Astana out....

[bhungerford]

well Velonews just reported that ASO isn't inviting Astana to any of their races....what do you think this will mean for all involved?

[witcombusa]

I don't believe this will "last".....

Johan Bruyneel will be scrambling....that's for sure!

[97CSI]

Guess we will see how strong an organization the ProTour teams have.

[Fat Robert]

bad for the riders

but

perhaps justice that the chickens* are coming back to roost for bruyneel




* not to be confused with the danish doper

[J.Greene]

The train is still picking up speed.

JG

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . very interesting to watch. I wonder if ASO knows something off the record about Bruyneel's past with Postal. Or has suspicions? . . .

BBD

[Bill Bove]

Good going TREK :rolleyes: put your money into backing the dopest of dopers just so that you can be in the big show! Now where are you? I'll bet there is some serious scrambling going on in Wisconsin right now too.

Go Slipstream/Chipotle :banana: :banana: :banana:

[J.Greene]

Good going TREK :rolleyes: put your money into backing the dopest of dopers just so that you can be in the big show! Now where are you? I'll bet there is some serious scrambling going on in Wisconsin right now too.
Go Slipstream/Chipotle :banana: :banana: :banana:

Kloden will leave, maybe Contador too. This may effectivly spell the end of Levi's competitive years.

JG

[stevep]

this is a big freakin' mess.
ouch.

[bzbvh5]

Here is a quote from Velonews.com:
"The Astana team in effect last year betrayed the confidence of organizers who even then invited them on trust of an overhaul presented by their leaders,"

From what happened last year with Astana, T-Mobile, and the whole Rasmussen affair, I think the organizers are going to do everything allowed by law to have a race where people talk about racing instead of scandal. Who wants another Tour de France where some of the competitors refuse to start at the appointed time in protest, entire teams are kicked out, and the leader was withdrawn by his team because of public opinion? I don't.

[FMS_rider]

Bravo!! to the posters and to ASO

Explanation added in edit: In retrospect the French saw the big picture in Iraq long before most Americans, and I think the same will prove to be the case for cycling. I do feel for the innocent victims, and God knows by some miracle Levi might even be one of them, but I think such drastic actions are necessary before any real change will occur. We accused the French government of making their decision to stay out of Iraq based on self-interests (i.e., financial interests in Iraq) but it is clear now that, while that might have played a small part, their decision was largely dictated by legitimate concerns that, as now is so painfully obvious, we should have listened to. Although I trust ASO less than the French government with regard to the greed factor, I do think they have a clearer vision than most others with regard to what is best for the sport in the long run. Sure their decision to ban Astana and not others who are equally culpable is somewhere in the biased-to-arbitrary spectrum, but I think the message will come through loud and clear and will make a difference.

One more thing: for years we laughed at the French for insisting that their riders were no longer winning because their teams had largely eliminated organized doping whereas others had not. I was one of the laughers --the thought that Lance and his boys were doping was unthinkable --same for Ulrich, Vinokurov and many other clean-cut looking guys. Now that we know the truth I don’t think we can blame them for being a bit vindictive toward teams from other countries --and let’s not forget what we did to them when they did not join us in invading Iraq.

I am getting into a bad habit of editing onto posts rather than adding new ones, but something has occurred to me that necessitates making one more addition (edit #3). Since I have referred to the Iraq war to make a couple of points about cycling, I want to make it clear that I have nothing but the highest regard, respect and gratitude for the men and women who have and are currently serving in our armed services.

[harlond]

bad for the riders

but

perhaps justice that the chickens* are coming back to roost for bruyneel




* not to be confused with the danish doperEvidently, however, to be confused with Levi and other riders against whom there is what evidence. Strange idea of justice, IMO.

[brians647]

Guess we will see how strong an organization the ProTour teams have.

They haven't got much, unless they can organize quickly.

From the standpoint of cycling fans, this season is about to be over before it even began. Yeah, there are 1000 reasons for the small builder's growth, but it's no wonder hand made bikes that are individualistic and not what you see in the pro peloton are gaining popularity.

[97CSI]

Evidently, however, to be confused with Levi and other riders against whom there is what evidence. Strange idea of justice, IMO.+1. Show us the proof. Banning based on 'suspicion' is pretty lame. Who will be next?

