Marmotte Gran Fondo cycling event in Kilmarnock is postponed until Spring 2017
Organisers have re -arranged the Gran Fondo as they look to secure a UCI Gran Fondo World Series (UGFWS) status license.
A second major cycling event earmarked to take over East Ayrshire roads has been postponed until next spring.
The Marmotte Gran Fondo Ecosse was due to take place in September, but this week it became the second major cycling event to have been put back in just two months.
Organisers have re -arranged the Gran Fondo as they look to secure a UCI Gran Fondo World Series (UGFWS) status license.
Malcolm Smith, of Very Cool Events, added: “In practical terms, (gaining the license) means that Scottish cyclists will have the opportunity to qualify for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships (UGFWC), which are being held in Albi, France, in 2017, without leaving Scotland.
“The UGFWS calendar was due to be published on July 1 which would have given us three months to market the event with the UGFWS status, just about enough time to do a good job of promotion.
“The calendar is still not published and we don’t know when it will be published – therefore we decided it was in the interests of the event to postpone it.”
The cancellation was decided after consultation with Scottish Cycling, the UCI and East Ayrshire Council.
In June, the Scottish National 25–Mile Time Trial Championship was cancelled after a mix-up between organisers, Scottish Cycling, and the Ayrshire Roads Alliance over roadworks.
Promoted by the Braveheart Cycling Fund, the two-day Gran Fondo was due to take place over the weekend of September 24 and 25, and would have seen around 600 run over a 20km distance on the Saturday.
The Saturday of the event was due to host a spectacular mass participation time-trial over closed roads.
This was to be followed by the UK’s first Marmotte Gran Fondo on the Sunday, which would see up to 8000 racers ride over fully closed roads over 137km, including 1535m of demanding climbs.