San Francisco GP cancelled

Organisers of the San Francisco GP have announced that the 2006 event, scheduled for September 10, will not go ahead.

In an statement released today, the promoting company San Francisco Cycling, LLC said it had been, "unable to resolve issues surrounding billing amounts and procedures for city services related to the annual event."

The cancellation follows scrutiny of the race by San Francisco city council last week, that involved city councilors accusing San Francisco Cycling, LLC of having obtained a licence for the 2005 event without having paid its bills from 2004. San Francisco Cycling director David Chauner said that the political scrutiny that the race was subjected to made it difficult to secure the sponsorship necessary to keep the race viable.

"There is considerable uncertainty regarding the amounts we will be billed after each year's race, making it impossible to accurately forecast budgets or question charges beforehand," said Chauner. "On top of that, the periodic, emotionally charged Board of Supervisors' debates over the value of the event make potential sponsors very nervous. Few companies will sponsor a politically charged event and, when sponsors back out or can't be replaced, we have to cut important elements of the race, like eliminating the very popular women's event this year."