[jeffg]

I know the rumors of Postal, etc. but this is just exclusion based on rumor/innuendo rather than proof

Honestly, Di Luca is allowed to defend his Giro title after being suspended and Contador is not? :crap:

Who has a more robust doping program, the current Astana team or LPR?

All props to Slipstream, but they are a second tier team without any serious GC riders for the TdF. I suppose by inviting them and not Astana, perhaps the French have a shot. Moreau can clean Danielson's clock, that's for sure

[Fixed]

bro the cats have to know right from wrong first
cheers imho

[johnnymossville]

+1. Show us the proof. Banning based on 'suspicion' is pretty lame. Who will be next?

+2

Exactly. I find their tactics amateur at best. I'm all for cleaning up the sport, but to do it this way just seems so wrong.

[J.Greene]

They haven't got much, unless they can organize quickly.


Bruyneel may not get much sympathy. The teams are still probably smarting over his hiring of Basso when everybody knew he was a doper. Discovery basically thumber their noses up at everyone a few years back.

JG

[Fat Robert]

obviously, there is no proof in the form of positive tests, but it seems that bruyneel has built up no small amount of ill will, and now that he no longer has Lance's and Wiesel's money (and lawyers) behind him , he is vulnerable.

I don't care for bruyneel's arrogance....

However, there is no shortage of dirty teams and riders, and it is, as jeff g points out, curiously selective....

[brians647]

obviously, there is no proof in the form of positive tests, but it seems that bruyneel has built up no small amount of ill will, and now that he no longer has Lance's and Wiesel's money (and lawyers) behind him , he is vulnerable.

I don't care for bruyneel's arrogance....

However, there is no shortage of dirty teams and riders, and it is, as jeff g points out, curiously selective....

Curiously selective is the gentleman's way of putting it. I have other words that can't be printed. The decision affects many more then Bruyneel, and reeks of politics and pettiness, no matter how they disguise their decision.

Do they really think they're accomplishing anything positive? Do they truly believe that this move will stop cheaters? I certainly don't.

Now the riders can just switch teams to cover for themselves, and leave the sponsors who paid their bills hanging in the wind. Seriously. That's all that this move teaches the peloton. Screw the sponsors, take care of yourself. Smart.

[ada@prorider.or]

If i remember correct a artical about contador in velonews testing in windtunnel 500 watts 1 hour meaby that has something do do with it.
its to good to be true i guess.
So no wonder .............
I guess there is more then the public sees.
I think they gone win the AMGEN tour why........for AMGEN i guess.

[victoryfactory]

This is simply a way for ASO to do something they have wanted to
do for years...
Punish Bruyneel.
I'm not taking sides, but it is obvious.

VF

[sspielman]

Now the riders can just switch teams to cover for themselves, and leave the sponsors who paid their bills hanging in the wind. Seriously. That's all that this move teaches the peloton. Screw the sponsors, take care of yourself. Smart.

That would be a refreshing change, ATMO....traditionally, the sponsors benefit from the performances of a drugged rider....but play dumb and cast him off on his own should he test positive.... (not to mention the health risks that the riders face)

[bostondrunk]

Kloden will leave, maybe Contador too. This may effectivly spell the end of Levi's competitive years.

JG

Who would pick them up? Wouldn't that team then be 'uninvited'? OK, maybe not Levi, but Contador would likely be a bad choice to put on your team right now...

[swoop]

contador is not thought of as a clean rider nor respected as someone worthy of the jersey.
the french want a french(clean) winner and are fed up.
i don't think aso sees levi as a legitimate star.
kloden doesn't get any respect either.

the problem is that they are going to have to define standards for exlusion and then apply those standards to any and all teams. so what will happen is that the lawyers will make a spectacle of pretty much every team.

and virenque will come out of retirement and win.

aso needs to define standards for inclusion or exclusion and live by them or be sued to death for it.
....
i wonder about the tour of cali and what riders will get pulled for being under scrutiny .. or if that conversation disappeared with some sponsorship money from you know who. what's a little soap in your pee between friends anyway.

