I have just pulled the following report off soc.bicycles.racing
It's dated April 7th so I assume it's not an April 1st prank:
"Resort scraps Killington Stage Race"
<snip>...after years of spending large amounts of
money on an event (whose) demographics didn't match
Killington's, it was time to move on to other events that
focus on Killington's core visitor."
Jackson described "core visitors" as skiers and snowboarders.
http://rutlandherald.nybor.com/News/Story/23946.html
April 7, 2001
By BOB FREDETTE Herald Staff
The "Beast" is dead.
The Killington Stage Race, a widely popular part of
Vermont's late-summer tapestry of events during the last
three decades, has been dropped by the Eastern ski
resort.
The "Beast of the East," so named for its grueling climbs,
five-day format and attractiveness to the country's top
men and women professional cyclists, brought thousands
of cyclists and spectators to the Killington region since
its inception in 1986.
But Killington, which assumed control of the event from
race founder Breakaway Promotions in the mid-90s,
says the KSR has consistently lost money.
"Each year the stage race typically didn't produce any
better than a net loss of around $50,000 and the
event is very labor intensive. It was all hands on deck,"
Killington spokesperson Kim Jackson said Friday.
"I am truly saddened to see the event end as it puts us all
in touch with an enormous group of wonderful people,"
race director Debbie Makowsky wrote in a press
release.
"Plus it was great fun to pull together. It is unfortunate
for the cycling community to lose such a stellar event;
however, it became clearly evident from a business
standpoint after years of spending large amounts of
money on an event (whose) demographics didn't match
Killington's, it was time to move on to other events that
focus on Killington's core visitor."
Jackson described "core visitors" as skiers and
snowboarders.
The race not only showcased top professional talent like
Mike Engleman, Frankie McCormack, Tyler Hamilton,
George Hincappie and Linda Jackson, but included
classes that allowed amateur cyclists to compete.
Thousands of riders participated in the KSR during its
15-year-history.
The KSR earned the reputation early in its run as one of
the top - if not the top - stage races in the country. Its
eventual five-day format included a steep prologue climb
up the Killington Access Road, a treacherous ascent
over the Brandon Gap as part of the Brandon Gap
Race, and the popular criterium race through downtown
Rutland the Sunday before Labor Day. The Rutland
business district would teem with spectators and be
virtually ablaze in colors worn by members of teams like
Shaklee, Team Timex, the U.S. Postal Service and
Coors Light.
In an effort to make the race more financially viable,
Killington pared back the format to three stages in 1999.
But sources close to the race have said that as the title
sponsor of the race, Killington was never able to secure
the kind of outside sponsorship money that would offset
the races' losses.
Killington staff members would begin work "four to five
months prior to the event itself," Jackson said. "We
would start in February working with the community.
Everyone had to work hard to be able to get it together
for that weekend."
Staff writer Chuck Clarino contributed to this story.
--
Avery Burdett
Ottawa, Ontario
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