Funds lacking for Pais Vasco and San Sebastian

[SHAD0W93]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/funds-lacking-for-pais-vasco-and-san-sebastian

Will they stay or will they go?

 

[Froome19]

Would be disastorous, first these Asian races come in to the WT and then these races leave... if i was the UCI I would watch out

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Would be disastorous, first these Asian races come in to the WT and then these races leave... if i was the UCI I would watch out

The UCI have no intention of watching out. This is exactly what they want. Who cares about fans, riders, prestige or actual entertainment when you've got government money to make in the name of globalisation? After all, the UCI's own race-organising body runs those Asian races; they don't run País Vasco or San Sebastián. So for the UCI this is win-win, because it opens up some slots on the calendar for them to run their own events against the historic events (and make them WT so the top teams have to attend, weakening the traditional events), and also strengthens their stranglehold on the sport's World calendar, by getting rid of some of those pesky races that aren't under their control.

As long as the UCI is able to decide on what is and isn't World Tour and also has its own racing organisational body, then conflict of interests will continue, and McQuaid won't be happy until he's killed the sport in backwater, boring countries like Spain, France, Belgium and Italy in favour of "emerging markets" (read: places with lots of money, but that don't give a damn about cycling).

Issoisso said that if this all happens, they could well turn their back on the sport full stop. I can't say that the same wouldn't cross my mind.

 

[thehog]

Que breakaway league.......

 

[Afrank]

very sad, what ever happened to the breakaway league, I had such high hopes for that. If the UCI had any sense at all they would stop trying to create races in china and put the funds towards preserving the good races we have.

And shouldn't the second option in the poll be "No they won't get the funds"?

 

[Froome19]

The UCI have no intention of watching out. This is exactly what they want. Who cares about fans, riders, prestige or actual entertainment when you've got government money to make in the name of globalisation? After all, the UCI's own race-organising body runs those Asian races; they don't run País Vasco or San Sebastián. So for the UCI this is win-win, because it opens up some slots on the calendar for them to run their own events against the historic events (and make them WT so the top teams have to attend, weakening the traditional events), and also strengthens their stranglehold on the sport's World calendar, by getting rid of some of those pesky races that aren't under their control.

As long as the UCI is able to decide on what is and isn't World Tour and also has its own racing organisational body, then conflict of interests will continue, and McQuaid won't be happy until he's killed the sport in backwater, boring countries like Spain, France, Belgium and Italy in favour of "emerging markets" (read: places with lots of money, but that don't give a damn about cycling).

Issoisso said that if this all happens, they could well turn their back on the sport full stop. I can't say that the same wouldn't cross my mind.

What I meant was that the pesky oppostion to the UCI may just be gaining some support if things carry along on this trajectory

 

[will10]

Am I missing something, what's with the poll?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

in a right world UCI would be helping these races, rather then organizing new ones. just a joke.

 

[Polish]

Not sure what a "breakaway league' could do to help Spanish economic woes. Or what the UCI could do for that matter.

BTW, I live in a very culturally diverse biking area, and many of my "asian" customers are very big cycling fans. Just saying. Diversity is good financially too.

 

[Mambo95]

in a right world UCI would be helping these races, rather then organizing new ones. just a joke.

And where is the UCI going to get the money to do this?

People seem to want the UCI to spend money, but have objections to them earning it.

 

[SHAD0W93]

very sad, what ever happened to the breakaway league, I had such high hopes for that. If the UCI had any sense at all they would stop trying to create races in china and put the funds towards preserving the good races we have.

And shouldn't the second option in the poll be "No they won't get the funds"?

I was changing the stuff around in the polls trying to figure out what to put and forgot to proof read.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

And where is the UCI going to get the money to do this?

People seem to want the UCI to spend money, but have objections to them earning it.

Well they have these asian races for primary reasons of income, let's not beat around the bush. Sometimes using an ORGs funds to bail out an important race or team (i speaking other sports in this manner) is necessary. You see it with other organizations, UCI are a bunch of monekys however, and it is hard to believe they do what is best for the sport.

 

[Afrank]

BTW, I live in a very culturally diverse biking area, and many of my "asian" customers are very big cycling fans. Just saying. Diversity is good financially too.

No one is saying that diversity is bad, but when the UCI creates races in china instead of helping to preserve cyclings historic races, then that is bad.

