The Amstel Curaçao Race disappears from the cycling calendar. On Saturday, the race will bring the season to a close for a final time.

Despite the gobalization of cycling, the Amstel Curacao Race has reached its expiration day. Over the past two years, organizer Leo ban Vliet has realized that it is increasingly difficult to attract the big names to the race in Curacao. Ten years ago cycling was mainly a European affair but now the riders travel to exotic corners of the world thoruhgout the year to do races on the UCI calendar.

The Tour Down Under, the Tours of San Luis, Dubai, Qatar, Oman, Turkey, California and Beijing plus the Grands Prix Québec and Montréal have all achieved a prominent place on the calendar. This has made the season longer and the Amstel Curacao Race comes precisely in the only free month, November, and there are increasing sponsorship obligations for the riders too. This year, van Vliet was close to an agreement with the winner of the mountains and points jerseys from the Tour de France, Rafal Majka and Peter Sagan. However, both had to go to Tanzania with their Tinkoff-Saxo team to climb Kilimimanjaro as part of their team building process.

Last summer Tour de France winner Vincenzo Nibali also gave clear signs that he wanted to go to Curaçao. Eventually, his wife decided that their baby was too young for the travel.

"When I speak to the riders, I notice that there is lots of enthusiasm and interest. But in the end there are always other obligations which they can not skip. The schedule has become too busy," Van Vliet tells De Telegraaf.

Over the past two year, the Saitama Criterium in Japan has become a main rival. Immediately after the presentation of the new course for the Tour de France, organizers ASO fly all the stars to Japan and that race has a budget of 3.8 million euros. The race in Curacao is unable to match that.

Van Vliet says that his budget was never greater than 200,000 euros. Start Money to riders have never been paid and all the riders have just had economy tickets for their flights. In Japan, however, the riders get an entry fee that is paid in Europe and they fly on business class.

"There have been other initiatives, such races in Cancun and Abu Dhabi," Van Vliet adds. "Those races all died almost instantly. We have survived for thirteen years because everything is allowed. Many have likedthe relaxed atmosphere of the islan. Over ten years, we have had a big part of the world elite race on the island. Contador, Froome, Sagan, Cavendish, Kittel, Freire, Boonen, the Schleck brothers, Hushovd and all Dutch top riders. I can proudly look back on those years."