Tour of California canceled for 2020, race future in doubt
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Tour of California has been canceled for 2020, and race owner AEG is reevaluating whether to bring it back in the future.
The company said Tuesday it has become "more challenging" every year to stage the cycling road race featuring men's and women's events that traverse the state.
Kristin Klein, race president and executive vice president of AEG Sports, cited changing "business fundamentals" since the event began in 2006.
"This new reality has forced us to reevaluate our options," she said in a statement, "and we are actively assessing every aspect of our event to determine if there is a business model that will allow us to successfully relaunch the race in 2021."
The Tour of California is the only U.S.-based event with both its men's and women's races listed on the UCI WorldTour calendar and the only event of its kind to offer men's and women's stage races with equal prize money at the same time.
USA Cycling says it stands ready to rally support and resources to bring the event back in 2021.
