MORE work must go into determining the negative effects of cycling events which were staged in Monmouthshire last year, councillors said yesterday.

While they were generally positive of the impact of the 2014 British Cycling National Road Championships and the Tour of Britain had on the county, they said figures given to them in reports only showed the benefits of Monmouthshire hosting them and not lessons to be learned.

It is estimated the events boosted the county’s economy by £2.76million – but documents reveal the council’s tourism budget is currently £115,000 in the red, and that £37,000 savings in the 2014/15 budget are yet to be made. This is due to costs supporting the cycling events and problems with its tourism services, especially at Caldicot Castle.

Councillor Alan Wintle, who represents Drybridge and is a member of the council’s economy and development select committee, where the figures were presented, said: “There are lots of lovely positives – but we’ve got none of the negatives. We don’t know what we’ve got to avoid to go forward.”

While Councillor David Dovey, who represents St Kingsmark in Chepstow, said: “If we had to pay for the exposure we got from these recent cycling events in the commercial world, we would have been nowhere near it.

“But I’m concerned about these events: have we the resources for them? We struggle for accommodation in Chepstow.”

The council’s head of tourism, leisure and culture Ian Saunders said: “If you take the road race championships, it was such a great week of cycling, and it brought a huge number into the county.

“From a cycling side, British Cycling was thrilled with what we delivered. And it resonated across the country, what a great job Monmouthshire did.”

Councillors were shown that at the third stage of the Tour of Britain between Newtown and Govilon in June, there were 35,000 spectators who are thought to have spent an average of £57.58 when the race was held on September 9.

And last June the National Road Championships were held in the county for the second time. Monmouthshire hosted the Women’s Elite Road Race Championships and the British Men’s Elite Time Trial Championships, and stars including Geraint Thomas and Laura Trott raced.

Abergavenny also stages its annual festival of cycling which attracts thousands of visitors to the town.