BC and the Tour of Britain

[Dear Wiggo]

Not strictly doping per se, but very curious to see who gets awarded the contract down the track: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-of-britain-organisation-put-out-to-open-tender

I know a certain Irishman well connected to the UCI president who organises races...

 

[Tinman]

Not strictly doping per se, but very curious to see who gets awarded the contract down the track: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-of-britain-organisation-put-out-to-open-tender

I know a certain Irishman well connected to the UCI president who organises races...

Well, if you know something about tender processes you know there can be a lot of dubious stuff creeping in. But Cookson will no doubt be providing all the process transparency required. Such as tender specs required for the bid, including key capabilities, existing relationships, revenue/cost estimates, etc. And then how they will evaluate the proposals and come to conclude on the winning bid.

A bit like the IOC process for awarding Olympics or UCI process for awarding World Championships I would imagine. Full transparency to take away any doubt the fans may have on things being rigged. BEcause why would you want people to come to that conclusion if you have nothing to hide?

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Well, if you know something about tender processes you know there can be a lot of dubious stuff creeping in. But Cookson will no doubt be providing all the process transparency required. Such as tender specs required for the bid, including key capabilities, existing relationships, revenue/cost estimates, etc. And then how they will evaluate the proposals and come to conclude on the winning bid.

A bit like the IOC process for awarding Olympics or UCI process for awarding World Championships I would imagine. Full transparency to take away any doubt the fans may have on things being rigged. BEcause why would you want people to come to that conclusion if you have nothing to hide?

The CN article reads like a BS bingo card full of vapid phrases:

fresh look at how the Tour of Britain can deliver:
* continued growth and
* profile for the sport.

Most crucially, we want to assure our

current and future members and all cycling fans

that we will have their interests at heart throughout this process and we look forward to further developing an event that reflects the current status of our sport in this country.”

That last bit - the crucially bit - is complete and utter bulldust. How someone in his position can say that and have people actually believe it is beyond me.

It sickens me.

 

[martinvickers]

The CN article reads like a BS bingo card full of vapid phrases:



That last bit - the crucially bit - is complete and utter bulldust. How someone in his position can say that and have people actually believe it is beyond me.

It sickens me.

Have to say, Wiggo, you must have a weak stomach.

That's pretty standard 'stakeholder' guff you find absolutely anywhere - I'd be amazed if other Nat feds, and frankly other sports, didn't use similar phrasing when setting up pro events, tenders and the like.

It does rather come across as if you're itching for a fight.

2c.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

Why on earth did this start out in the Clinic????

Moving it.

Susan

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Because only people in England loves doping.

 

[Dear Wiggo]

Why on earth did this start out in the Clinic????

Moving it.

Susan

McQuaid doesn't dope, but there's threads about him in the Clinic.

If Darach McQuaid gets the gig in 2014, it's just one more piece to a revolting puzzle.

 

[FignonLeGrand]

Not strictly doping per se, but very curious to see who gets awarded the contract down the track: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-of-britain-organisation-put-out-to-open-tender

I know a certain Irishman well connected to the UCI president who organises races...

Seriously is there nothing you cant spin into an anti Wiggans/ Anti UK borefest. You have created most tedious thread ever re Sky go back and hide under that rock please

 

[JimmyFingers]

Dearest Wiggo, have you ever watched the Tour of Britain? Did you know for example the rider you described as 'being from an Amateur team' won it last year?

 

[DirtyWorks]

McQuaid doesn't dope, but there's threads about him in the Clinic.

If Darach McQuaid gets the gig in 2014, it's just one more piece to a revolting puzzle.

SweetSpot builds the event, then BC shops it out looking for a higher bidder. If that isn't classic short-sighted, small-time sports management the UCI does so well, then I don't know what is.

