The governor of Pennsylvania knows the value of a high-profile bicycle race to a region's economy and esteem.
Gov. Edward Rendell said the state is plowing $400,000 into the International Cycling Championship scheduled June 11 in the Philadelphia area. The race needs the cash infusion after former sponsor, Wachovia Corp., dropped out.
The bike race has been running for 22 years; among the winners were a young Texan cyclist by the name of Lance Armstrong in 1993, Sean Yates the following year and George Hincapie in 1998.
Last year the international bike race pumped an estimated $15 million into the local economy. Said Rendell in a statement:
“For more than a generation, the world’s best cyclists and their fans have flocked to Philadelphia to enjoy this great athletic competition. Losing it was not an option because it means so much to the Delaware Valley.”
Race schedule
The 156-mile race over the 14-mile bike route along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and over the steep Manayunk Wall begins at 9 a.m. June 11.
Other bike races on the Pro Cycling Tour are scheduled June 4 in Lancaster and June 8 in Reading.
Meanwhile, the organizers are looking for a permanent sponsor, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. In all, the event that is expected to draw 500,000 visitors needs to raise $1.5 million.
In addition to losing its sponsorship, the Philly race lost its USA Cycling designation as the American pro cycling championship because it was open to an international cast.
The efforts to save the Philadelphia race contrast with the bickering in San Francisco over some unbilled, and unpaid, bills that helped spell the demise of the SF Grand Prix bike race.
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