Tour de ‘Toona latest to fall
May 26th, 2009 11:49 am · 9 comments
Organizers of Altoon’s stage race, the International Tour de ‘Toona, became the latest to shelve race plans for this year. On Friday, it was announced that the race will not be held this year. Plans call for a revival of the race in 2010.
“I’m very disappointed that we had to postpone this year’s race, but, times being what they are, we had to do this,” said race director Larry Bilotto, on the Tour de ‘Toona’s website. “This year, time are tough all over, but, as times improve, we will be back with our partners,” said Bilotto, referring to sponsors and groups that volunteer to help hold the annual race.
The four-day series of races was scheduled for July 17-19. The series included races for men’s and women’s professional teams and elite amateurs. Bob Leverknight, the tour media manager, said there is still some hope for unnamed portions of the race card - such as the Cat. 5 race - to be held this year. Those portions would require relatively few sponsorship dollars, the tour website states.
The Tour de ‘Toona has been held annually since 1987. It joins the professional races in Allentown, Reading, Providence, R.I, and the tours of New York and Georgia in being cancelled this year.
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Tags: races · professional · cycling · sports
There are currently 9 comments on this blog postView Topic | Comment on this blogArtie See
5/26/09
4:04 PM | Bernie:
Professional bicycle races in an urban area cost taxpayers far more money, and residents many more inconveniences, than whatever benefits any city might receive from hosting this kind of event.
I'm not opposed to professional bicycle races at a time and/or place where our lives are disrupted at a minimum. Gray's requirement that the former Lancaster race be held on a Sunday was a major improvement over Smithgall's weekday disruption of business and commerce in Lancaster City. But promoters of the race should be paying the community for its costs (police, streets services, etc.) rather than making local taxpayers pay the promoters in cash and incentives. And as Gray noted, corporate sponsorship to the local municipality for any professional bicycle race is practically nonexistent.
Let them race to their hearts' content somewhere out in the country, where it will disrupt a minimum number of peoples' lives. People can still line the roads to watch the event. Let the promoters find their own corporate sponsorship, and pay for their own expenses. We need our tax dollars for far more important issues, like police and fire. |
mcslain
5/27/09
8:05 PM | Do you ever get tired of posting the exact same Bicycle Grinch nonsense Artie See? Anyone who reads this blog understands... you don't want cycling races in cities. It is a massive inconvenience to you. You think it wastes tax money. Blah blah blah... |
Artie See
5/28/09
1:59 PM | Do you ever get tired of posting the exact same
Never. |
lancdoup
5/28/09
7:14 PM | Twelve THOUSAND posts? Obviously cutting and pasting the same cranky old man messages day after day, year after year. Anyway, how long has it been since the US Pro race brought all those cycling fans and spectators (and their $) to downtown Lancaster? I, for one, apologize for playing the same song again.... |
Artie See
5/28/09
10:32 PM | Twelve THOUSAND posts? Obviously cutting and pasting the same cranky old man messages day after day, year after year. Anyway, how long has it been since the US Pro race brought all those cycling fans and spectators (and their $) to downtown Lancaster? I, for one, apologize for playing the same song again....
That race you are referring to cost Lancaster City taxpayers something like $60,000 in unreimbursed costs and expenses. The following year, race promoters demanded even more from us. Mayor Rick Gray said no, which was the right thing to do.
$60,000 would pay for a full-time police officer, plus some of their benefits. Which is more important: fighting crime, or a bicycle race? |
mcslain
5/29/09
9:05 AM | And when prodded... Artie launches into the same tired old 'here are my facts and some Lancaster history' routine. Seriously, you are the most BORING TROLL of all time. If anyone reading this cares, you can go back to the December 2nd, 2008 'Ruoff rises from the ashes' post on this blog and read the same Artie Hates nonsense and some responses to his 'bah humbug I am so angry I was inconvenienced a few times by a bike race that I am going to speak out against it for the rest of my years' schtick. |
Artie See
5/29/09
12:58 PM | And when prodded... Artie launches into the same tired old 'here are my facts and some Lancaster history' routine. Seriously, you are the most BORING TROLL of all time.
Is that the only way you know how to respond to facts and figures?
When you don't like the message, attack the messenger. Right? |
mcslain
6/2/09
9:02 AM | You wrote: 'When you don't like the message, attack the messenger.'
This is funny coming from a guy who reads a bicycle blog seemingly only so he can write anti bicycling comments.
Anyhow... I can tell by your 12 million posts that you will keep responding here until the end of time. And I already responded to these same exact comments back in December '08, as I have mentioned before. All I am really trying to say here is that I think you are boring and that you are a troll. I feel somewhat bad for you. I can't imagine how crappy someone's life would have to be for them to have issues with bicyclists and bike races. Bicycling is healthy, productive, clean & green, & great for Lancaster (ie: tourism, one less car/traffic, etc).
So... please try to refrain from responding with the same old stuff... your issue is with the tax money, the races in the city, etc etc. You have already said it, numerous times. This conversation should be over.... |
runutz
6/2/09
9:30 AM | Twelve THOUSAND posts? Obviously cutting and pasting the same cranky old man messages day after day, year after year. Anyway, how long has it been since the US Pro race brought all those cycling fans and spectators (and their $) to downtown Lancaster? I, for one, apologize for playing the same song again....
You can't really count the last couple thousand, more like the end of the Ripken streak.
Y'know, mailing it in while stunting the growth of others.
BTW, get off my lawn. |
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