From cyclingnews.com
Grand Tours say no to Pro Tour
By Jeff Jones
There has been a dramatic development in the UCI's proposed
superleague - the Pro Tour - which is due to come into being next
season. The organisers of the three grand Tours: the Tour de France,
Giro d'Italia and Vuelta España, apparently want no part of it, which
would seriously jeopardize its status.
Cyclingnews' Martin Hardie spoke to a number of the Spanish team
directors at the start of the Vuelta's 20th stage this morning in La
Vega de Alcobendas, who all independently confirmed that the
organisers of the three tours and several one day classics (A.S.O.,
RCS Sport and Unipublic) sent a letter to the UCI this morning stating
that they not want their races to be on the Pro Tour calendar.
Unipublic has also confirmed it on its website.
Given that the three major tours net most of cycling's media coverage,
this would effectively end the Pro Tour unless the organisers can come
to a last minute agreement with the UCI when they meet next week in
Verona.
The Pro Tour's aim is to take professional cycling to another level,
with a select number of teams (18 next year) with big budgets and big
rosters being made to ride all of cycling's major events. This would
provide guarantees to the team sponsors, who would know in advance
what kind of return they can get for their money. The idea has been
criticised from the start, but it seemed that the UCI was pressing
ahead regardless. However, with much of cycling's power in the hands
of three major organisers, it's clear that they had to give their
stamp of approval as well for the Pro Tour to fly.
Thanks,
Ronde Chimp