There are other recent threads related to the UCI, “Radio’s – Safety or Control of Your Riders” and “Time for Leaving the UCI” (closed); however, so as not to change the direction or “hijack” the former and yet expand on the topic, I’d like to begin a new thread.
On the issue of race radios, I’ve had the pleasure on many occasions to ride in team cars in ProTour and other professional races and believe it’s naive for anyone to say the director sportif’s are controlling their riders; mostly they offer encouraging words and advise of potentially dangerous conditions ahead on the road. When a rider has a flat or mechanical they can radio for assistance and the team mechanic can prepare to handle the mishap in a more timely and efficient manner. Coaches in almost every other sport by calling for a time-out or rotating players during a game and in the locker room at half-time do much more to “control” their players than a director sportif ever could during a road race. Would anyone suggest that coaches should not communicate with their players and thereby improve the sporting aspects of a basketball, football, ice hockey or any other competition? You’d be made a laughing-stock for even suggesting it.
In regard to leaving the UCI, ASO has run at least one large international road race without the UCI, they relied on the French federation to sanction their event; so there is an alternative available, but it means having a federation that is willing to buck the system’s hierarchy. Ultimately it’s the federations that elect the UCI President and its management committee; they’re responsible to make changes in the way the UCI operates. But the question is, do the federations represent the riders or mostly look after their own interests and self-preservation? I don’t believe the riders or members of a federation necessarily have the right to elect their own directors and officers. It’s a closed system and members are only entitled to purchase a racing license and then must subject themselves to the UCI/federation rules without a say in how things are done.
It’s totally corrupt that the UCI/federations have set themselves up a monopoly and as such are able to dictate how World Championship events are awarded and control access to IOC funding and systematically put their hands in the pockets of the race organizers, and sponsors, while extracting huge licensing fees from the teams and riders in order to pursue their careers and earn a livelihood. And it seems the importance of the riders’ and their concerns and the very sport of cycling itself is secondary. Rider advisory boards are merely window-dressing and the AIGCP is powerless, short of taking “drastic action”, to make substantive changes.
And although much attention is being given to the current fight on race radios, it’s much more than just this one issue and how the UCI can arbitrarily implement such rules. I would say the paramount issue with the UCI is their gross negligence in handling the doping issue; for year-after-year now they can do nothing right and for a time nearly destroyed the sport of cycling through their incompetence. Certainly it’s a problem that needs to be dealt with, but dragging these individuals and the sport of cycling in its entirety through the mud isn’t the answer. The science is often questionable, but more importantly the investigative process is conducted without respect for the individual and on full display of the media. It’s guaranteed to provide never-ending negative press without resulting in such practices ever being fully eradicated. It has resulted in occasional media blackouts and driven sponsors away, which further undermines a team’s ability to pay the costs of programs and adequate testing. So it’s not the solution.
New management is desperately needed at the UCI, but if the federations are unwilling to step up and tackle the problem, and I’d bet they won’t, then what can be done? Control has to be given to the broader membership, the right to vote by riders directly must be instituted for the election of every director in their respective federations and those directors held accountable for their actions in selecting management at the UCI. One suggestion to begin changing the direction of things is the idea Jens Voigt mentioned of boycotting the UCI Road World Championships. It’s a start and could very well get the UCI’s attention and be a catalyst to changing their practices. I believe it would also get the attention of the IOC and national governments to put pressure on the UCI. I do caution, however, that such “drastic action” should be disclosed to the host nation/city and race organizers well beforehand to prevent any financial hardship on them. Enough has already been done to undermine the health of cycling. We don’t need any more casualties than those few individuals sitting in power at the UCI.
On the issue of race radios, I’ve had the pleasure on many occasions to ride in team cars in ProTour and other professional races and believe it’s naive for anyone to say the director sportif’s are controlling their riders; mostly they offer encouraging words and advise of potentially dangerous conditions ahead on the road. When a rider has a flat or mechanical they can radio for assistance and the team mechanic can prepare to handle the mishap in a more timely and efficient manner. Coaches in almost every other sport by calling for a time-out or rotating players during a game and in the locker room at half-time do much more to “control” their players than a director sportif ever could during a road race. Would anyone suggest that coaches should not communicate with their players and thereby improve the sporting aspects of a basketball, football, ice hockey or any other competition? You’d be made a laughing-stock for even suggesting it.
In regard to leaving the UCI, ASO has run at least one large international road race without the UCI, they relied on the French federation to sanction their event; so there is an alternative available, but it means having a federation that is willing to buck the system’s hierarchy. Ultimately it’s the federations that elect the UCI President and its management committee; they’re responsible to make changes in the way the UCI operates. But the question is, do the federations represent the riders or mostly look after their own interests and self-preservation? I don’t believe the riders or members of a federation necessarily have the right to elect their own directors and officers. It’s a closed system and members are only entitled to purchase a racing license and then must subject themselves to the UCI/federation rules without a say in how things are done.
It’s totally corrupt that the UCI/federations have set themselves up a monopoly and as such are able to dictate how World Championship events are awarded and control access to IOC funding and systematically put their hands in the pockets of the race organizers, and sponsors, while extracting huge licensing fees from the teams and riders in order to pursue their careers and earn a livelihood. And it seems the importance of the riders’ and their concerns and the very sport of cycling itself is secondary. Rider advisory boards are merely window-dressing and the AIGCP is powerless, short of taking “drastic action”, to make substantive changes.
And although much attention is being given to the current fight on race radios, it’s much more than just this one issue and how the UCI can arbitrarily implement such rules. I would say the paramount issue with the UCI is their gross negligence in handling the doping issue; for year-after-year now they can do nothing right and for a time nearly destroyed the sport of cycling through their incompetence. Certainly it’s a problem that needs to be dealt with, but dragging these individuals and the sport of cycling in its entirety through the mud isn’t the answer. The science is often questionable, but more importantly the investigative process is conducted without respect for the individual and on full display of the media. It’s guaranteed to provide never-ending negative press without resulting in such practices ever being fully eradicated. It has resulted in occasional media blackouts and driven sponsors away, which further undermines a team’s ability to pay the costs of programs and adequate testing. So it’s not the solution.
New management is desperately needed at the UCI, but if the federations are unwilling to step up and tackle the problem, and I’d bet they won’t, then what can be done? Control has to be given to the broader membership, the right to vote by riders directly must be instituted for the election of every director in their respective federations and those directors held accountable for their actions in selecting management at the UCI. One suggestion to begin changing the direction of things is the idea Jens Voigt mentioned of boycotting the UCI Road World Championships. It’s a start and could very well get the UCI’s attention and be a catalyst to changing their practices. I believe it would also get the attention of the IOC and national governments to put pressure on the UCI. I do caution, however, that such “drastic action” should be disclosed to the host nation/city and race organizers well beforehand to prevent any financial hardship on them. Enough has already been done to undermine the health of cycling. We don’t need any more casualties than those few individuals sitting in power at the UCI.
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