UCI Road World Championships Could Cost Host Ponferrada Up To €9.3M

Spain's Popular Party's Municipal Group in Ponferrada presented a claim against Ponferrada Mayor Samuel Folgueral for "impeding access to documentation" of the 2014 Int'l Cycling Union (UCI) Road World Championships, held in the city from Sept. 21-28, according to J.A. Ezquerro of AS. Six months after the race, "financial figures have not been published," but race organizer Fundación del Deporte said its losses have reached €2.7M ($2.9M). Folgueral had assured there would be a study, "and this unfulfilled promise caused the PP to take the issue to the courts for 'obstruction of the right to information.'" Sources from the PP "also indicated that the accounts do not show" the €5M paid to the UCI, €600,000 paid to municipal employees for extra hours and another €1M invested in works to prepare the city. This adds €6.6M to the Fundación del Deporte's €2.7M, "for a total of €9.3M, which could rise even more" (AS, 3/18).