UCI on non-sanctioned races

[Flying_Monkey]

Not content with messing up road-racing the UCI seems determined to fark up mountain biking too: it has just confirmed that its new rules on competing in non-sanctioned races (i.e. most of the interesting and historic events in the MTB world) apply not just to UCI-registered teams, but to all license holders. This is insane. Perhaps it is time for MTBing to organise itself and reject the UCI?

 

[GaryA]

McQuaid is the sepp blatter of cycling, a corrupt buffoon that makes the Universally Considered Incompetent a laughing stock...how on earth does the money-grubber hold on the power?

 

[fossyant]

The guy needs to go.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

The UCI has been forced to back down, for this year at least. But I still just don't get why this rule is in any way a good idea in the first place.

 

[Crackle]

When you say new, this was introduced in 2008 wasn't it and it's the same for road racing. I'm failing to comprehend why this has just become an issue now?

 

[lukesdad]

Not content with messing up road-racing the UCI seems determined to f*** up mountain biking too: it has just confirmed that its new rules on competing in non-sanctioned races (i.e. most of the interesting and historic events in the MTB world) apply not just to UCI-registered teams, but to all license holders. This is insane. Perhaps it is time for MTBing to organise itself and reject the UCI?

Mtbing has allready started to do just this. Races organised outside of BC control on private land.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

When you say new, this was introduced in 2008 wasn't it and it's the same for road racing. I'm failing to comprehend why this has just become an issue now?

This is all explained in the link in the OP.

 

[Crackle]

This is all explained in the link in the OP.

Why it's an issue is, why a five year old rule has only just become an issue isn't. It's not specific to mtn biking, it's all UCI registered riders.

Whether it should be a rule at all, is a different matter. On the one hand it smacks of UCI self-interest, on the other, how is the UCI meant to control registered riders for competition testing and other regulatory reasons if it's a non UCI event.

 

[Davidc]

Perhaps it's time for the whole of cycling to force a complete overhaul and renewal of UCI.

 

[lukesdad]

Its not only the UCI, BC are just a smaller version they just do it somewhat quieter.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

Why it's an issue is, why a five year old rule has only just become an issue isn't. It's not specific to mtn biking, it's all UCI registered riders.

I think the issue is that the rule has always been interpreted as applying to (members of) UCI-registered teams, not to all licensed riders - this is how the US cycling authorities have interpreted it and this is what they have told riders. This has, up to now, apparently been fine. But this year the UCI decided that they would not allow this interpretation and that the rule should apply to all licensed riders. In the MTB world, this makes much more of a difference than in the Road world because there are a lot more independent events outside of the UCI ambit, and a lot more riders who ride both UCI and non-UCI sanctioned events. That's just how the MTB world is. The way I see it, this is about the UCI trying to assert control over the MTB racing world. I mean, why should it be the case that a rider who holds a license to compete in certain kinds of races is banned from riding in others? A license gives you the right to compete, it is not a form of indenture. This rule, particularly in the recnet official (re)interpretation, is unecessary to anyone else except if you are a UCI official who thinks that there should be nothing in cycle racing that takes place outside of its control. Luckily they seem to have realised that the MTB world does not buy into this vision. We'll see what the next move is...