Six national federations oppose UCI ProTour

So, I guess the question really is, at least for me anyway, at what point do the federations decide to usurp the UCI, form their own governing body and tell the UCI to take a hike.

It's not unprecedented, especially in the United States where there's several governing bodies of cycling that operate -- and do so very effectively -- outside USAC.

Ask anyone from Oregon if they miss the USAC? A bunch of them will say, what's the USAC because in Oregon there's no need at all for the USAC.

The rumour mill says, either Verbruggen/McQuaid & co give up or there will be a split.

helmutRoole2 said:

So, I guess the question really is, at least for me anyway, at what point do the federations decide to usurp the UCI, form their own governing body and tell the UCI to take a hike.

It's not unprecedented, especially in the United States where there's several governing bodies of cycling that operate -- and do so very effectively -- outside USAC.

Ask anyone from Oregon if they miss the USAC? A bunch of them will say, what's the USAC because in Oregon there's no need at all for the USAC.

cyclingheroes said:

The rumour mill says, either Verbruggen/McQuaid & co give up or there will be a split.

Something needs to happen. Is stopping doping worth killing the sport?

Nope. Not in opinion.

helmutRoole2 said:

Something needs to happen. Is stopping doping worth killing the sport?

Nope. Not in opinion.

Stopping doping would (IMO) not kill the sport, as long as they do not use riders as a kind of hostages for their power struggle. If there was no doping the UCI and others could not do that. SDo IMO for the riders it would be better if there would be no doping problem. To achieve that you would have to replace 75% of all people who are running the sport... Hmmm sounds like a fairytale with a good end... :p

Tomorrow is the day. The round table of the 6 federations about an alternative for the Pro-Tour:

Alternativa al UCI ProTour

Al término de la presentación de la Vuelta de 2007, representantes de 6 federaciones nacionales (Francia, Italia, España, Bélgica, Luxemburgo y Austria) se reunirán (15:00 horas) en el Hotel Meliá Barajas de Madrid para debatir una alternativa al circuito UCI Pro Tour bajo su formato actual.

A esta conclusión llegaron dichas federaciones el pasado 30 de noviembre y 1 de diciembre en la reunión que mantuvieron en París.

En ella, las federaciones manifestaron su oposición formal al UCI Pro Tour y solicitaban "el establecimiento, en el plazo más breve posible, de una mesa redonda entre sus representantes y los demás actores del ciclismo (UCI, AIOCC, CPA, AIGCP) con el fin de llegar a una solución defendida por todos y no solamente por un núcleo restringido en el seno de la UCI".

esciclismo.comampliada.aspOpen ↗

helmutRoole2 said:

So, I guess the question really is, at least for me anyway, at what point do the federations decide to usurp the UCI, form their own governing body and tell the UCI to take a hike.

It's not unprecedented, especially in the United States where there's several governing bodies of cycling that operate -- and do so very effectively -- outside USAC.

Ask anyone from Oregon if they miss the USAC? A bunch of them will say, what's the USAC because in Oregon there's no need at all for the USAC.

What's USAC? 😉 OBRA (Oregon Bicycle Racing Association) 2007 License: $20 for road, track, and Oregon's absolutely awesome cyclocross.

The GT have decided to invite all 18 Pro Tour teams for 2007 , but they can refuse riders who can tarnish their races!
I bet some people need to change the name of the next TDF winner.
2007 is a transitionnal year after only 16 teams ( pro tour or not!) chose by results and 4 invited teams.

tcklyde said:

What's USAC? 😉 OBRA (Oregon Bicycle Racing Association) 2007 License: $20 for road, track, and Oregon's absolutely awesome cyclocross.

People don't believe it, but in the middle of summer, there three months where, if you race the track once a week, you can race every day inside the Portland metro area without having to even drive to the races.

poulidor said:

The GT have decided to invite all 18 Pro Tour teams for 2007 , but they can refuse riders who can tarnish their races!
I bet some people need to change the name of the next TDF winner.
2007 is a transitionnal year after only 16 teams ( pro tour or not!) chose by results and 4 invited teams.

Yeah Basso won't win, Ullrich will win.

cyclingheroes said:

The rumour mill says, either Verbruggen/McQuaid & co give up or there will be a split.

If they (ASO, Unipublic & RCS) split and created their own circuit, they would be taking most of the prestigious events from the UCI. [font=Helv]TdF, Giro, Vuelta, Paris-Roubaix, L-B-L, Milano-Sanremo, Paris-Nice, Flèche Wallonne, Tirreno-Adriatico, Paris-Tours and Giro di Lombardia. [/font]

[font=Helv]What would happen then? Would the other races (Dauphine, Tour de Suisse, Tour of Germany etc) be forced to choose between sticking with the remnants of the ProTour or joining the new circuit? Surely they'd join the Grant Tour circuit and the UCI ProTour would perish?[/font]

[font=Helv]Thoughts?
[/font]

Walrus said:

[font=Helv]What would happen then? Would the other races (Dauphine, Tour de Suisse, Tour of Germany etc) be forced to choose between sticking with the remnants of the ProTour or joining the new circuit? Surely they'd join the Grant Tour circuit and the UCI ProTour would perish?[/font][font=Helv] [/font]

Dauphine is an ASO event too !

And it's not necessary to take part at ProTour event to be invite on a GT. So, some small ProTour races could have few teams!

Walrus said:

If they (ASO, Unipublic & RCS) split and created their own circuit, they would be taking most of the prestigious events from the UCI. [font=Helv]TdF, Giro, Vuelta, Paris-Roubaix, L-B-L, Milano-Sanremo, Paris-Nice, Flèche Wallonne, Tirreno-Adriatico, Paris-Tours and Giro di Lombardia. [/font]

[font=Helv]What would happen then? Would the other races (Dauphine, Tour de Suisse, Tour of Germany etc) be forced to choose between sticking with the remnants of the ProTour or joining the new circuit? Surely they'd join the Grant Tour circuit and the UCI ProTour would perish?[/font]

[font=Helv]Thoughts?
[/font]

Good observation : ASO, RCS and Unipublics remit extends further than the 3 GT's as you say.

Hard one to call.

I think the UCI's in trouble : not that I support the UCI but I can see why the UCI have had to take a stand on doping because corporate sponsors don't want their company/product tied to teams that are doping.

But the fact that the doping culture was ignored by the UCI until this pressure materialised is the real problem.
The UCI could have done what was necessary after 1998 - but they buried their heads in the sand.
The wakeup call for the UCI was Festina in 1998.
They had the choice then do something - and they baulked and we've had the charade of the 1999-2006.
Now they can't be seen to baulk by the sponsors. If they do sponsors walk.

poulidor said:

Dauphine is an ASO event too !

And it's not necessary to take part at ProTour event to be invite on a GT. So, some small ProTour races could have few teams!

[font=Helv]Last time the GT organisers tried this (last year) the teams voted in favour of the UCI. I guess the teams will once again be pivotal in who wins the power struggle.
[/font]

Walrus said:

[font=Helv]Last time the GT organisers tried this (last year) the teams voted in favour of the UCI. I guess the teams will once again be pivotal in who wins the power struggle.
[/font]

But this time everyone is ticked off with the UCI. The teams will (IMHO) go with the GT organisers, who, as has been said, organise most of the races worth racing in the European calendar.