THE loss of the Tour Series cycling stage in Aberystwyth won’t hit the popularity of Aberystwyth’s CycleFest with a replacement event even providing the opportunity for greater coverage in Wales, councillors have claimed.

The shock announcement that a stage of the Pearl Izumi Tour Series event would not be returning to Aberystwyth was made on St David’s Day, resulted in the organisers creating a Ceredigion Grand Prix.

Ceredigion council members said this would be a coup for the event and replace the lost tour series stage.

The 2016 Tour Series stage is estimated to have led to 5,000 people visiting Aberystwyth with the local economy seeing a boost of almost £300,000.

Councillors praised the work of Aberystwyth CycleFest and said they thought .

Cllr Gareth Lloyd, the council’s economic development Cabinet member, said: “The event will be the same effectively, but it won’t be part of the Pearl Izumi event. Hopefully the event will be able to attract people to the area. It makes sure we have an event and hopefully it’s something that people will support.”

The council had agreed to find funding of £66,000 to pay for the tour series event, and Cabinet members have backed a request from Aberystwyth CycleFest to provide funding of £20,000 toward the replacement event with organisers saying they will be trying to find financial backing from other sources as well.

Huw Morgan, the highways director, said while the tour series stage was televised on ITV4, it was hoped that the replacement event could attract greater TV coverage across Wales from Welsh TV channels.

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