[znfdl]

Do you think that Bruyneel will pimp out Levi and Contador for the Tour?

[jeffg]

contador is not thought of as a clean rider nor respected as someone worthy of the jersey.
the french want a french(clean) winner and are fed up.
i don't think aso sees levi as a legitimate star.
kloden doesn't get any respect either.

the problem is that they are going to have to define standards for exlusion and then apply those standards to any and all teams. so what will happen is that the lawyers will make a spectacle of pretty much every team.

and virneque will come out of retirement and win.

aso needs to define standards for inclusion or exclusion and live by them or be sued to death for it.
....
i wonder about the tour of cali and what riders will get pulled for being under scrutiny .. or it that conversation disappeared with some sponsorship money from you know who. what's a little soap in your pee between friends anyway.

I honestly don't think ASO needs to worry about being sued. They have broken with the ProTour (which, if there was any residual doubt, is dead now) and they can invite whomever they damn well please.

Now, at some level they might lose credibility and the fans, but that's another issue ...

But until they define standards and stick by them, I for one will not be watching the TdF

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . neither ASO or any other tour organizers have the option of disinviting individual riders of managers. They can bluster and posture, but such efforts don't seem to have worked very well before now.

My take is that ASO is taking a swipe at team sponsors and management they see as having tuned a blind eye to doping in the past if it serves their purposes to get publicity out of their sponsorship. As spielman says, they play dumb, get the benefits of sponsorship, then when the going gets really rough they bail, like T-Mobile. Granted, it comes across as kind of petty, but if I was running the Tour and Astan had screwed me two years in a row, then I wouldn't trust 'em any frther than I could throw 'em, either.

BBD

[swoop]

bbd.. there's been more or less systemic doping through out the sport... show me where you draw the line?
does csc get an invite?
milram?
saunier duval?
liquigas?
high road?

do you make it a french team only tour?

[BumbleBeeDave]

Rabobank are being accused by several riders besides Rasmussen of knowing he was not in Mexico, but not doing anything about it. any chance Rabo will get the same treatment as Astana, or will ASO let them come because this is seen as a matter of rider lying to management, not overt doping?

BBD

[Steve Hampsten]

"justice" and "fairness" have nothing to do with it

you don't rent your house to a junkie - it's that simple

as cees points out, the numbers tell the story

[swoop]

and i think that is the bottom line. ASO knows Contador isn't clean and in order to protect the race.. they can't have the yellow jersey that is obviously not worthy.... again. They can't sanctify Contador's win.

i think this is about the ASO trying to protect the race itself... and that really.. everyone knows Contador didn't get it on bread and water.

[bzbvh5]

Phonak - you remember them from a few years back. That sponsor that did everything to make it clear that it wanted a clean team. Then came the efforts of Tyler Hamilton and Floyd Landis. Now Phonak is gone.

T-Mobile - said they wanted clean riders. Because of last year, they're gone.

Unibet - couldn't race because it represented gambling outside France. FDJuex can race because it represented gambling inside France. Unibet is gone.

Cofedis - embarassed last year despite their best efforts. Luckily they have a long tradition in cycling and they decided to stick it out.

Festina - drugs in the team car. Was that Festina's doing or the team's doing?

Sponsors don't run the team. Sponsors contract a team a fixed amout to race.

[Steve Hampsten]

I think a distinction need to be made between tour teams like Astana and Discovery that practice systematic - yet unproven - doping, and those teams that employ individual dopers, like Rabobank, Saunier Duval, Liquigas.

ASO can make life hard for the individuals but it would suicidal for them, and for the sport, to do business with teams that cheat. Proof doesn't mean shyte, I'm afraid.

[coylifut]

aso likely believes the re opened peurto will confirm their suspicions regarding Contador. Using Astana's past two years is a convenient way to punish Bruneel and exclude Contador. Yes. It's clearly hypocritical, look at Cofidis's history over the last 5 years and they haven't been excluded.

[Archibald]

you don't rent your house to a junkie - it's that simple
What if he hooks a brother up? Plus, junkie chicks are so easy. You might want to rethink this.

http://www.fanboy.com/images/pulp-fiction-arqette-stolz.jpg

[swoop]

I think a distinction need to be made between tour teams like Astana and Discovery that practice systematic - yet unproven - doping, and those teams that employ individual dopers, like Rabobank, Saunier Duval, Liquigas.

