Welsh city Newport was due to host the opening round of the inaugural UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup from April 22 to 25.

But the event has been called off by organisers, with the UCI citing "COVID-19 alert levels" and restrictions in place in Wales as the reason for the cancellation.

The other rounds of the series are still scheduled to go ahead, with Hong Kong playing host from May 13 to 16 and Cali in Colombia from June 3 to 6.

The UCI confirmed it was looking to find an alternative solution to make sure the event, formerly known as the UCI Track Cycling World Cup, takes place in the format originally planned.

Wales has been in lockdown since December 20 in a bid to curb rising coronavirus figures.

More than 5,400 people have died from COVID-19 in Wales since the start of the pandemic.

Plans are in place to ease restrictions in the country, with all shops due to be allowed to re-open from April 12.

But British Cycling said the Welsh Government could not authorise the event "at this time", and felt it was best to take an early decision to ensure riders could adapt their plans with the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games on the horizon.

"We know that this has been an incredibly difficult decision and we fully understand the challenges which the Welsh Government faces in the ongoing fight against COVID-19," said Jonathan Day, head of sport and major events for British Cycling.

"Our thanks go to all event stakeholders for their hard work on the event over recent months, and we look forward to returning to Wales in the near future - helping to bring new riders and fans into cycling and supporting the development of the sport across the country."

British Cycling said it would work alongside the UCI to support the inaugural Track Cycling Nations Cup season and explore opportunities to host international events in Britain in the future.

"Our riders and staff are naturally disappointed with the news that the Tissot UCI Track Cycling Nations Cup in Newport has been cancelled, as they were all excited for the opportunity to race and to inspire the nation as we emerge from the pandemic," said Stephen Park, performance director for the British team.

"The key strengths of our team include our resilience and our ability to be excellently prepared, and as such we have contingency plans in place to ensure we don’t lose momentum in our build up to Tokyo.

"The race simulation activity we hold in our regular training sessions is proving successful, and we continue our preparations for the Nations’ Cup rounds set to take place later in the year in Hong Kong and Colombia."