Ostbelgien Classic 2020 postponed
The Ostbelgien Classic 2020 will not take place from 4th to 6th December, as originally planned. In exactly one month, this regularity race for vintage cars was supposed to start from the Klötzerbahn in Eupen, before taking the contestants across the borders into four different countries.
“After the success of the inaugural edition of our event, the whole team worked hard to make the second edition even more attractive,” explains the organiser Michael Bartholemy. “As a result, many details have been improved. The event was ready, everything was set up or under the way. We were as ready as ever.”
The worsening health crisis, both in Belgium and in neighbouring countries, and the prospect of new, even more restrictive measures, compel the organising team to officialise the postponement of the Ostbelgien Classic. “Obviously, this decision was not an easy one,” continues Michael Bartholemy. “Given the time and energy already spent preparing this second edition, we are deeply disappointed by such an outcome. However, the evolution of the health crisis has not left us any other choice. The primary objective was to allow the contestants to have a new and unforgettable experience in a breath-taking region, along an exceptional itinerary punctuated with new intricacies. This objective seems impossible to achieve at the beginning of November. As we entered the final stretch before the grand start, we had no choice but to stop everything.
Remember the very special atmosphere that characterised the first edition! For participants and guests alike, conviviality is a must. It was precisely this atmosphere that contributed to the success of the inaugural event last November. The dinners all together, the gatherings at the heart of the event, as well as along the way – nothing could have taken place in the same way. So how can we guarantee the quality of a show when the actors and spectators can’t get their money’s worth? What would have happened to all those details that make all the difference, but which could not have been implemented in order to contribute to everyone’s well-being?”
As a result, the second edition of the Ostbelgien Classic has been postponed to 3-5 December 2021. And the event will be able to count on the renewed and confirmed support of Olivier Paasch, Minister-President of the German-speaking Community, and Isabelle Weykmans, Minister for Sport. Oliver Paasch comments: “The decision to cancel the East Belgium Classic is not welcome news for motorsport fans, but it is understandable, good and right. It stands for solidarity with the people threatened by, or already ill from, COVID-19, as well as with health care workers who are working under extreme pressure. Together, we will master this difficult challenge and thus create the framework for events such as these, which can be experienced and enjoyed again in the future under different circumstances.“
“As painful as this announcement may be for the organisers and vintage car enthusiasts, I think that the decision of Michael Bartholemy and his team is very reasonable in view of the health situation in Eastern Belgium and beyond the linguistic and national borders,” says Isabelle Weykmans. “We will therefore put our support on hold until the next edition, and we are already looking forward to the continuation of the Ostbelgien Classic.”
Let it be said, there will be an after-Covid, and the Ostbelgien Classic team is already working on it. Take care of yourselves…