December 15/17 11:08 am - GP Saguenay Cancelled for 2018

Posted by Editor on 12/15/17
 

Organizers of the Grand Prix cycliste de Saguenay stage race have announced that the race will not take place in 2018, due to a conflict with the G7 Summit, which is scheduled to take place at La Malbaie at the same time, on June 7-9 (GP Saguenay was scheduled for June 7-10). The GP Saguenay is a UCI 2.2 ranked men's event on the America Tour calendar.

Organizers say that the security surrounding the G7 conference has made it impossible for them to obtain security - such as police support for road closures. Organizers asked the Tour de Beauce if they could switch dates (Beauce runs June 13-18), but that was not possible.

Steve Potvin, co-president of the Saguenay race, explained to regional publication Le Quotidien:

"The Saguenay Events Committee contacted us to inform us that from June 7 to 9, there would be the G7 Summit in La Malbaie and that these people would go through Saguenay, via Bagotville Airport, to go to Charlevoix. This meant that all municipal services at the security level were 100% monopolized for this event, so we could not hold ours on that date. Since safety is a key element of the Grand Prix, it was unthinkable to hold it without the services of municipal security."

On a positive note, Potvin stated to Le Quotidien that sponsoring agencies are aware of the unique schedule problem and it will not affect their future funding.

Le Quotidien article