The end of RAGBRAI?

The fight to save RAGBRAI is being lead by the IBC, Iowa Bicycling Coalition. That has me wondering.....Is The Register leadership concerned about potentially alienating some advertisers, some of whom probably don't support RAGBRAI, and would probably be more satisfied with 10,000+ cyclists avoiding their county (RAGBRAI is under the Register's Marketing Department)? Or is The Register concerned about liability? Duffy blogged about this, but you won't find anything on the RAGBRAI website, and there hasn't been a formal editorial yet (that I've seen, there was a blurb in Sunday's Roses/Thistles column).

Just makes me wonder...maybe they're thinking RAGBRAI has served its purpose which was initially to give two columnists somethig to write about, but then became a way to promote the brand, sell advertising, and bring in some additional non-advertising revenue. Cycling just happened to be the sport. I hope I am completely wrong on this.