ASO can make life hard for the individuals but it would suicidal for them, and for the sport, to do business with teams that cheat. Proof doesn't mean shyte, I'm afraid.


what a headache.

[SWorks4me]

I can hear Ball on the phone now...(to his assistant, since he doesn't speak to anyone directly)

"i can build a better faster more exciting tour! we will invite, Astana, and whoever else gets kicked out of the french thing. how hard can it be to put on a tour?"

[Steve Hampsten]

Archie's back!

Life is grand.

We missed you, babe.

[brians647]

I think a distinction need to be made between tour teams like Astana and Discovery that practice systematic - yet unproven - doping, and those teams that employ individual dopers, like Rabobank, Saunier Duval, Liquigas.

ASO can make life hard for the individuals but it would suicidal for them, and for the sport, to do business with teams that cheat. Proof doesn't mean shyte, I'm afraid.

Okay, so without proof, how do you make that distinction that you alluded to in your first paragraph? And after you make that distinction, why is DiLuca still racing the Giro?

If you can't prove who doped, then why does ASO go down this road? Is it "six degrees to the nearest doper?" Pretty soon, if you've ridden for a team that had dopers on it, then you're banned too? It sounds ridiculous, yes, but it's a slippery slope of crap that the organizers are sloshing around in.

Under ASO's assumptions, Rock n' Republic has never disgraced the TDF or any other major race, so I guess they can be invited, right?

[sellsworth]

I think that the ASO decision on Astana is a poor one. I think that it sends a bad message to prospective sponsors to the sport. There's no way I would sponsor a team in this climate where teams are punished for past indiscretions no matter what they are currently doing or who's on the team.

[jeffg]

I think a distinction need to be made between tour teams like Astana and Discovery that practice systematic - yet unproven - doping, and those teams that employ individual dopers, like Rabobank, Saunier Duval, Liquigas.

ASO can make life hard for the individuals but it would suicidal for them, and for the sport, to do business with teams that cheat. Proof doesn't mean shyte, I'm afraid.

Where is that distinction? Teams that have riders who have tested positive get an invite, whereas teams whose riders don't test positive but you "know" dope don't? Insiders may "get it", but the public at large is likely going to find it selective witch hunting. Why not let L'Equipe just pick the winner? Why race at all?

Systemic doping has been practiced for quite a while, ASO has invited more junkies into its house than it cares to remember and it is now coddling reformed addicts such as Millar who has the gall to get up in arms about Postal/Astana getting a ProTour license -- what a douche!

Remember the French teams that started the "movement for credible cycling" after Vino was kicked out, and then one day later one of the founding members, Cofidis, had to withdraw due to Moreni's postive test?

The bottom line for me is that the whole system is corrupt, hypocritical and all about $$$$$$ -- Any of my DC finishes count more than Contadors TdF "victory" atmo

[ada@prorider.or]

The bottom line for me is that the whole system is corrupt, hypocritical and all about $$$$$$
He we have a beleiver.
Pro racing is only or the $$$$$$$,no more no less.
I remeber levi at rabobank he could not ride a good price
and now top of the world.
yeah yeah i hear you ,he done good training and all
good windtunnel etc etc .....
For me work horse becomes race horse, and i think i am not the only one.
Even the soigneurs and all always wonder.

Vuelta says Astaná welcome ?
I wonder if gone be the same as ASO buy´s the Vuelta as there are talks (again politics and money).

[J.Greene]

Pro racing is only or the $$$$$$$,no more no less.


Bingo...it's the business of entertainment, not sport.

JG

[swoop]

For me work horse becomes race horse, and i think i am not the only one.
.


i couldn't agree more.

[Steve Hampsten]

It's the business of business, but some standards have to be applied for it to succeed. No business is perfect but you don't do business with people that are screwing you - unless, of course, that's what you want.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

[J.Greene]

It's the business of business, but some standards have to be applied for it to succeed. No business is perfect but you don't do business with people that are screwing you - unless, of course, that's what you want.
Not that there's anything wrong with that.


