“Aspen approves money for Quiznos cycling event” |
| Aspen approves money for Quiznos cycling event Posted: 08 Mar 2011 09:52 AM PST ASPEN — Following nearly an hour of discussion that included concerns over spending money on an untried special event, the Aspen City Council unanimously voted to approve a $190,000 contract to assist a company with the upcoming Quiznos Pro Challenge professional cycling competition. The event is scheduled to be held in Colorado from Aug. 22-28. Approval of the $190,000 contract with Classic Bicycle Racing LLC during Monday's regular council meeting means that Aspen will host the final stage for the inaugural competition. The Aspen Chamber Resort Association is covering $50,000 of the contract amount, with the city obligated to pick up the remaining $140,000 unless money can be raised from private sources to offset the financial burden. Supporters say the event will help bring business to Aspen during the late summer slowdown. The local lodging community has already pledged to cover around $200,000 worth of room fees, spread over Aug. 23-24, for the pro-cycling tour. There's also a chance that Classic Bicycle Racing won't need the full $190,000 listed in the contract, the city's special events director, Nancy Lesley, told council members. Mayor Mick Ireland, an avid cyclist, defended the expenditure and expressed optimism that the event will be successful. "The $190,000 is not a one-year investment, it's a long-term investment," he said. "And it's not the net-net cost because we have the ability to offset that with donations and sponsorships." Ireland acknowledged the risk, saying he doesn't know whether the total cost can be offset through sponsorships in the event's first year. "I don't know whether X Games broke even the first year and I know Food and Wine Classic did not," he said. "And the city put up $5,000 for [the first year of] Food and Wine which today would be like $25,000 with inflation, and look what it's produced." Ireland noted that the Aspen Area Community Plan, a guiding and regulatory document for the city and county, seeks ways in which the area can sustain its local tourism economy. "I think you do it by not only special events but by projecting an image to the world as a place that people want to come and visit — not necessarily come and buy a piece of and leave empty behind — but come and visit and be a part of. And bicycling is a great opportunity for us as a community because we have great cycling available to us," Ireland said. "We have the infrastructure to support cycling in a way a lot of other communities do not." Though he ended up voting to support the contract, Councilman Steve Skadron questioned the fairness of comparing the expectations for the Quiznos Pro Challenge with other successful local events such as Aspen Fashion Week and the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen. "There's a significant difference between all of those events and this one," he said. "The difference is, every one of those events has the Aspen name in it, and this does not. …This is the Quiznos Pro Challenge that may or may not come through Aspen next year." Despite his reservations, Skadron decided to support the contract, saying he was persuaded by "the response from the lodging community. They so quickly stepped up and offered their rooms." The seven-stage Quiznos event will bring 128 riders from Gunnison to Aspen on Aug. 24 via a route that takes them over Cottonwood and Independence passes. Organizers hope to arrange several days of professional women's racing leading up to the arrival of the Quiznos riders. The Quiznos Pro Challenge is expected to receive worldwide media attention, although officials have not said which network has agreed to provide regular coverage of the event. In addition, the council also approved an agreement that pays Aspen Skiing Co. $30,000 to help the city host the Aug. 24 event. The "services agreement" designates the Skico as the co-lead organizer. "Staff feels that by partnering with the Aspen Skiing Company to co-manage the event, we have a winning situation," Lesley wrote in a memo to council members, citing the Skico's extensive experience with major special events. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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