Bye Bye UCI

[Tetedelacourse]

Good to see you here BTW Andy.

 

[andy_wrx]

Ah, float back from time to time.

Sticking to Race, Road&Sportives, Know How forums though, not going anywhere near Soapbox, Commuting or Politics
- I want to talk about cycling & bikes, not debate the BBC licence fee or speed cameras and trade insults...

 

[Flying_Monkey]

- I want to talk about cycling & bikes, not debate the BBC licence fee or speed cameras and trade insults...

Hence the entirely bike-related and non-political avatar then!

 

[Dayvo]

Hence the entirely bike-related and non-political avatar then!

 

[Keith Oates]

The teams have gone to Tour Down Under for quite a few years, and Langkawi and more recently Qatar for that matter, because they're well organised races with good facilities and prize money, in sunny climes at a point when it's out-of-season in wet-and-cold Europe.

They're good training races where they could enter their junior teams for experience.

Putting TDO in the ProTour didn't make a lot of difference to that - the big-name riders there were almost all Australians in their home event.[/QUOTE]

It was/is a good race but the last race (earlier this year0 showed that when you bring in the top teams and riders the course was not challenging enough with all the bunch finishes. The next race they have promised to make harder stages to get a better overall race. I think that shows that being in the Pro-tour has made a big difference!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Flying_Monkey]

The UCI have reacted in a predictably aggressive and stupid way, by threatening to sue all the teams for breach of contract and loss of earnings.

Even the UCI's defenders must admit that this is going to be immensely counterproductive and, as with the decision to try to take legal action against WADA, just a bizarre and ridiculous use of the resources which are supposed to be dedicated to promoting cycling. The UCI had never had the clear moral high ground but now it appears to be sinking even lower.

 

[Keith Oates]

McQuaid is a very hurt man and has lost the plot so says the first thing that comes into his head and very often that's not the best thing to say. I think he took over a mess that was made by Verbrugen (sp) and still has him in the background pulling the strings. I think he has also come up against some people who got a doctorate in the University of dirty and inderhanded tricks. I hope he does better in his next job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[andy_wrx]

McQuaid 'took over' from Verbruggen at an election where Verbruggen told people to vote for McQuaid...Verbruggen stayed-on as UCI Vice President....

So yes, blame McQuaid for being a clown, but most of the blame for this whole sorry mess should be with Verbruggen.

I can't see McQuaid resigning, he doesn't seem to think like that, he hasn't resigned after all sorts of almighty cock-ups he just gets 'off on one' and blames someone else, like WADA, ASO, teams, riders, press, various governments, etc.

Most of the European nations voted against McQuaid recently but he was propped-up by votes from other nations keen to get his ProTour races. They might abandon him next time.

But if he goes either by resignation or by being voted-out, it would be no good unless Verbruggen also goes - properly goes.

 

[NickM]

...I don't think there's much doubt that the UCI are responsible for much of the stifled development of road bicycles...

Let this be our battle cry: Remember 1934!!

I cannot see why there should not now be an Open national tour, in which faired recumbents will win the time trials, unfaired recumbents the stages with downhill finishes, and uprights the stages with hilltop finishes. Now that would be a spectacle worth seeing, in contrast to the circus we are fed now. What combination of rider and machine would win overall is anybody's guess.

But "Oh" they all bleat, "that would be impure - a battle between engineers, instead of one between athletes."

So, entirely unlike the current battle between pharmacists, then?

 

[Keith Oates]

When I go out for a ride I can relate to the riders and bikes that I admire and get some fun out of that, I'd hate to have to ask someone to bring along a brace of 'bents' so I could get the full affect of imitating the top riders!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[cookiemonster]

Excuse my ignorance here but what did they do to Greame Orbree?

 

[NickM]

When I go out for a ride I can relate to the riders and bikes that I admire and get some fun out of that...

I'm not suggesting that you shouldn't continue to do that.

Just that some of us would like to know what would happen in a less restricted race between human-powered machines. Why should there not be races in both categories?

 

[Keith Oates]

Fine if that's what you want, but don't confuse it with bicycle racing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dayvo]

Excuse my ignorance here but what did they do to Greame Orbree?

In a nutshell, they presented every bureaucratic, theoretical obstacle possible to prevent a 'non-cyclist' (someone who was a COMPLETE unheard of from outside the world's elite) take such a prestigous title.
See the film/read the book for a better explanation!

 

[NickM]

Fine if that's what you want, but don't confuse it with bicycle racing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This isn't a bicycle?