Race organiser in financial difficulties due to sponsors bowing out
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The first race leader of the 2011 Holland Ladies Tour is Marianne Vos (Nederland Bloeit)(Image credit: CJ Farquharson)
The break - alone and exposed in the rain at Holland Ladies Tour - often a cold and wet experience at the close of the season(Image credit: CJ Farquharson/WomensCycling.net)
The peloton underway in stage three of the Holland Ladies Tour.(Image credit: Bert Geerts/dcp-bertgeerts@xs4all.nl)
The 15th edition of the Dutch stage race Holland Ladies Tour, planned to take place from September 4-9, may be cancelled. Race organisers told Dutch ANP that they may be unable to hold the event because main sponsor Profile, as well as other sponsors, have bowed out of their commitments.
Manager Marten de Lange has put all preparations on hold, as the financial drought made it impossible for him to continue booking hotels. "We need a miracle to make our race still get underway," said De Lange.
Stage towns, routes and team participation have all been set already for the event that would be an ideal preparation for the 2012 world championships held in the province of Limburg, Netherlands, shortly afterwards.
The three past editions of the Holland Ladies Tour were won by Marianne Vos. Renowned champions such as Leontien van Moorsel, Kristin Armstrong and Susanne Ljungskog have also taken the honours of the stage race in the past.
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