It’s a stunning announcement that will also affect Nevada County’s economy. The Amgen Tour of California bicycle race has been discontinued, at least for next year. The abrupt announcement came from promoter A-E-G last week, which didn’t cite reasons, but almost assuredly had to do with lack of money and sponsorships. Local promoter, cyclist, and Nevada City City Council member Duane Strawser says he had just found out the day before the announcement, that Nevada City would have hosted one of the stages…

Strawser says the Nevada City stage would have been toward the end of the week-long event, and likely would have determined the outcome. There also would have been a Nevada City stage in the women’s race. Strawser says the loss is a double-whammy, because he was already out securing local sponsors…

The Tour of California was the last remaining world tour race in the United States, and had been operating for the last 14 years.

–gf