The wheels have come off Kirkcaldy’s involvement in a national cycling championship after Fife Council budget cuts forced funding for the event to be pulled.
Next year’s Pearl Izumi Tour Series will not roll into the kingdom after the local authority said the event did not represent good value for money.
The event, which attracted thousands of spectators to the town centre in May, has previously been hailed as a great opportunity for Kirkcaldy, attracting visitors and granting exposure to the local area on national television.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=vBNz7xIQZfc%3Frel%3D0
However, despite its increasing popularity, Fife Council has decided not to provide funding to allow a round of the championship to take place next year.
Councillor Neil Crooks, chairman of the Kirkcaldy area committee, has defended the decision, saying: “As budgets get tighter and tighter, the council has a duty to ensure every penny of money the area committee spends is done so wisely and gives the greatest return for the community and the area.
“It was great to see Kirkcaldy featured as part of the Tour Series. However, projected crowd numbers didn’t materialise from elsewhere and an evaluation carried out, where we consulted retailers, suggested investment did not give the value for money expected for the area.”
For more on this story, see Saturday’s Courier.