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ASO vs UCI

I've been following this trainwreck the past few weeks and was curios what the other Monkies thought of it.

I think both sides need to comprimise a bit, but mostly the ASO. International cycling needs some sort of general governing body to keep all the rules and regulations straight across all the many countries involved.....that is the UCI. The promoters may not like all the rules, but you gotta play within system. If you don't like it, work to change it from within. ASO's attitude is threatening to destroy some of the greatest races this sport has!

What's your take on it?
 

LordOpie

MOTHER HEN
Oct 17, 2002
21,022
3
Denver
Agreed, but no easy answer as ASO controls some of the biggest races.

Their dickishness to Astana is unpleasant.
 

maddog17

Turbo Monkey
Jan 20, 2008
2,815
105
Methuen, Mass. U.S.A.
it's all crazy. as long as ASO is trying to bully the UCI, it doesn't look good for pro cycling. crazy thought of ASO trying to start a new organization comes to mind to try and ruin the UCI. don't know how possible it is, but with all thats going on, the Frenchies might just be crazy enough to try it.
 

jaydee

Monkey
Jul 5, 2001
794
0
Victoria BC
If all non-French teams boycotted the ASO races, the ASO would be out of business in no time. The Giro is a better race anyway, and could easily pick up the slack. The TdF would be about as prestigious as the Tour de Uzbekistan. It would be worth a lame season just to put the trous du cul out of business.
 

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
If all non-French teams boycotted the ASO races, the ASO would be out of business in no time. The Giro is a better race anyway, and could easily pick up the slack. The TdF would be about as prestigious as the Tour de Uzbekistan. It would be worth a lame season just to put the trous du cul out of business.
I think you underestimate the prestige of the Tour de France, I bet if non-french teams boycotted it would still get a ton of coverage and still have the money rolling in from the sponsors. Besides, there are lots of non-french guys on french teams...look at Cofidis. As for the Tour of Italy picking up the slack, they are in with ASO and will not allow Astana to their races either. The only tour being friendly is the Spanish tour and I suspect thats becuase Contador is Spanish
 

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
I bet the teams ride, calling the UCI out and we'll see if they hold true to their word and suspend riders. Wiggins and some other guys are electing not to ride becuase they want to compete in the Olympics. It will be interesting.....I never thought cycling would have as much drama as daytime TV
 

maddog17

Turbo Monkey
Jan 20, 2008
2,815
105
Methuen, Mass. U.S.A.
if all non french teams held off racing the TdF, i don't think the crowds would be as high. sure all the frenchies will watch, but for the rest of the world who would care? not me. it was bad enough when they would put in a poor french team just to have another french team in the race. now have the whole race filled with them with the exception of the few ProTour teams. i guess thats the only way that a frenchman will win the tour!!! LOL!!! now we know ASO's real plan!!!!
 

eric strt6

Resident Curmudgeon
Sep 8, 2001
23,188
13,448
directly above the center of the earth
Well if I read this right it appears that the Pro Teams just told the UCI that it has become superfluous

Latest Cycling News, March 17, 2008
Edited by Bjorn Haake


Teams to sign participation contract with ASO


Tour de France teams announced in one week

By Hedwig Kröner in Nice

Eric Boyer is the head of the AIGCP, in addition to duties as Cofidis' manger
Photo ©: Ben Atkins
In the morning before the start of the ultimate stage of Paris-Nice, an important meeting took place between the representatives of the International Association of Professional Cycling Teams (AIGCP) and Tour de France organiser Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO). The head of the AIGCP, Cofidis team manager Eric Boyer, said the meeting had been a success.

"We discussed the team invitations to their next races," he told Cyclingnews in Nice on Sunday. "We don't want to experience again what we had prior to this Paris-Nice, so this meeting was necessary, and it went well."

The team manager said that ASO seemed to have decided that its next races on French territory, which include Paris-Roubaix, the Tour de France and Paris-Tours, will again be carried out under French sports law. "We spoke of the conditions of participation, and wanted to know whether the next ASO races will be held within the same framework as Paris-Nice. It seems that this is so. We will then negotiate our participation conditions as we did for Paris-Nice," he added.

The French stage race, after years of conflict between the organiser of the event, ASO, and the International Cycling Union, UCI, was sanctioned this year by the French cycling federation, FFC. In the weeks leading up to the event, the participating teams were under heavy pressure not to race, as the UCI threatened sanctions against teams and riders. Still, the race went ahead as planned.

