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OPINION

Tour Series facing Peterborough blackout

by James Warrener
Mon, Jan 28, 2013 11:30
5
Amongst £13m of cuts to local events and services, Peterborough council slipped in the Tour Series as an event to be axed.

Peterborough has been one of the staple rounds of the Halfords Tour Series since its inception but it appears that unless some alternative funding is found the event could well be facing the axe in 2013.

That would be a real shame as the Tour de France's arrival in 2014 could be enhanced and built up by Cambridge's near neighbour retaining its round of the popular criterium series.

To be fair, from a cycling point of view, I will be very disappointed if the withdrawal of funding for the event is confirmed.

Having said that I can see the bigger picture and, with all childrens play centres also part of the planned cuts, accept that cycle racing isnt a priority.

I think the council have also looked at the return on investment from the event which pulled a massive crowd in year one but I, like others, felt the attendance dwindled in the last two years.

Sad, but an inevitable sign of the times one feels.

The Halfords Tour Series
The Tour Series

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5 comments

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James Warrener | 11 years ago
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I agree. They could even be piggy backing on the big one coming to Cambridge in 2014.

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a.jumper | 11 years ago
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Peterborough suffers like MK from being a small unitary council, doesn't it? Not a surprise that they've not promoted it enough to keep big crowds. Shame they don't try some sort of cross promotion with nearby Lincoln and Rutland races - three different styles, all great fun.

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James Warrener | 11 years ago
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Being from Peterborough I thought that the event was building some momentum and becoming part of the cultural and sporting offer in and around the city.

But I am a parent and seeing the cuts to childrens play centres and support groups makes me more angry that losing the bike race.

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cidermart | 11 years ago
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Perhaps it might be a better idea if they moved it around, different towns, so that it was a novelty and didn’t become the norm it might therefore keep the numbers attending up?? It’s an idea. As for the funding issue hmmm a bit tougher there but if it did move around it might start a bidding war to stage it similar to the TDF 39 . I hope it doesn't get cut as it might start a cascade of pull outs and that will not be good.

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djpalmer32 replied to cidermart | 11 years ago
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cidermart wrote:

Perhaps it might be a better idea if they moved it around, different towns, so that it was a novelty and didn’t become the norm it might therefore keep the numbers attending up?? It’s an idea. As for the funding issue hmmm a bit tougher there but if it did move around it might start a bidding war to stage it similar to the TDF 39 . I hope it doesn't get cut as it might start a cascade of pull outs and that will not be good.

I agree with moving the Tour Series around. I was lucky enough to see the first ever event at Milton Keynes and it's not been back since. The crowds weren't big mainly because the local council failed to promote it properly. However, now that the Tour Series is getting bigger every year, it would be good to have it back in MK.

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