Tour of Alberta cancelled

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Organisers of the Tour of Alberta announced today that the five-year-old UCI 2.1 race will not return for a sixth run this year. The Alberta Peloton Association, the group that ran the race, is also dissolving. The race was scheduled for August 31-September 3.

"The ATB Tour of Alberta was one of North America's top cycling events and brought some of the world's best cyclists to the Province of Alberta," Board Chairman Jeffrey Hansen-Carlson said in a statement released by organisers.

"We are very proud of the positive impact this event has had in showcasing Alberta's people, communities, and landscapes to the world."

The race started in 2013 as a six-day event won by Rohan Dennis, who rode for Garmin-Sharp at the time. Peter Sagan won three stages that year and still holds the record for total stage wins. Daryl Impey won the race's second year in 2014, taking the lead from Tom Dumoulin on the final day by securing a time bonus in the final sprint.

Bauke Mollema won the race in 2015 ahead of Simon Yates, followed by Robin Carpenter's surprise win ahead of Mollema in 2016, when the race dropped to five days. Evan Huffman won the 2017 race after seizing the lead on the opening stage to Marmot Basin, but the race had dropped another day and slipped to just four stages.

"This decision did not come easily, however with the current economic conditions and decreases in traditional funding sources, we had no other option," Hansen-Carlson said. "We wish to express our sincere thanks to the partners, communities, vendors, volunteers, staff, cyclists, teams and fans that made the ATB Tour of Alberta a success over the last five years."

The Tour of Alberta grew from the hard work of a dedicated group that imagined how a professional cycling event would benefit the province and its people, according to today's announcement. Over five years, 29 Alberta communities have hosted over 525 professional cyclists representing 33 countries.