XINING - This year's Tour of Qinghai Lake has been canceled due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, organizers of the annual cycling event confirmed on Monday.

The event was originally scheduled to run from July 26 to August 2, but organizers decided to call off the event, according to Yang Haining, vice director of Qinghai provincial sports bureau, who added that a carnival and other activities will be hosted across the province instead.

First run in 2002, the Tour of Qinghai Lake is the world's fourth biggest cycling event, after the Tour de France, Tour of Italy and Tour of Spain, attracting cycling enthusiasts and professionals from China and overseas every year.?