Tour of New York cancelled
- By VeloNews.com
- Published May. 2, 2009
- Updated May. 5, 2009 at 11:29 AM UTC
Citing a lack of financial support due “extremely challenging economic times,” organizers of the inaugural Tour de New York have cancelled the event for this year.
Tour de New York Executive Director, Scott Page, said that despite solid support from the City of Rochester, the race did not have enough money to “produce the world-class event” organizers had hoped for.
Page said that organizers continue to plan for a 2010 debut of the Tour de New York. The six-day stage race was scheduled August 8th through August 13th. Top professional race teams from around the world expressed intense interest and Universal Sports (a division of NBC) committed to six days of prime-time television coverage of the event.
The idea for the Tour came from organizers of the Saturn Rochester Twilight Criterium, which began in 2004. Last year’s international three-day Rochester Omnium was designed specifically as a platform to introduce the Tour de New York.
“The event is being postponed until 2010 so that proper support can be secured,” said Page. “Mayor Duffy and the City of Rochester are already assisting in the process to ensure this unique professional spectacle can return to the streets of Rochester and the roads of New York State. With an estimated $30 million in economic impact, the commitment of television coverage and top-level professional teams attending, the city realizes the financial potential and the community benefits of a free event for the public.”