Giro and Vuelta to be reduced? The advisory council for professional cycling has declared that the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España will have to be reduced from 23 to 18 days next year, in order to fit into the UCI's Pro Tour calendar. The idea, which will have a significant effect on two of the three grand tours of the season, also has support from the teams association.
"During our meetings this has certainly been put forward," said Rabobank's team manager Theo de Rooij to De Telegraaf. "In this way it would be better for us to finish off our season. At the moment, the UCI Pro Tour calendar is over-full."
Giro and Vuelta to be reduced? The advisory council for professional cycling has declared that the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España will have to be reduced from 23 to 18 days next year, in order to fit into the UCI's Pro Tour calendar. The idea, which will have a significant effect on two of the three grand tours of the season, also has support from the teams association.
"During our meetings this has certainly been put forward," said Rabobank's team manager Theo de Rooij to De Telegraaf. "In this way it would be better for us to finish off our season. At the moment, the UCI Pro Tour calendar is over-full."
Giro and Vuelta to be reduced? The advisory council for professional cycling has declared that the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España will have to be reduced from 23 to 18 days next year, in order to fit into the UCI's Pro Tour calendar. The idea, which will have a significant effect on two of the three grand tours of the season, also has support from the teams association.
"During our meetings this has certainly been put forward," said Rabobank's team manager Theo de Rooij to De Telegraaf. "In this way it would be better for us to finish off our season. At the moment, the UCI Pro Tour calendar is over-full."
I don't think the Giro organizers will accept this. 5 stages less means too less money from the cities willing to host a stage depart or arrival, particularly now that the Giro has many requests from Central and Eastern Europe towns. The Giro organizers were already concerned about the fact that with all the "pro tour" teams entering the race they wouldn't have enough wild card slots for minor Italian teams. If obliged to reduce the number of stages, I am sure the Giro would pull out of the "pro tour" as a few major Italian teams are already planning to do. With all the teams in Italy and quite a few East Europe teams there will be enough riders to organize a parallel pro-season. We will go back to the situation of the early '80s, when Italian teams and West Europe ones only met in the springtime classics, while they rode different schedules for the rest of the year.
I don't think this would be a really bad situation. Italian cycling has enough of a structure to survive on his own.
Giro and Vuelta to be reduced? The advisory council for professional cycling has declared that the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España will have to be reduced from 23 to 18 days next year, in order to fit into the UCI's Pro Tour calendar. The idea, which will have a significant effect on two of the three grand tours of the season, also has support from the teams association.
"During our meetings this has certainly been put forward," said Rabobank's team manager Theo de Rooij to De Telegraaf. "In this way it would be better for us to finish off our season. At the moment, the UCI Pro Tour calendar is over-full."
I don't think the Giro organizers will accept this. 5 stages less means too less money from the cities willing to host a stage depart or arrival, particularly now that the Giro has many requests from Central and Eastern Europe towns. The Giro organizers were already concerned about the fact that with all the "pro tour" teams entering the race they wouldn't have enough wild card slots for minor Italian teams. If obliged to reduce the number of stages, I am sure the Giro would pull out of the "pro tour" as a few major Italian teams are already planning to do. With all the teams in Italy and quite a few East Europe teams there will be enough riders to organize a parallel pro-season. We will go back to the situation of the early '80s, when Italian teams and West Europe ones only met in the springtime classics, while they rode different schedules for the rest of the year.
I don't think this would be a really bad situation. Italian cycling has enough of a structure to survive on his own.
The time has come to tell the UCI that their antics are not acceptable abd that if the schedule is not returned to its Status Quo in time for the new 2005 season, clubs from the highest and lowest levels will be meeting to form a new more democratic organization,
There's a guy with chip on his shoulder from Montreal who has already indicated his willingness to head up the new International Governing Body,
Giro and Vuelta to be reduced? The advisory council for professional cycling has declared that the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España will have to be reduced from 23 to 18 days next year, in order to fit into the UCI's Pro Tour calendar. The idea, which will have a significant effect on two of the three grand tours of the season, also has support from the teams association.
"During our meetings this has certainly been put forward," said Rabobank's team manager Theo de Rooij to De Telegraaf. "In this way it would be better for us to finish off our season. At the moment, the UCI Pro Tour calendar is over-full."
I don't think the Giro organizers will accept this. 5 stages less means too less money from the cities willing to host a stage depart or arrival, particularly now that the Giro has many requests from Central and Eastern Europe towns. The Giro organizers were already concerned about the fact that with all the "pro tour" teams entering the race they wouldn't have enough wild card slots for minor Italian teams. If obliged to reduce the number of stages, I am sure the Giro would pull out of the "pro tour" as a few major Italian teams are already planning to do. With all the teams in Italy and quite a few East Europe teams there will be enough riders to organize a parallel pro-season. We will go back to the situation of the early '80s, when Italian teams and West Europe ones only met in the springtime classics, while they rode different schedules for the rest of the year.
I don't think this would be a really bad situation. Italian cycling has enough of a structure to survive on his own.
The time has come to tell the UCI that their antics are not acceptable abd that if the schedule is not returned to its Status Quo in time for the new 2005 season, clubs from the highest and lowest levels will be meeting to form a new more democratic organization,
There's a guy with chip on his shoulder from Montreal who has already indicated his willingness to head up the new International Governing Body,
What if the fans boycotted the sport? Stupid, because how could it work, but WTF can a fan do?
