US Open put back to 2009

Sports marketing company Red Five Sports Group announced on Friday that the U.S. Open of Cycling will not take place this year. The event was run last year in Richmond, Virginia, and brought professional cycling to a national NBC Sports audience of 1.5 million, the sport's largest single-day audience in several years.

Richard Durishin, of Red Five, cited the late change in venue (to Providence, Richmond) and lack of time for business development as the causes of the race not being run this year.

"Last year we really put North American pro cycling on the map. We had a national NBC Sports audience, a dramatic race through the snow and across the cobblestones and a beautiful television show. With the late change in venue for 2008, there just hasn't been time to fully develop the event. We will continue the development we have started as we look forward to the 2009 US Open of Cycling," Durishin explained.