Jonathan Vaughters commentary: If we have to have relegation in cycling, there are better ways to do it
Jonathan Vaughters commentary: If we have to have relegation in cycling, there are better ways to do it
This is Part 2 from Jonathan Vaughters on the relegation battle and how to improve the current system.www.velonews.com
"It hurts the athletes. It destroys teams. It lowers the value of the sport. And it encourages doping.
I recognize that statement may become a headline, but I’m pointing out that when things get desperate in sport, it often comes at the cost of fair play. It does all these things because it creates widespread instability (just like doping) as sponsors no longer feel safe in the sport of cycling and teams crumble.
Sponsors don’t want to bounce around from team to team in pursuit of a stable platform that will actually compete in the World Tour."
Encourages doping? Come on, let's be serious... Only a ranking system encourages doping, of course rolleyes. The ambition for wins in the biggest races of the world, even without a ranking system, is clearly something that doesn't encourage doping.
And how so does it lower the value of the sport, Mr. Vaughters? If we have teams like Israel Retirement Nation or in the past things like Footon - Servetto who are fodder to the back of the pack being entitled to a permanent spot while others, who didn't arrive at the right time, can't achieve that, how does it lower the value of the sport?