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• Barcelona embark on two-day coach journey to fulfil fixture
• MotoGP event in Japan cancelled due to flight restrictions

The volcanic ash cloud has caused large-scale disruption to this week’s sporting events, causing cancellations and forcing teams to take to the roads.

The Champions League semi-final first legs, scheduled for tomorrow and Wednesday, will go ahead, with Barcelona and Lyon embarking on lengthy coach trips.

Barcelona began their journey by bus yesterday, driving 394 miles to Cannes, before this morning travelling the remaining 218 miles to Milan, where they meet Internazionale tomorrow evening.

“The two Uefa Champions League semi-final first legs will go ahead as scheduled this week despite the current restrictions on European air travel,” read a statement on Uefa’s website, which also revealed a decision would be taken “in the coming days” about whether Thursday’s two Europa League semi-finals between Atlético Madrid and Liverpool, and Hamburg and Fulham would go ahead as planned.

Newcastle have also been forced to make the 400-mile journey to Plymouth for tonight’s Championship clash by coach.

The FIM Moto GP World Championship race in Japan on Sunday, meanwhile, has been called off. With the Spanish round at Jerez – a flagship home race for the series’ rights holders, Dorna – due to be staged a week later, there had been fears over teams being stranded in Japan.

A statement from the FIM read: “The recent volcano eruption in Iceland has resulted in an ash cloud cover infiltration. Air traffic space over Europe has stopped all international travel in and out of Europe. This case of ‘force majeure’ has obliged the grand prix permanent bureau to postpone the grand prix of Japan planned on 25 April 2010.”

The final leg of the Diving World Series, due to be staged in Sheffield this week, was rearranged to take place in Veracruz, Mexico, following the conclusion of the second leg there on Saturday.

The Moroccan Golf Classic has been postponed but the Ballantine’s Championship in Korea on the full PGA European Tour is unlikely to be affected, with the majority of players already in Asia after the Volvo China Open.

The Formula One commercial rights holder, Bernie Ecclestone, has no doubts the Spanish grand prix will go ahead on 9 May despite teams fearing their preparations could be hampered.

When asked whether the grand prix could potentially be postponed, Ecclestone said: “No. Not at all. There are no problems with the race.”

The three-day eventer Oliver Townend was today hoping to jet out to Kentucky in a bid to land the Rolex Grand Slam and the £230,000 reward on offer.

Having won at both Badminton and Burghley, the Yorkshireman is chasing the final leg of the slam – and the lucrative prize – in Lexington but is having to do so after a tortuous journey across Europe to avoid the ash cloud.

His trek began in Ellesmere and has taken in Crewe, London and Paris, from where he caught a taxi to Madrid with a view to flying out of the Spanish capital for the United States this afternoon.

MotoGPFormula OneMotor sportBarcelonaChampions LeagueUefa Europa LeagueLiverpoolFulhamNatural disasters and extreme weatherJames Callowguardian.co.uk