Does cycling have a PR problem?

Hobbes@spnb&s.com said:

Our peerless leader, Pat McQuaid has spoken and my how he speaks.

"The UCI would very much like to denounce the actions of Doctor Eisenmann in
this situation, because it seems to us that she is following a strategy which is
political and commercial," he said.

"From the political point of view, she has her own political ambitions and she
is following a certain strategy in using these events for that purpose. From a
commercial point of view, it is important that you know that the organisation
here has still not paid a substantial sum of money to the UCI in relation to the
contract for this event. It would seem to the UCI that she is trying to use
certain actions here to attempt to find a way out of that commitment."

"It would seem also to us that Ms. Eisenmann is very much using the problems of
doping - which is a very, very complex problem in the sport - to advance her own
personal political strategy. From the point of the view of the UCI, an attitude
such as this is very dangerous and I think that everybody should bear that in
mind."http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/worlds07/?id=/features/2007/UCIb...

I can't believe anyone in the his position would make that sort of allegation.
Could you see Tagliabue talking about anybody in a host city like that?
Presidents of organizations make nice and let their lawyers make any needed
allegations.

She's trying to get riders excluded from Worlds because they haven't
signed off on whatever toothless anti-doping pledge of the month.
Imagine if the mayor of Cleveland tried to get Cincinnati's star
football
players suspended before a game (OK, maybe Cincinnati's players
deserve it. Suppose the mayor of the Super Bowl host city tried to
get players excluded because he didn't like the cut of their jib.)
Tagliabue wouldn't put up with having mayors or sports ministers
interfere with his league. He would probably resist it more
effectively than McQuack, but for once McQuaid is not in the
wrong here.

email hidden said:

Hobbes@spnb&s.com said:

Our peerless leader, Pat McQuaid has spoken and my how he speaks.

"The UCI would very much like to denounce the actions of Doctor Eisenmann in
this situation, because it seems to us that she is following a strategy which is
political and commercial," he said.

"From the political point of view, she has her own political ambitions and she
is following a certain strategy in using these events for that purpose. From a
commercial point of view, it is important that you know that the organisation
here has still not paid a substantial sum of money to the UCI in relation to the
contract for this event. It would seem to the UCI that she is trying to use
certain actions here to attempt to find a way out of that commitment."

"It would seem also to us that Ms. Eisenmann is very much using the problems of
doping - which is a very, very complex problem in the sport - to advance her own
personal political strategy. From the point of the view of the UCI, an attitude
such as this is very dangerous and I think that everybody should bear that in
mind."http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/worlds07/?id=/features/2007/UCIb...

I can't believe anyone in the his position would make that sort of allegation.
Could you see Tagliabue talking about anybody in a host city like that?
Presidents of organizations make nice and let their lawyers make any needed
allegations.

She's trying to get riders excluded from Worlds because they haven't
signed off on whatever toothless anti-doping pledge of the month.
Imagine if the mayor of Cleveland tried to get Cincinnati's star
football
players suspended before a game (OK, maybe Cincinnati's players
deserve it. Suppose the mayor of the Super Bowl host city tried to
get players excluded because he didn't like the cut of their jib.)
Tagliabue wouldn't put up with having mayors or sports ministers
interfere with his league. He would probably resist it more
effectively than McQuack, but for once McQuaid is not in the
wrong here.

I'm not saying he shouldn't be fighting this, but all the meaningless whack
about motives and politics is not helpful. This is a question of fairness and
following rules, something that the organizer and sanctioning body must do as
well as the athlete. That's the angle he should be pushing. Not speculations
about why.

Hobbes said:

"It would seem also to us that Ms. Eisenmann is very much using the problems of
doping - which is a very, very complex problem in the sport - to advance her own
personal political strategy. From the point of the view of the UCI, an attitude
such as this is very dangerous and I think that everybody should bear that in
mind."
http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/worlds07/?id=/features/2007/UCIbettini_worlds07

For once McQuaid may be right. Perhaps several million McQuaid's
might be able to create Hamlet if allowed to type at will for
several million years.