Now, a new chapter in the conflict will be opened, as the teams will negotiate race participation conditions not only for the next event organised by ASO - which would be Paris-Roubaix - but for all of the competitions owned by the organiser. "ASO will announce the team invitations to its races in one week approximately," Boyer explained. "Then, we will sign participation contracts for the whole season."

The head of the UCI, Pat McQuaid, had suspended contacts with the AIGCP last week. Still, Boyer insisted that "it's them who cut ties with us, not vice versa. I'm still open to discuss with McQuaid. He just has to understand that our interest is to race, and that we cannot boycott an organiser who owns the most important race on the calendar."
 

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
yeah, the UCI is losing relevance. Even if they hand out suspensions, most riders/teams only care about getting into the Tours....not so much about the Olympics. I wonder if we are going to end up with a situation where there are two leagues of cycling, those teams that race under the UCI and go to the Olympics (and worlds) and those that race the classic races put on the by the big 3
 

eric strt6

Resident Curmudgeon
Sep 8, 2001
23,188
13,448
directly above the center of the earth
ire

all you have to ask yourself is this

can you name the last 4 olympic cycling champions?

now

Can you name the recent and historical winners of the Giro, TDF, Vuelta?

I have no clue who the Olympic winners were

But the grand tours...oh yeah and the riders know that too as do their sponsors
 

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
^^ very good point, I can even name the dopers as well as the winners in the Tours :)
 

maddog17

Turbo Monkey
Jan 20, 2008
2,815
105
Methuen, Mass. U.S.A.
so could this mean that actual AMATEURS will race in the Olympics!!! like it's supposed to be!! not that i'll watch, not that it will be shown on tv, but at least it may get back to what the Olympics are supposed to be about.
 

ire

Turbo Monkey
Aug 6, 2007
6,196
4
but at least it may get back to what the Olympics are supposed to be about.
Really? Whats it supposed to be about? I never cared for the Olympics, nor did I think a gold medal lived up to the guys who won worlds (or world cups) year in and year out. Speaking in general competition terms
 

maddog17

Turbo Monkey
Jan 20, 2008
2,815
105
Methuen, Mass. U.S.A.
Really? Whats it supposed to be about? I never cared for the Olympics, nor did I think a gold medal lived up to the guys who won worlds (or world cups) year in and year out. Speaking in general competition terms

i always thought that the Olympics were about competition between amateur athletes, those that were not stated pros, were on a pro team being paid or being paid a pro contract. i never really watched them either, but i really lost interest when they allowed pros to play basketball, then hockey and i think baseball now too. i realize they need to try and break even on hosting the events so they allowed pros to play to try and draw in the crowds but i thought that went against what the Olympics were supposed to be about.
 

eric strt6

Resident Curmudgeon
Sep 8, 2001
23,188
13,448
directly above the center of the earth
So the UCI trys to sanction and punish French Cycling, ASO and perhaps the teams

I can see the Big 3 pulling all their events from UCI and telling the the Pro tour teams, follow us or join the UCI in Pounding Sand...

The European Riders greatest goals have always been the Grand Tours plus some of the classics. What would the UCI have to offer but crumbs by comparison?

I don't see the UCI having a snowballs chance in hell of winning that fight
 
So the UCI trys to sanction and punish French Cycling, ASO and perhaps the teams

I can see the Big 3 pulling all their events from UCI and telling the the Pro tour teams, follow us or join the UCI in Pounding Sand...

The European Riders greatest goals have always been the Grand Tours plus some of the classics. What would the UCI have to offer but crumbs by comparison?

I don't see the UCI having a snowballs chance in hell of winning that fight
I agree that the promotors here, especially the ASO, have the upper hand. They have the biggest, and most prestigious races on the calander. If they walk (as the ASO already has) then the teams and riders have no choice but to follow.
Unfortunaltly i think this is recipe for disaster in the long run. Cycling needs an international governing body to defend the riders rights and maintain some kind of consistancy in the rules, regulations and testing throughout international racing calander. The power is shifting to profit minded promoters....and that is not good for the sport.
 

golgiaparatus

Out of my element
Aug 30, 2002
7,340
41
Deep in the Jungles of Oklahoma
I think the whole thing stinks of small pen!s syndrome... Just throw C.P. and McQuack in a cage together and let them fight to the death... then shoot the winner, problem solved.

The TDF has been full of sh!t for 3 years in a row. I don't plan on following it this year. This year the Vuelta will be my TDF.