Photo by {ryan}.

In a bit of a letdown for local cycling aficionados, promoters of the Giro d’Italia announced today that the professional cycling race will kick off its 2012 installment in Denmark, not the District. How do you say “well, that sucks” in Danish? Ahh yes — nå, der suger.

As you may recall, in late 2009 and early 2010, city officials and race promoters toyed with the idea of bringing the race — one of only three Grand Tours in pro cycling — across the Atlantic for its opening stages. Things got serious enough that race director Angelo Zomegnan even flew over for an event at the Italian Embassy with then-mayor Adrian Fenty, where senior city officials touted the race as a big boost for the local economy.

Alas, it wasn’t to be. There’s no clear indication as to why the decision to come to the District was set aside, but it’s likely a mix of factors. First off, with Fenty gone, there’s no real political champion for the cause. But it’s far more likely that the whole endeavor was a little far-fetched, logistically. The Giro is a grueling three-week-long race, and flying close to 200 cyclists, their equipment and support staff over to the U.S. for two stages never seemed terribly practical.

It’s still a bummer, though. Cycling is a beautiful sport, and seeing the world’s best race around the District would have been memorable.