Do you care about the UCI?

[King Boonen]

In terms of mountain biking, do you care about the UCI, it's current problems and its governance?

And why?

 

[papisimo98]

In terms of mountain biking, do you care about the UCI, it's current problems and its governance?

And why?

As far as the US goes, concerning XC, no.
The UCI has killed mtn biking.
Courses have turned into CX courses with finishing times well below 2 hrs. LAME
Also not allowing racers to race non sanctioned events with big purses such as the Teva games is ridiculous and reeks of something shady.
IMO, XC mountain will never be a big spectator sport. Trying to make it spectator friendly by having races in parks and short loops doesn't cater to the masses, only the select few that want actual UCI points.
Cookson's interview and responses about mountain biking and how unsanctioned races need to be "brought" under the sanctioning of the UCI sounds insulting. Only the UCI understands how to run an event?
Sounds like all they want is a payout and piggy back on someone elses hard work and creativity.

 

[King Boonen]

Got to say I agree.

As a non-racer I couldn't give a monkeys about sanctioned events. I can see how UCI backing could help with organising road races as rolling road-blocks, closures etc. need to be put in place and I'm guessing a governing body has so clout, but with MTB I can just go out and ride with friends and even race if we want with pretty much no forward planning.

There seems to be no support from the UCI for downhill and I agree that Cooksons interview saying he would look to bring Enduro into the UCI just seems to be, as you say, piggy-backing on someone elses hard work.

 

[DirtyWorks]

As far as the US goes, concerning XC, no.
The UCI has killed mtn biking.
Courses have turned into CX courses with finishing times well below 2 hrs. LAME
.

+111!!!!

IMO, XC mountain will never be a big spectator sport. Trying to make it spectator friendly by having races in parks and short loops doesn't cater to the masses, only the select few that want actual UCI points.

You are missing the point. They package the event in a 2-hour broadcast and sell it. The only thing the network does is add voice-over in the local language. You can even buy the events completely commentated. I know they did them in English and it wasn't good. I rather enjoyed the brief time an over-the-air HD station in the U.S. was replaying UCI world cup cyclocross events with no narration.

In both cases, the UCI sold the product to the network making some money. This is considered "the future" of cycling in the eyes of Cookson and what Pat an Hein have been doing for years.

Cookson's interview and responses about mountain biking and how unsanctioned races need to be "brought" under the sanctioning of the UCI sounds insulting. Only the UCI understands how to run an event?
Sounds like all they want is a payout and piggy back on someone elses hard work and creativity.

Which is why IMHO, Cookson will be a more sophisticated version of Pat, but not too far off policy-wise from the UCI under McQuaid/Verbruggen. Letting unsanctioned events flourish when they have worldwide control of the pro-level of the sport is simply forbidden. Hopefully some things do change. Controlling all aspects of the sport even down to the fun-rides is essential to the UCI's mission.

 

[hiero2]

In terms of mountain biking, do you care about the UCI, it's current problems and its governance?

And why?

No.
Yes.
Yes.

I sincerely hope that Cookson reverses the course of the UCI over the last 2 decades. But I won't hold my breath.

 

[dsut4392]

No.
Yes.
Yes.

I sincerely hope that Cookson reverses the course of the UCI over the last 2 decades. But I won't hold my breath.

Ditto.

As a non-racer, I resent the requirement to pay for a day 'license' to the local UCI-monopoly-representative in order to participate in a mass-start organised 'event', notwithstanding the fact that the main purpose of said license is presumably to enable the organiser to obtain indemnity insurance. I'm happy to pay the event entry fee to the (usually) highly deserving event organizer, but UCI and their ilk have done nothing (positive) for grass-roots events.

 

[Boeing]

+111!!!!


. I rather enjoyed the brief time an over-the-air HD station in the U.S. was replaying UCI world cup cyclocross events with no narration.




.

that was awesome. just cowbells in the background and fans yelling

the unintended brilliance was at no time in recent memory has a televised sports event ever felt so authentic while capturing the true culture of the sport. IMHO

 

[avanti]

............................
The UCI has killed mtn biking.
...................

The UCI (and USAC) have almost killed track racing in the USA by turning it into a winter sport (world cup and WC).