Motorcycles UPDATE 1-Motorcycling-MotoGP announces Qatar double-header, postpones Americas

* Qatar double to start the season

* Argentina and Americas races postponed due to pandemic (Adds details)

Jan 22 (Reuters) - The MotoGP season will start with two races on successive weekends in Qatar from March 28, followed by Portugal, organisers said on Friday in a calendar re-write forced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Early season races in Texas and Argentina have been postponed.

The Qatar Grand Prix, a floodlit night race, has long been the opener but will now be followed by a Grand Prix of Doha at the same Losail circuit on April 4.

"The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns and complications sadly oblige the postponement of both the Argentina GP and the Americas GP until the last quarter of 2021," MotoGP said in a statement.

Smith a “valid option” for Aprilia MotoGP race seat

Aprilia CEO Massimo Rivola says test rider Bradley Smith is a “valid option” for a 2021 MotoGP race seat, but admits it is looking talent from Moto2 as well. © Gold and Goose / Motorsport Images Bradley Smith, Aprilia Racing Team Gresini With Andrea Iannone having his doping ban extended to four years earlier this month and heavily linked riders in Cal Crutchlow and Andrea Dovizioso not being available, Aprilia is left with limited options to partner Aleix Espargaro in 2021.

# MotoGP Update . The Australian Grand Prix Corporation (AGPC) in conjunction with Dorna Sports today announced the Australian Motorcycle Grand Italian and Catalan Grand Prix postponed . Due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, the GP d’Italia Oakley and GP Monster Energy de Catalunya

The Moto 2 and Moto 3 categories will still race due to those teams and riders already being in Qatar for three days of testing last week. Ducati and Aprilia are Italy-based teams while Italian riders include Yamaha's MotoGP great Valentino Rossi. The 22-strong grid features six Italian riders, with Italian

The Argentina round at Termas de Rio Hondo had been scheduled for April 11, with Austin's Circuit of the Americas due to follow a week later, on a provisional 20-race calendar published last November. No new dates were set.

Last year's pandemic-hit season started with two races at Jerez. The southern Spanish track will now host round four on May 2.

Portugal's Algarve circuit near Portimao ended the 2020 season in November and is set for plenty of international action this year, with the World Endurance Championship rescheduling its opener for there and Formula One also expected to return.

Qatar will also host pre-season testing after planned sessions in Malaysia were scrapped, also because of the pandemic.

MotoGP's Qatar race was cancelled last year due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions.

The announcement of the March 28 starting date ended uncertainty about the scheduling of a grand prix that clashes with Formula One's opener on the same evening in nearby Bahrain.

MotoGP indicated that further changes could be made, however.

Indonesia's Mandalika International Street Circuit was listed as reserve venue. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by Ken Ferris)