The final day of the UCI World Championships began at University of Richmond on Sunday, Sept. 27. Although railings, TV trucks and corporate logos were scattered around campus on the morning of the race, nearly all of the infrastructure was disassembled within hours of the cyclists’ departure.
Footage of the race will be used to sell the university as a premier institution to potential students, Cynthia Price, the university’s director of media and public relations, said. Because professional cycling is so popular outside of the U.S., Richmond expects the race to increase its recognition among potential international students, she said.
The only alterations to campus that remained in the days following the race were the new banners on Boatwright Drive, which will remain permanently, and the removal of five speed bumps on the course, which will return shortly, Price said.
Porta-potties were added to campus as a security measure, Price said. Without them, spectators would have likely attempted to enter secured campus buildings, she said.
More so than adding infrastructure for the race, the university focused its efforts on the communication aspect of hosting the event, Price said. The public relations department had photographers and videographers present to document the event and hosted a series of cycling-related activities, such as the Presidential 5-k bike ride, a bike repair seminar in the forum, a bike-themed lunch in the Heilman Dining Center and two exercise classes offered by the Weinstein Center for Recreation and Wellness, leading up to the race as a part of spirit week, she said.
Although campus did not experience much change in terms of infrastructure and logistics, the City of Richmond did.
The event far exceeded crowd predictions, with about 645,000 spectators – almost 200,000 more people than organizers expected – attending the event, according to the Times-Dispatch.
With 6,808 total passengers, Monday, Sept. 28, was the busiest day at the Richmond International Airport in more than seven years, according to a Richmond Times-Dispatch article. Roughly 5,000 passengers use the airport on an average Monday, according to the same article.
Although no major traffic problems arose following the event, road closures remained throughout the week following the race, according to another Richmond Times-Dispatch article. Much of the infrastructure required for the race such as railings and signs remained during the days following the event, according to the article.
The City of Richmond Mayor’s Office could not be reached for a comment regarding the economic impact of the race, but a Richmond Times-Dispatch article indicated that the race was estimated to bring $158 million of stimulation to the area.
Contact reporter Hunter Ross at hunter.ross@richmond.edu
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