News
UCI calls the bluff of Tour de France teams
Carlton Reid Jun 3 2008, 10:22pm
Comments (8)
The Union Cycliste Internationale is threatening TdF teams and riders with sanctions if they take part in this year's race.
Teams and riders will, of course, side with ASO, owner of the Tour de France.
The Tour de France is cycling's biggest race and the UCI has - again - shown itself to be powerless to stop ASO doing whatever it likes with the event it owns.
The current spat is all to do with ASO deciding to register the Tour de France on the national calendar of the French Cycling Federation (FFC) rather than on the UCI’s international calendar, which the UCI is now calling the "historical calendar."
Citing, without a shred of irony, the "unity of the cycling family", the UCI said it considers the FFC’s support for ASO’s registration "deeply regrettable for sport".
In a press statement issued from the bowels of the UCI headquarters in Aigle, Switzerland, the UCI said it considers it "entirely inappropriate that ASO, with the support of the FFC, should have chosen to announce this by press conference, without having informed the [UCI] beforehand.
This provides further evidence of ASO’s wish to disregard the UCI’s authority in international cycling."
The UCI - which pushed through its idea for a money-making ProTour against the advice of the Grand Tour organising companies - said ASO’s decision is "bad for cycling."
"Given that the Tour de France will now take place outside the ambit of the UCI, it will not benefit from the oversight of International Commissaires, or from the involvement of the UCI Anti-doping Inspectors. Riders and teams will, by participating, expose themselves to sanctions, and ASO’s leaders alone are to blame for this.
"ASO has demonstrated by these actions that it intends to follow its own rules, within a structure it has itself created. This year, it will deny the winner of last year’s Tour de France the opportunity to defend his title. The UCI believes it is absolutely vital to fight against such aberrations."
Comments
“They can't win”
Posted by: Cyclelicious - Jun 3, 10:36pm
I'm amazed UCI continues with these ultimatums. DO they really think they can win this fight?
“Re: They can't win”
Posted by: Donna Tocci - Jun 3, 10:39pm
The "divorcing parents"* are at it again!
*Spokesmen Podcast reference.
“Re: They can't win”
Posted by: bRETT - Jun 3, 10:57pm
Hold on... There are road races OTHER than the Tour de France?!?!?
The UCI won't win because although I say that sarcastically, the rest of the world wouldn't.
“Re: They can't win”
Posted by: carltonreid - Jun 3, 11:10pm
I don't know whether they lose anything in translation but UCI press communiques on this topic are always so incredibly petulant.
ASO is no goody two-shoes but the self-appointed blazers at the UCI just don't seem to realise they ain't gonna win this one. In fact, this could be the beginning of the end of this particular battle. ASO appartchiks must be laughing heartily - and haughtily - at the UCI's toothless missive.
“Re: They can't win”
Posted by: Phototype - Jun 3, 11:42pm
The only loosers in the stand off is "Cycling"
“Re: They can't win”
Posted by: David Bernstein - Jun 4, 4:02am
It's deja vu all over again. The UCI made the same threats over Paris-Nice and nothing ever came of it.
“Re: They can't win”
Posted by: carltonreid - Jun 4, 9:26am
A busted flush, then.
“Re: Re: They can't win”
Posted by: contrelamontre - Jun 4, 1:46pm
Why don't the UCI stick to being the International Governing Body and leave the commercial side to companies like ASO who, let's face it, have quite a useful product in their portfolio !