May 9/07 5:16 am - Montreal-Boston Tour Postponed

Posted by Editor on 05/9/07
 

Montreal-Boston Tour Postponed

The organizers of the inaugural Montreal-Boston Tour, a men's professional cycling event initially scheduled for August 5 to August 12, 2007, have asked for a postponement until the summer of 2008.

The reason for the postponement is that the logistical complexity of an event of this scale, which demands close coordination between six different jurisdictions - Canada, Quebec, the United States, and three American states (Vermont, New Hampshire and Massachusetts), was too great for such a short time period.

"We want to thank all our partners, who did not hesitate to give their time and support to this project. They understand the importance of putting it off until 2008," explained Daniel Manibal, president and executive director of the event. "They have already accomplished an amazing feat, and we want to assure them of our determination to make the Montreal-Boston Tour a reality. This tour goes far beyond the realm of a simple cycling event, helping to promote the beauty of Quebec and New England."

Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston and Mayor Gérald Tremblay of Montreal today announced that the organizers of the first Montréal-Boston Tour have requested that the race be postponed until 2008 due to the complexities of planning a cross border, multi-state event in a relatively short amount of time.

Both Mayors have agreed to support the race in 2008 and will continue to work with the organizer, Mr. Daniel Manibal, to ensure its success. They also expressed their thanks to all of the cities and towns along the race route who have worked to design a course that showcases the beauty of Quebec and New England. While acknowledging the level of professionalism of the organizers and the work already accomplished by all parties, the Mayors agreed that by postponing the race, the organizers will have more time to create an international event that will attract the world's elite riders and can be replicated annually. They also are planning some ancillary events that promote healthy living and the importance of teamwork through sports.

Mayor Menino said "This event is about much more than a bike race. It's about promoting our tourism, growing our economies and educating people about both the health benefits of bicycling and the history and culture along the route." We have so much in common with Montréal on these issues and I look forward to working with Mayor Tremblay to use the race as a way to highlight our commonalties and exchange ideas." "We are proud to strengthen our friendship with the City of Boston and support them in the organization of a cyclist competition of international calibre. Even though our cities can be in adverse camps in other sports such as hockey, we are partners with Boston and will support this cyclist race project. " added Mayor Tremblay.

The Montreal-Boston tour was granted a category 2.1 license by the International Cycling Union (UCI) in September of 2006. Such a license enables organizers to invite the same caliber of professional racers and national teams as the Tour de France. The organizers have advised the UCI about the postponement and have requested an extension of the license.

Details about the 2008 race will be announced in September.