North Star Grand Prix Bicycle Race Cancelled

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Due to a budget deficit, the North Star Grand Prix cancelled their annual Minnesota bicycle race festival. The decision comes after unsuccessfully crowdfunding the multi-day June event, which was set to take place across three courses in Minneapolis, St. Paul and Stillwater.

The race organizers started a GoFundMe page to save the race from being cancelled. They asked for $200 thousand by May 3, but only $12 thousand was raised. The organizers say donors will be refunded.

This year's event was set to be the first-ever Union Cycliste International women's cycling event and anticipated hosting various national champions. North Star Grand Prix says they have hosted 32 Olympians to date.

This will mark the second cancellation in a row. Last year's Minneapolis road construction combined with "resource and fiscal factors" prompted 2018's cancellation, race director Brendon Hale said.

The North Star Grand Prix began as the Nature Valley Grand Prix in 1999, changing sponsorship in 2013.