Geraardsbergen has withdrawn from bidding to host the 2021 UCI World Road Championships citing the fee requested by the UCI as being excessive.
“The UCI requires an amount of three million euros,” Véronique Fontaine of the Geraardsbergse schepen van Sport told TV Oost. “We can not get that together as a small city. Even when we cooperate with other cities in the Flemish Ardennes. We also have other obligations towards our residents. Three million for a cycling race, however beautiful it is, that is really too much.”
The city pays €50,000 annually for inclusion on the Tour of Flanders route. Geraardsbergen does not have to pay anything for a passage in the Tour de France next year.
Flanders still remains as a candidate for the World Championships 2021 with Antwerp and Leuven reportedly being the start and finish locations. In September, the UCI will decide where the championships will be held with Flanders being the only remaining candidate according to Sporza after the withdrawal of bids from both Barcelona and Copenhagen.
