The opening races of the 2017 ECA Junior Canoe Slalom Cups series have been abandoned ©ECA

The organisers of the first set of races in the 2017 European Canoe Association (ECA) Junior Canoe Slalom Cups series have been forced to cancel all four events in France due to insufficient conditions.

Hardly any rain has fallen in Brittany in north-west France since September 2016 which means the courses, which were supposed to host around 180 young canoe slalom athletes, are not fit for competition.

The events series, which is in France known as Eurolympiques, was supposed to consist of four events.

The opening two races were due to be held in Lannion between February 11 and 12.

Lochrist was then due to welcome the event between 14 and 15 February while Les Roches du Diable was set to play host to the fourth and final leg of the series between February 18 and 19.

“It's postponed to next year, but we do not know the precise dates yet,” said Xavier Mignon, the President of the Lannion Kayak Club.

The events series, known as
The events series, known as "Eurolympiques", was supposed to consist of four events ©ECA

As a result, the series will now start with races five and six in Solkan in Slovenia between June 17 and 18.

Flattach in Austria will then welcome the competition for another two races from June 27 and 28.

Stages are also set to be held in Augsburg in Germany, Krakow in Pland and České Budějovice in the Czech Republic.

The final races of the competition will then take place in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava between August 12 and 13.