ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 5, 1996 TAG: 9612050049
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DANIEL UTHMAN STAFF WRITER
DuPont, the global chemical, research and energy company, has reduced its product line by one cycling race and a year earlier than the company originally said.
On Wednesday, DuPont withdrew as a sponsor of the Tour DuPont, the multistage cycling event that has included the Roanoke and New River valleys for the past three years.
The loss of title sponsorship has jeopardized the 1997 race.
``We do have some questions whether the race will be up to the standards of the past,'' said Mac McCadden, president of Cycle Roanoke Valley, a local Tour DuPont organizing committee. ``We aren't going to put on an event that isn't'' up to snuff.
DuPont, the race's title sponsor for the past seven years, announced in July that it would drop its sponsorship after the 1997 race.
But Wednesday, John M. Murray, a DuPont brand manager, issued the company's official statement: ``We will discontinue our involvement with the Tour DuPont cycling event, effective immediately.
"DuPont will not sponsor the race in 1997 due to the fact that contractual obligations have not been met as a result of a lawsuit between the event's owners. This has resulted in six months of planning delays and the dissolution of the event's management team, which had provided continuity for the race.''
Cathy Andriadis, a DuPont spokeswoman, said the company's withdrawal Wednesday ``was a sudden decision, very sudden.''
In July, Michael Plant, president of race organizer Medalist Sports Inc., announced he no longer would be involved with the Tour DuPont. Plant said he wanted to put more time into his work as a vice president of Turner Sports Inc.
Plant founded the event - originally called the Tour De Trump for title sponsor Donald Trump - along with college basketball analyst Billy Packer in 1987. DuPont had a clause in its contract with Medalist that said it could withdraw its support immediately if Plant no longer was involved with the race.
Beyond Plant's departure, no DuPont officials would comment on what contractual obligations were not being met.
Delays in planning the 1997 race, however, have been evident. The 1996 race course was announced in July 1995. The 1997 race course has not been announced, although it was revealed this past week that the final stage would finish in Raleigh, N.C.
A source Wednesday said the 1997 race tentatively would include a stage from Wintergreen Resort to Roanoke and a stage from Blacksburg to Bristol.
Packer has succeeded Plant as the chief race organizer and has hired many of Plant's former Medalist employees to coordinate the event.
Packer and Plant reached an out-of-court settlement Nov.23 that said the event was Packer's to run and that Turner Sports, Medalist's parent company, could not run any events that would compete with or negatively affect Packer's race in terms of riders, scheduling or venues.
Plant disassociated himself from the event Nov.26, opening the door for DuPont to do the same.
DuPont's departure takes approximately $2.8million of funding and sponsorship money from the race.
Packer was not available for comment Wednesday, but according to a source who declined to be identified, he said he will spend the next two weeks trying to find as many as four national title sponsors to offset the loss of DuPont's money.
Telephone calls to Medalist's offices in Richmond on Wednesday were not answered.
Cycle Roanoke has sent Packer a list of questions on such topics as national sponsors, television coverage and other media promotions, the route and the finish.
Medalist officials have told Cycle Roanoke the teams have been invited and the race has been sanctioned for 1997 by Union Cycliste International, the sport's international governing body.
``It's obvious to me [Packer has] become intimately involved in the day-to-day operation,'' said Brian Duncan, a Cycle Roanoke vice president. ``At this point, we're working very closely with Billy. If anything comes through, we're fine. If not, we'll take a year sabbatical.''
LENGTH: Medium: 78 linesby CNB