It is looking unlikely that Groningen and Drenthe will host the 2020 cycling world championships: on Wednesday, the province of Groningen declined to earmark funding for the event.
Translation by Traci White
The province of Drenthe had already agreed to set aside 5 million euros for the event, but the provincial council of Groningen voted against dedicating funding to the championships. UCI officials were in town earlier this week to evaluate the proposed locations of the various cycling races.
The Groninger Internet Courant reports that the proposal was voted down 22 to 19. Labour party faction leader Gert Engelkens cast the deciding vote. Engelkens said that too many questions about the event were left unanswered, in particular how much risk the province would be exposed to if the event got into financial trouble.
Renate Groenewold, a former long track speed skater and cycling advocate, led the local organisation behind the event, and expressed disappointment at the voting outcome. The organisation is now planning to see if it is possible to move forward with the event without Groningen’s financing as a prerequisite. Coming up with an alternative plan will take at least a couple of weeks.
Photo source: In de leiderstrui
