The Isle of Wight Council says that it will always entertain a proposal to bring the Tour of Britain back to the Isle of Wight, but that no formal negotiations have been entered. It has been suggested in trade publications that the Council has a continued desire to host a stage of the Tour of Britain. It follows the cancellation of the Tour finale in September 2022 due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II, which left the local authority £350,000 out of pocket as organisers Sweetspot did not have insurance in place to cover a cancellation forced by the death of a senior member of the Royal Family, as such insurance was ‘prohibitively expensive’ and ‘commercially unviable’. The sudden cancellation came as a devastating blow for the Island as the event had already been pushed back from 2021 due to the COVID pandemic and was expected to bring more than £4million into the local economy. Since then, Sweetspot has filed for voluntary liquidation after British Cycling terminated the company’s rights to organise the Tour over a financial dispute. British Cycling is now running the Tour. 
“Councillors continue to interested in considering the options and we would always entertain a proposal from British Cycling, but at this stage no further formal negotiations or dates have yet to be agreed”.
It’s previously been stated that the Isle of Wight doesn’t want to host a mid-week stage, preferring a grand finale on the garden isle.
Very fitting as it is April fools Day.
No bigger fools than the Isle Of Wight council….
Don’t bother !!!!!!!
Enough hassle with all the roadworks we don’t want more diversions or rd closures …
So having wasted £350000 these cretins in county hall want to throw more money away for a bunch of lycra clad clowns to block our roads
Excellent ! Another opportunity for our council to pi** away our money
Absolutely no! The council wasted enough on this non event last time, and the last thing the island needs is more lycra clad idiots clogging up our roads when it will bring zero benefit.
Yep I can see the council repeating their costly mistake yet again, perhaps you ight to invest a few bob this time in cancellation insurance
Ban it. Roads a disgrace.
Glimmer of Hope? Who’s hoping, not many judging by these comments. Sick of this council sinking money into projects with no return for the mass public. Stop it!
No not again, don’t this stupidly moronic council ever learn anything. We don’t need these lycra clad idiots wobbling about on our dwindling road system.
We already have the freeloading OAPS coming over on 5 May to terrorise pedestrians, horses, cars and buses. When will the Council learn that it is 2024 not 1954 when cycling was almost the only form of affordable transport.
Nowadays the lycra louts of all ages spend a couple of grand on their bike and “kit”. They never spend much money here. The last Randonee over 3,000 L.L.s spent £14,000 between them. Cheapskates.
Can i just correct Simmos comment.At the last Randonnee enough funds were generated by the entrants to share £14k amongst local charities.
Hi Vic, that is not “correcting” my comment. It is confirming it. Over 3000 “cyclists” attended and raised £14,000. When “cyclists” are tight enough to contribute £4.66 p.p. towards local charities, then quite honestly, they should not be asked back.
A shame that simmo thinks 14k to charities is not worth it! I’m sure the recipients appreciate the donations. Of course, many of the riders stop at cafes and stay in local B&Bs etc. The sweeping generalisation that cyclists spend ‘a couple of grand’ on bikes and ‘kit’ is simply wrong, many riders buy second hand machines and use them to find honest work at a time when running a car is beyond some folk.
I think the real reason the money was lost was due to the Death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth. We all had to cough up to support the pomp and rigmarole of a fitting send off for the head of the cabal of nonces, ponces and social media chancers. Nobody thought that was a waste of money did they? Billions of pounds over successive generations and still they come, freeloading. The council could do nothing to stop it. Just because you don’t like the cycling doesn’t negate it’s value to many, many others. You do what you do and others will try to accommodate.it. But it’ll be a two-way contract. A little give and take.
Ding ding, coming through…….
Wasn’t anything to do with death if Queen, they had been looking for get out anyhow. The Queen wouldn’t of bothered either way. 90% of population too,she passed away like most of us will by old age,if she had been murdered then maybe different. Life should go on for those living.
But we don’t need it here anyhow thanks, enough road closures as is!
Well said Nay Sayer, … you can always tell when someone makes an intelligent and well argued point, it gets thumbs-downed, works every time ; )
I think the comments so far just about confirm the general feeling about this event – ‘No Way’…go & cycle your push bikes around a track somewhere & stop adding to the Island congestion. Already wasted £350,000 on something the majority of Island residents don’t want!
no… I think you’ll find it’s the thousands, and thousands of cars perpetually clogging all Island roads that are the real cause of congestion!
Your a sad lonely old man
I hope they will be riding extra strong mountain bikes given the disgusting state of most of our roads, if they have to go up George Street they will need new fillings and according to our wonderful Island Roads they have no plans to sort the disgusting road out.
Here the incompetent IWC go again .. better still take it out of their extortionate expenses
Another waste of Money, have they not learnt from before.
Whos an April fool ! Then lo!!!!!
The Island is not a safe place for cyclists
Build cycle lanes first.
No thank you. Don’t want the island turned in to a cycling mecca. Bad enough trying to negotiate all the cyclists we have already, ignoring the cycle paths and holding traffic for miles.
Too late, it’s already a cyclists mecca, great place to enjoy a spin in the countryside, and the coastal views are fab too!
I’ve never seen a report of a bike upside on the island roads. Cars? Yes. Every other day, sometimes twice in a day. Causing traffic problems for miles. Cyclists blocking roads you say? Hmm.