Until the Festina thing, the majority was on the same page. Until Puerto it was cool unless you were getting caught. After puerto the rules changed completely, some people have not realized that I guess.

JG

[thomspins]

hah.. I saw this one coming the second the "new" Astana team was formed.

[johnnymossville]

I was wondering if Slipstream was invited? I haven't seen it confirmed anywhere.

[ada@prorider.or]

I was wondering if Slipstream was invited? I haven't seen it confirmed anywhere.
as i know yes,but i would not be annoucent yet becuase thats always a later time

http://www.letour.fr/2008/TDF/COURSE/fr/index.html

[Slave2Gus]

Am I missing something? At one time this was professional racing. To ban a team you should (morally, not legally) have proof. Got proof? Publish the proof. Stand by the proof. Don't have proof? Go home and do your homework! Don't foul professional lives based on suspicion or grudges! This latest news is disgusting.

[Grant McLean]

Am I missing something? At one time this was professional racing. To ban a team you should (morally, not legally) have proof. Got proof? Publish the proof. Stand by the proof. Don't have proof? Go home and do your homework! Don't foul professional lives based on suspicion or grudges! This latest news is disgusting.

Yes, i think you are missing the point.
Nothing has changed.
Professional sport has always been about business.
It's exsistance is to make money.

They don't have to show you the proof,
if it isn't in the interests of the business.

It's not about sports.

-g

[ada@prorider.or]

This latest news is disgusting.
You are forgetting thats ASO race and not from some else
they can invite who they want .

in the usa you have your own race called AMGEN so they also invite only who they want!!!

(by the way i am for heatlh care for evryone ,and not only for people who can afford it)

[jeffg]

Am I missing something? At one time this was professional racing. To ban a team you should (morally, not legally) have proof. Got proof? Publish the proof. Stand by the proof. Don't have proof? Go home and do your homework! Don't foul professional lives based on suspicion or grudges! This latest news is disgusting.

The key is uniform standards, and what is truly unfortunate about this is the pissing match between the UCI and ASO.

Astana should have had its ProTour license revoked after last year, and that would have been that.

How can you have top tier UCI teams excluded from some races but not others? Some teams with tainted riders invited but not others? This is the issue.

The Vuelta has just confirmed that Astana/Contador will be invited. So, Di Luca to the Giro, Contador to the Vuelta, and teams with positive doping histories to the TdF. Looks like GT nationalism to me posturing behind dubious sporting/ethical criteria.

I think Steve H. makes a good point, but if you believe that is main rationale behind the GT invites, then I have a bridge to sell y'all

[Fat Robert]

where is mr. whoopie's wayback machine?

i want roche vs. delgado

after 1991, pro racing sucked

[bzbvh5]

where is mr. whoopie's wayback machine?


Everyone knows that Mr. Peabody and his boy Sherman had the wayback machine. Tennessee Tuxedo and Chumly went to see Mr. Whoopie who had the 3DBB (3 dimensional black board).

[Steve Hampsten]

i want roche vs. delgado



this the same delgado who tested positive for probenicid, a steriod masking agent?

ah, the good ol' days

[Grant McLean]

ah, the good ol' days

yup, the good ol' days when they just took morphine and brandy
like real men.

-g

[Bill Bove]

The Tour is a privately owned entity, right? I mean the tour belongs to ASO the and they can invite whoever they want, right? It's their party and they can cry if they want to...

[flux]

The Tour is a privately owned entity, right? I mean the tour belongs to ASO the and they can invite whoever they want, right? It's their party and they can cry if they want to...

But what does this have to do with NAHBS 2009?

[Fat Robert]

this the same delgado who tested positive for probenicid, a steriod masking agent?

ah, the good ol' days

not the good old days

but the low-tech dope days

[Steve Hampsten]

it was a leveler playing field then, imho

[sspielman]

But what does this have to do with NAHBS 2009?


I don't know, but I am still pi$$ed that the Tour has not come to the east coast!

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . that the Tour is starting in Indianapolis in 2009! ;) :rolleyes:

BBD

[J.Greene]

it was a leveler playing field then, imho

the pitchers used scuffed balls and vaseline, and the hitters used cork and pine tar. oopps wrong sport.

