While the pandemic restrictions in 2020 and financial reasons in the previous year were the cause, this time it is the withdrawal of the Carinthian stage locations and the current economic uncertainty, as the Austrian Cycling Association (ÖRV) said on Friday. The tour should have been run from July 2nd to 6th in five stages from Bad Tatzmannsdorf to Vienna.
Specifically, the ÖRV announcement states that the 72nd edition has to be postponed to a later date with great regret. This unanimous decision was made due to the definitive cancellation of the state of Carinthia. Wolfsberg would have been planned as the destination of the first stage and Seeboden as the starting point of the Großglockner stage. The tour was presented at the end of March, the new organizers are Werner Kuhn, ex-cyclist and ex-manager of SK Rapid, and Christoph Ziermann.
“Irresponsible and unrealistic”
It was no longer possible for this duo to carry out serious and realistic planning. In addition, the uncertain economic development has recently made financial planning more difficult. “It hurts me personally a lot,” said ÖRV President Harald Mayer. “But against the background of the definitive cancellation of two stages and the current major economic uncertainties with enormous inflation rates, boxing through the tour would be irresponsible and unrealistic.” According to Mayer, the “ARGE Österreich Rundfahrt” should now be created, which should develop suitable structures for the new event.
Felix Gall, currently 36th overall. The best Austrian at the Giro d’Italia also regretted the cancellation for personal reasons: “The Tour of Austria would have been my next highlight. I was really looking forward to it because it would have been my first participation. The Tour is extremely important for Austrian cycling “The fact that the tour has not been organized for the third time in a row is a bit of an indictment for Austrian cycling.”
Source: Nachrichten
