Somerset could withdraw from Tour of Britain 16/09/2010 |
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The Tour of Britain cycle race could bypass Somerset in future years after the county council said it may not renew its sponsorship.
The county hosts two stages of the race each year in a five-year contract worth £775,000.
But with the council being £350m in debt, councillor Christine Lawrence said it would be difficult to find the money to support it.
"I'd like to think we can [continue with the event] but if we can't, people will have to understand that perhaps it was a step too far and for that I will be very sorry,” she added.
Tour organisers point out that the event brought in £6m to the local economy last year.
The tour's chief executive Hugh Roberts said its impact was "immeasurable".
"I think we can demonstrate to the people of Somerset that from the point of view of attracting tourism, we can easily justify their investment that they make,” he said.
"Now the economic environment is improving, we need to work with local organisations to get them to invest."
Formal discussions for the Tour's contract renewal have not yet begun.
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