Worlds leave Stuttgart in the red

Hosting the World Championships has left the city of Stuttgart with a deficit of between 700,000 and one million euro. "It is hard for me to think that the taxpayers should cover this," said Stuttgart Mayor for Culture, Education and Sport Dr. Susanne Eisenmann, according to the dpa.

Stuttgart has not yet paid the UCI 600,000 euro and the German federation 75,000 euro owed, as had been earlier agreed. The city is also owed money, as the Bundesinnenministerium ('Ministry of the Interior') has not yet given it 150,000 euro as promised. Nor has the city received its full payment from Infront, a Swiss agency which was responsible for marketing the championships. "It is our goal to reach an agreement with all of our partners and not to have to go to court," Eisenmann said.

Eisenmann's pressure on the UCI during the weeks leading to the Worlds certainly could not have helped to draw tourism and money to her city. The organizing committee asked past cycling stars, such as Eddy Merckx and Gianni Bugno, not to attend and threatened the UCI with legal action if it allowed Danilo Di Luca and returning World Champion Paolo Bettini to race.