Richard Relton, CEO of organisers CSM Active, said: “We are very disappointed to announce that, unfortunately, we have had to cancel the inaugural Vélo North, which was scheduled to take place on Sunday, 1 September, 2019.

“This was a very difficult decision to take but, despite our best efforts, the number of cyclists that signed up was not sufficient to justify the event going ahead.

“We apologise to everyone who had entered and was looking forward to taking part – we hope you understand our reasoning and appreciate that this was not a decision we took lightly.

“We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Durham County Council for its support throughout the planning of the event. We were so excited at the prospect of delivering a Vélo Series event in the North East and are incredibly disappointed that we have not been able to do this.

“Anyone who has registered for the event should have now received an email detailing how they can claim a refund on their entry fee, transfer their entry to Vélo Birmingham & Midlands, or donate their entry fee to the lead charity partner for the Vélo Series – Prostate Cancer UK.”

How to claim a refund:

For riders signed up to take part in Vélo North who have not received an email from CSM Active about how to claim a refund on their entry fee, they are advised to check their junk folder. If no email has been received, riders are asked to email hello@velonorth.com for further support.