraw in Belarus the co-organization of its world championship, which will begin this Friday in Latvia, in the face of pressure from sponsors and opponents of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. .

But international condemnation against Minsk has increased further since the regime was accused of hijacking a European airliner on Sunday to arrest an opponent on board.

Belarus acted "legally" by confusing the plane, President Alexander Loukachenko defended on Wednesday.

Many airlines have followed the European Union's recommendation to bypass Belarus and suspended flights, European airspace has been closed in Belarus, and the Twenty-Seven are considering a new set of sanctions.

The regime of Alexander Lukashenko, in power since 1994, has already been targeted by multiple Western sanctions for having harshly suppressed an unprecedented protest movement which saw tens of thousands of people marching in the streets in 2020 following the presidential election of August, considered "rigged" by the Europeans.

© 2021 AFP