More sad news for Canadian cycling

[Fausto Coppied]

More sad news for Canadian cycling.


The richest province in the country cannot afford a road race.


I'm sure the Canadian Cycling Association was a real help!!!! (not)


Another botched event by Lorraine Lafreniere and the CCA.


What do they do there now? Anything at all?


How much longer will they keep that incompetent in the Director General's office? What an embarrassment she has become.....



05.06.08 - UCI Road - The Welland Race will have to postpone its debut
May 5, 2008– The Ontario professional road cycling scene will have to wait another year to see the return of UCI racing to the province. After the announcement of the 2008 National Calendar, the whole Canadian cycling community was thrilled to see the return of professional UCI racing to Ontario for August 3rd, 2008. Unfortunately, the organizing committee faced struggles with funding and could not move forward this year.

“With respect to all parties involved, we would rather postpone the 2008 edition of the Welland Race. The teams need to know what’s going on now and we cannot give them a guarantee at the moment. We would rather keep on working, and hope for a better turn of events next year” said ***** Coyle, head of the organizing committee.

It appears that the refusal of their funding application by the Government of Ontario was the final nail in the coffins for this year’s edition.

“We got denied our funding application by the provincial government, because we were not in competition with another city to host this event. We all know that the only events in pro cycling where you have to bid are the Pro Tour or the World Championship events. These events are not realistic for our market, nor with our mission to develop young professional cyclists from Ontario, while making the America Tour is. We will work hard with the provincial government over the years to come, to ensure that professional cycling will be eligible for provincial government funding like other provinces in Canada. We were really counting on some support from the Government of Ontario, especially to start this event. Unfortunately, if the policy doesn’t change, it will take a long time before we see the return of UCI racing to Ontario” added Mr. Coyle.

This means that the only UCI road event in Canada will remain the Tour de Beauce in Québec from June 10-15.

 

[Fausto Coppied]

Wait another year, huh??????

Like this from last year, same time?????

We are still waiting for that one, aren't we......


Does this look familiar???

More proof:

Montreal-Boston Race Cancelled

Another supposed step forward in Canadian Cycling has fallen on its ass. Since I directed a race for Manibal in 1999 (Women’s Road World Cup) which started his franchise, salvaging it from an early grave, I can tell you Manibal probably went ahead with this knowing he did not have his financing in place, hoping it would come through. Also, much of Mr. Manibal’s support comes from the Parti Quebecois separatists and they are having some difficulties at the moment.


Has there been a Canadian report on this? In a real news source, not just Canadian Cyclist which mentioned it once?

Tell me how things are going so well in cycling in Canda? Do you think the CCA helped in anyway to make this event happen? Of course not. The Director General, Lorriane Lafreniere came from a coaching association and prior to that media relations. SHE HAS NEVER ORGANIZED AN EVENT. HOW CAN SHE PROVIDE ASSISTANCE?

Officials hit the brakes on bike race


By PATRICK MEIGHAN and STEVE BODNAR, Telegraph Staff
[email protected], [email protected]

Published: Thursday, May. 10, 2007

NASHUA – A professional, Tour de France-caliber bicycle race that was to begin in Montreal, make a stop in Nashua and finish in Boston has been postponed for a year, race officials announced Wednesday.(postponed, yeah right!!!)

Mayor Bernie Streeter blamed the postponement on disinterest on the part of the city of Boston, where the race was to conclude.

“This announcement is disappointing to say the least,” Streeter said in a written statement released Wednesday.

“As mayor, I am personally offended by the city of Boston’s lack of interest and support. I know our state officials who have worked long and hard on this event also are crushed with this decision,” Streeter said.

Events that the city of Nashua had been planning around the Aug. 11 event will continue as scheduled, city officials said.

Bike race organizers said they scrapped this year’s race because of the difficulty coordinating the race with various U.S. and Canadian governments, according to a statement issued Wednesday afternoon from the Montreal-Boston Tour headquarters in Quebec.

However, race organizers made no specific mention of Boston’s lack of interest in the race as the cause of the postponement.

Putting the race together required organizing officials in Quebec, as well as Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, which proved too much in such a short amount of time, according to race officials.

“We want to thank all our partners, who did not hesitate to give their time and support to this project,” Daniel Manibal, president and executive director of the tour, said in a written statement.

“They understand the importance of putting it off until 2008. They have already accomplished an amazing feat, and we want to assure them of our determination to make the Montreal-Boston Tour a reality, Manibal said.

Back home, some were let down by the news but could understand the need for a delay.

Keith Dobbins, a sales associate at Goodale’s Bike Shop in Nashua, said he was “extremely disappointed” when he learned of the postponement of the race, but agreed that the extra time would help provide a better event.

“It will give better chance for more people to get out there and realize cycling is fun, safe, healthy and a good investment,” Dobbins said in a telephone interview Wednesday evening.

Goodale’s had sponsored some of the bicycling events to be held in the city to coincide with the race.

Bob Hall, owner of Souhegan Cycleworks in Milford, was also looking forward to seeing the Montreal-Boston Tour this summer, until he heard the plans went flat.

Hall knows how difficult it is to put together an elaborate cycling race. In September, he helped organize a cyclo-cross race, where road bikes were used in an off-road competition.

“There’s lots of organizing for a one-day event in a single town, never mind an eight-day event in two countries with people from around the world getting involved,” he said from his Milford store Wednesday night.

Besides for community members, Gov. John Lynch, and his wife, Dr. Susan Lynch, were also big supporters of the race. In a statement released through his press spokesman, Lynch said he and his wife will continue to support bringing the international race through the state.

The second to last leg of the race was to end in Nashua. The final leg was to leave the city and end in Boston. City officials had expected the event, part of the pro bicycle racing tour, to bring thousands of spectators to downtown.

“The international bike race would have been a wonderful opportunity for our city to shine once again. The crowd expected for that day in our city would have, in all likelihood, exceeded the Olympic Torch run down our Main Street in 1996,” Streeter said.

Nashua officials said they will still hold the other events planned for the day, including bike races planned at Holman Stadium sponsored by Goodale’s, along with SummerFun children’s events at Greeley Park and an Energy Fair sponsored by the city’s Green Team.

City officials have been rounding up sponsors and donations to pay for the events and hadn’t planned on using tax dollars to cover any of the costs.

Hall, at Souhegan Cycleworks, said he understands how the postponement of the race can be disheartening, but doesn’t think the feelings will last.

“I think people are probably going to wait. I think any race takes a while to get going,” he said. “I’m pretty sure the cycling community won’t be thrilled that its not happening this year, but they will be patient for the race.”

Patrick Meighan can be reached at 594-6518 or [email protected]. Steve Bodnar can be reached at 594-6481 or [email protected]