SAN FRANCISCO – The Golden Gate Bridge and famed cable cars won’t serve as a backdrop for the 2016 Olympics. San Francisco dropped out of the running for the Summer Games, leaving Los Angeles and Chicago as the only possible American candidates.

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley said earlier in the day before San Francisco’s formal announcement that his city’s plan is in “very, very good shape.” He said Chicago’s transportation systems, including two major airports, helps give it a leg up on Los Angeles.

San Francisco abandoned its Olympic bid Monday after plans for a new bayfront stadium collapsed when the city’s NFL team said it intended to move to Silicon Valley.

John York, owner of the San Francisco 49ers, told city officials last week he was breaking off negotiations for a new stadium at Candlestick Point and was considering a move to Santa Clara.

“There’s been a tremendous amount of uncertainty created around the stadium process which has made our bid untenable,” said Peter Ragone, spokesman for San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom.

Scott Givens, managing director and chief executive officer of the San Francisco 2016 Bid Committee, said the 49ers’ decision created a “perceptual gap” that hurt the city’s reputation in the eyes of the Olympic committee.

“The damage has been done and the damage can’t be pulled back,” he said.

Following last week’s announcement, the bid committee said it would try to find a new location for marquee events, including the opening and closing ceremonies and track and field competition.

The International Olympic Committee will select the host city in 2009. Madrid, Spain; New Delhi; Prague, Czech Republic; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Rome; and Tokyo are among those to have expressed interest. The Summer Olympics will be in Beijing in 2008 and London in 2012.