Martin, the tender process varies depending on the country. In the U.S. USAC posts tenders for national championships only. If you want to do an event that ends up on the UCI's world calendar, you deal with both the U.S. federation and Agile. In the U.S. it is extremely difficult to make the event business model work if you want to be on the UCI's global calendar. UCI's costs, on top of USA Cycling's costs are ridiculous for high-ranking competitive events. I'm pretty sure that is by design to concentrate money in the Elite peloton.

The UK may be under more and different standards because the sports are government funded. Could the event be profitable in the UK, or is it just considered a public good expense?

I predict World Cycling Productions for the win!

 

[martinvickers]

SweetSpot builds the event, then BC shops it out looking for a higher bidder. If that isn't classic short-sighted, small-time sports management the UCI does so well, then I don't know what is.

Martin, the tender process varies depending on the country. In the U.S. USAC posts tenders for national championships only. If you want to do an event that ends up on the UCI's world calendar, you deal with both the U.S. federation and Agile. In the U.S. it is extremely difficult to make the event business model work if you want to be on the UCI's global calendar. UCI's costs, on top of USA Cycling's costs are ridiculous for high-ranking competitive events. I'm pretty sure that is by design to concentrate money in the Elite peloton.

The UK may be under more and different standards because the sports are government funded. Could the event be profitable in the UK, or is it just considered a public good expense?

I predict World Cycling Productions for the win!

Cycling is in a unique place right now in Britain - Ireland had it's similar moments in the 80's, though not on the same scale because we are a much smaller country - to say Cycling is going mainstream is actually to undersell it, it's going stratospheric - the crowds at the Olympic roadraces were really quite extraordinary - as ridiculous as it sounds, Box hill would not have shamed the Alpe in terms of fervour that day - and the tour of Britain, small fry though it is, got fantastic crowds.

They are now trying to add a "london classic", to partly use the olympic course, to add a 'big' one day race to the existing tour in their knapsack. It would be a big weekend festival of cycling, including a 'women's classic' - which is frankly a great idea - and if Vox and Armitstead are in that, with cooke, houvenaghal, trott, garner, barker and some of the other girls (Sarah Storey, maybe), it could very well be one of the best attended women's races around.

As to profitable, not really sure; but just having more 'big' 'elite' events gives indirect ground to BD - see the success of the Revolution series. Profile indirectly equals sponsor money anyway.

 

[MartinGT]

BC Do close to knack all for the domestic RR scene. Our Premier Calender is shrinking by the minute its disgusting truly is.

Its also a **** take to see how serious Team Sky took (or didnt as was the case) this year ToB.

 

[DirtyWorks]

BC Do close to knack all for the domestic RR scene. Our Premier Calender is shrinking by the minute its disgusting truly is.

You are missing the point of the UCI's efforts. The UCI is not interested in having widespread participation racing. They are interested in producing/selling cycling shows. They only need a small pool of actors for that and they have enough.

 

[JimmyFingers]

BC Do close to knack all for the domestic RR scene. Our Premier Calender is shrinking by the minute its disgusting truly is.

Its also a **** take to see how serious Team Sky took (or didnt as was the case) this year ToB.

Cav took some stages didn't he? I think they wanted Rowe to go for the overall. It was always going to be a bit of a victory lap for Wiggins

 

[uphillstruggle]

BC Do close to knack all for the domestic RR scene. Our Premier Calender is shrinking by the minute its disgusting truly is.

Definitely agree with you there. They just take our license fees every year and use it to fund the track squad (well I really have no idea what they do with it but it isn't funding or assisting with grass roots racing). The racing scene over here is basically run on the work of local clubs and enthusiasts.

 

[oldcrank]

The racing scene over here is basically run on the work of local clubs and enthusiasts.

Yes that is certainly true, but the Manchester, Newport, London, Glasgow
and now Derby world-class indoor velodromes were not built just from the
proceeds of car boot sales, raffles and bingo nights.(I am in no way trying
to diminish the contributions of the thousands of volunteer coaches and
officials and organizers that contribute countless hours and often their
own money to keep local, regional and national cycling events viable.)
There are many, many grass-roots programs run at these velodromes
and schools throughout GB.