Varese 2008 in trouble

The organiser of the 2008 UCI Road World Championships, to be held in the Italian town of Varese, has struck a problem - the planned renovations of the 'le Bettole' racecourse have drawn to a halt and are not expected to continue. The use of the facility was one of the deciding factors for Varese being awarded the championships and without it the organisers have admitted that they have "a serious obstacle".

The UCI has met with the organising committee to discuss the missing signature of one of the four signatories - that of Guido Borghi. Borghi has stated that the facility will not be available between August 11 and October 15, 2008, despite a letter on April 18, 2007 from Antonino Giacobbe, the managing director of the company that manages the Bettole Racecourse, to the city council confirming the organisation's willingness to let the facility to be used.

The UCI has asked the organisers to guarantee within two weeks the actual availability of all the necessary conditions that were provided for in the candidacy dossier, including racecourse's use. Once the two-week deadline passes, the UCI and the organising committee will come to a definitive conclusion regarding the 2008 World Championships' future.