JG

[Fat Robert]

it was a leveler playing field then, imho


imho yes

look at yer bro

for years, top 10 in giro/tour

then in a year (94-95) he goes to the back of the front group at the giro, then the back of the bunch with banesto

that suggests to me a clean, gifted rider getting hosed by EPO junkies

[Steve Hampsten]

don't get me started

but i will go off on that issue when time permits

[johnnymossville]

don't get me started

but i will go off on that issue when time permits

Seeing the recent pics of Andy, he still looks REALLY fast.

[Steve Hampsten]

he's very fit, and healthy, and sleeps well at night

[PaulE]

. . . that the Tour is starting in Indianapolis in 2009! ;) :rolleyes:

BBD

A few years ago a guy named Tony George decided he needed to take control of the race at his racetrack (Indianapolis Motor Speedway) and broke away from a sanctioning body's race series (CART). Now ASO is taking their race away from ProTour. So maybe they should start the Tour in Indy. It would be one hell of a transfer between stages to get back to France though.

[BBB]

where is mr. whoopie's wayback machine?

i want roche vs. delgado

after 1991, pro racing sucked

Here.

[AgilisMerlin]

Astana and the prior team Phonak dragged the cycling community through the gutter............

that turquoise colored jersey should be changed to shi* brown.......

the whole team and what it represents leaves a horrible taste in my mouth....

why should they invite them........... ? The protour is a frickin' mess, as it caused countless...............small traditional euro races into obscurity and finalized their demise.............. who gives a crap what the protour represents.........does anyone here really think the greater interest of traditional cycling was being represented. It is the same old story.............history means shyt when a new found scheme for a global cycling $$$$ future is involved. Are we blessed with history or banished by it.

smoke begets fire :no: no?

[ada@prorider.or]

:) Any way i still enjoy cycling ,and with friends its awe some

[AgilisMerlin]

http://www.dailypeloton.com/article_images/szurly/worldcup/szurly1.gif

What’s the Verdict?

Are we any better off with the Protour ?

When it kicked off as a successor to the Super Prestige Pernod competition in 1989, the World Cup traveled to 8 different countries for it’s then 11 rounds. The mix of events that comprised the World Cup fluctuated over the next eight years, with six different races being added and then removed from the competition. While once there were World Cup events in North America (GP Americas), England (Wincanton, Leeds and Rochester Classics) and Japan (Japan Cup), these are no longer included. Since 1998, the competition has included the same 10 races we see now (Milan, Flanders, Roubaix, Amstel, Liege, HEW, San Sebastien, Zurich, Paris-Tours and Lombardy). Today the World Cup does not leave Europe and travels to only seven countries; in reality the competition still resides within the traditional cycling hotbeds.

There have been sharp criticisms of the present World Cup format. Foremost among these is that there is no title sponsor of the World Cup and thus no additional money is drawn in to create a financial incentive for teams or riders. Johan Museeuw, the most successful rider in the World Cup since it’s inception, has always been vocal in his disappointment that the winning rider receives no additional bonus from the UCI or from any title sponsor. Other than a jersey that can only be worn in World Cup races and the marketing opportunities available by promoting the World Cup title, there is no financial reward and no additional UCI points for winning the overall series. Any financial gains for the rider are usually borne by the team in the form of bonuses. While winning the team title does guarantee entry into the Grand Tours, for the most part a team that is strong enough to win the overall World Cup would most probably qualify anyway as a Top Club.

Another major area of criticism is that because individual race organizers own the TV broadcast negotiating rights for their own race, the UCI does not really have any leverage to insure broader coverage to support their “growing the market” strategy. This has been especially evident in the Milan-San Remo case. The owners of the broadcast rights charged such exorbitant fees that no stations in Spain showed the race live. All the UCI could do was issue empty threats to withdraw Milan-San Remo from the World Cup calendar. In the meantime, Spanish team managers took the heat as the lack of television coverage disappointed their sponsors and there was talk of a Spanish boycott

Some of the races currently on the World Cup calendar simply do not hold enough appeal for either sponsors or fans. This may change as the events build their own history. Some may argue that simply labeling a race as a World Cup event does not make it a world-class race but the cachet and marketing opportunities surely make races like the HEW, San Sebastien and perhaps even Paris-Tours more appealing to sponsors and advertisers. These events continue to prosper by their association with World Cup but do not share in compensating the riders or teams, although they pay a hefty fee to the UCI for their inclusion. Although the World Cup has made occasional forays into a broader market (Japan, North America, the United Kingdom) these have failed to stick. Many events became “one time only” affairs and the competition remains Western Europe based.

