Pat McQuaid has abandoned all hope of bringing the world cycling championships to Ireland in 2004, after he received official confirmation yesterday from Bord Fβilte that they will offer only £1 million of the £2.7 million sought in state funding.

A frustrated McQuaid said that "it would be simply impossible to stage the championships without proper state support, given that the total cost of bringing the event here would be £4.7 million." McQuaid is to contact cycling's world governing body, the UCI, next week to inform them that Ireland is withdrawing its bid for the championships, which were expected to bring a minimum of 25,000 spectators to Kerry and be watched by a TV audience of 300 million. "It would have been a huge boost to the economy," McQuaid asserted. "I feel that Bord Fβilte has turned down a big opportunity, and at a time when there are calls for the predicted shortfall in American businesses to be made up through increased targeting of European markets."

"There is massive disappointment down here," said Paddy O'Callaghan of the world championship organising committee in Killarney. "Tourism has been badly affected by foot and mouth, and now the recent events in America mean that things will be getting even more difficult. There are a lot of people under pressure and bringing the world championships here would have been a huge boost."