The Tom Bamford Classic criterium scheduled for June 1 in downtown Lancaster has been pushed back by a year, race promoter David Butterworth announced.
In a Monday evening message, Butterworth, of Major League Cycling and Pro-Am Cycling Events, said title sponsor Commerce Bank had withdrawn its support for this year’s race because bank officials did not believe there was sufficient time to promote the event.
Commerce Bank, which sponsored the city’s professional road bicycle race and will soon open a branch at the start/finish line at Lancaster Square, remains interested in supporting a race in 2009, Butterworth wrote.
Plans called for the criterium to be continued despite the men’s professional road race moving to the Allentown area this year. For the past two years, since the race was moved to a Sunday, the amateur criterium races have been held in the late morning before the afternoon pro race.
The cancellation announcement comes only a few days after the international on-line cycling journal Cyclingnews.com said the criterium would be held.
The cancellation means that 2008 will be the first time in at least 16 years that downtown Lancaster has not had a bicycle race.