Looking Ahead

In Hamilton, Canada, UCI President Hein Verbruggen outlined his plan for the future at the recently concluded World Championships. "I think that the decisions we've taken today for professional cycling are logical steps from all the work we've done to restructure cycling. At the moment we have some 1,100 Pro-riders in around 60 teams in Division I and II with a total sponsor budget of 300-350 million Euro" Verbruggen explained. "There are less and less sponsors who can afford to invest in cycling, and they are reluctant to spend millions without knowing whether they will be allowed to enter the Tour de France”.

The proposed UCI Professional Competition strives "to make the sport more attractive to sponsors”. Alain Rumpf, the professional cycling manager at the UCI explained it like this- "the new UCI ProTour will consist of 20 teams that will be licensed to compete in a series of 30 races consisting of approximately 180 days of racing" with around 500 riders having the right, and perhaps more importantly, a contractual obligation to participate in every one of the selected races. To decide which events will make up the ProTour races, the PCC will have to evaluate the various races based on criteria such as the history of the event, the quality of the organization, the amount and breadth of television coverage, as well as the financial health of the event itself.

The UCI sees Scandinavia (marketed as a region) and the Benelux countries (again, marketed as a region) along with Germany, Great Britain and Poland as the most interesting markets for sponsors. Perhaps the new program will include races in these regions.

Will this new Professional Cycling Competition replace the present World Cup setup? It appears so, but one thing that remains constant is the prestige of winning the historically significant races like Milan, Flanders, Roubaix, Liege, and Lombardy. It’s not by accident that these are referred to as the “Monuments”. They are touchstone events that transcend any artificial competition driven by marketing or commercial interests. Riders literally become part of history when they join the list of winners and can claim their place alongside the legends.

As we look back at the last fifteen years, the World Cup hasn’t really accomplished its lofty goals. Perhaps this new proposal for the PCC will create a more balanced and stable competitive and economic environment for sponsors and professional cyclists alike. We’ll check back in 2018!

what a frickin' mess.............

[Slave2Gus]

Yes, i think you are missing the point.
Nothing has changed.
Professional sport has always been about business.
It's exsistance is to make money.

They don't have to show you the proof,
if it isn't in the interests of the business.

It's not about sports.

-g

OK, you're right. It's business and their business. But is it really good business to drop two of the three podium finishers? Maybe so. Maybe some new dirt is about to come out. I guess I feel bad for the other professional riders on Astana2 without the high profiles of Contador et al that are out job hunting again. I don't envy professional riders.

[bzbvh5]

http://www.dailypeloton.com/article_images/szurly/worldcup/szurly1.gif

What’s the Verdict?

Are we any better off with the Protour ?

There have been sharp criticisms of the present World Cup format. Foremost among these is that there is no title sponsor of the World Cup and thus no additional money is drawn in to create a financial incentive for teams or riders. Johan Museeuw, the most successful rider in the World Cup since it’s inception, has always been vocal in his disappointment that the winning rider receives no additional bonus from the UCI or from any title sponsor. .....

Another major area of criticism is that because individual race organizers own the TV broadcast negotiating rights for their own race, the UCI does not really have any leverage to insure broader coverage to support their “growing the market” strategy. what a frickin' mess.............

Untill the race organizers can figure out how to charge admission to a 100 mile race, there will be no money to be had. People show up, stand on the side of the road, the riders pass, they go back home. It's FREE FREE FREE. No money changes hands. The money that pays for the cycling teams just like in car racing is advertising expense. Unlike car racing, football, golf, baseball, basketball, hockey, ... there is no admission charge to see a bike race.