 

[Orvieto]

If cycling is not careful, it will go the way of Formula 1, which let historical Grand Prix in Holland, France and Austria die in favour of bland tracks in Bahrain, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi. Drivers rarely race on the same circuits that their heroes raced on.
You can broaden international appeal without destroying a sport's history, which is essentially a European history.
Football playing kids in Vancouver, Kuala Lampur and Beijing alike dream of playing at San Siro or Old Trafford or Camp Nou. Their bicycle riding neighbours want to ride where the historical greats rode, in the Pyrennes, the Alps and on the Flemish cobbles.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

And where is the UCI going to get the money to do this?

People seem to want the UCI to spend money, but have objections to them earning it.

In the General News thread:

That fee paid to the UCI seems really excessive. I wonder how much GCP pays to the UCI for their races to be part of the WorldTour?

The UCI's reserve fund, which can be used 'to support a UCI ProTeam or the organiser of a UCI WorldTour event in the event of temporary
difficulty' (see rule 2.15.245). They gave money to the organisers of GP Ouest-France last year to help it keep going. If they can save that race that I doubt many fans are that passionate about (or are even aware of, especially in comparison to these Basque races), then I'm sure they could stump up the €150,000 to Organizaciones Ciclistas Euskadi.

Especially seeing as their reserve fund was €3,888,501 at the end of 2009 (page 6) and €3,053,549 at the end of 2010 (page 5).

So there's something like €3m in the reserve fund (I don't expect it cost €3m to run Plouay).

Sure they can run these crappy flyaway races in China, if it supplements keeping alive those historic races. I'll happily take the Tour of Hangzhou if it will keep País Vasco alive. But it shouldn't be an "instead of" option.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

If cycling is not careful, it will go the way of Formula 1, which let historical Grand Prix in Holland, France and Austria die in favour of bland tracks in Bahrain, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi. Drivers rarely race on the same circuits that their heroes raced on.
You can broaden international appeal without destroying a sport's history, which is essentially a European history.
Football playing kids in Vancouver, Kuala Lampur and Beijing alike dream of playing at San Siro or Old Trafford or Camp Nou. Their bicycle riding neighbours want to ride where the historical greats rode, in the Pyrennes, the Alps and on the Flemish cobbles.

The thing is, cycling is like sportscars. Every other year a fight breaks out between the FIA and the ACO, because the FIA want to own everything, and the ACO own Le Mans, and everybody wants to go to Le Mans. The FIA has its own series, but its regulations are hamstrung by having to be close enough to ACO ones to attract teams who want to race at Le Mans.

The UCI has hit on an ingenious solution to this, by having its own World Championships, but having its own conflict of interest body that enables it to line its own pockets whilst simultaneously strangling those races that are organised by non-UCI people.

 

[Mambo95]

So there's something like €3m in the reserve fund (I don't expect it cost €3m to run Plouay).

3m isn't very much, particularly when they have to keep paying for lawyers to go to CAS.

I dare say they can bail these races out and they probably will do. But you can only prop up loss making ventures so long without bankrupting yourself if you don't open up new revenue streams.

Tradition and history doesn't get the bills paid. China does.

 

[El Pistolero]

It does? No fans, I wonder how long these races will last

Perhaps when the Chinese government realizes people in the Western world aren't as easily manipulated as their Chinese counterparts these races will vanish into thin air again.

 

[jens_attacks]

i don't know how much time this countries will exist,not the races..

 

[User Guide]

The 700K euro World Tour license that is being banded about seems excessive,is this for 1 year 10 years anyone confirm this.
On a wider point its pretty clear the F1 comparisons are right, his Heinousness and his right hand man McQuaid want to be the Bernie Ecclestones of cycling ie getting rich.

 

[Mellow Velo]

And where is the UCI going to get the money to do this?

People seem to want the UCI to spend money, but have objections to them earning it.
Tradition and history doesn't get the bills paid. China does.

Rich: I know where you stand in this old world v new world financial debate and I don't completely disagree, but this strikes much deeper.

Two of the biggest races, both in terms of standing and history left to go belly up, for the lack of some funding when times are tough?
You speak of China being cycling's financial future security, but as yet, we have no idea as to whether their interest in road cycling is long-term, or a speculative whim.

In the short term scheme of things, 150K is not a massive figure, so why not offer it up in the shape of a loan, rather than a donation?
Sure it may be risky, but that's true of much in the current climate.

One thing is certain, if these races survive Spain's recession, they will continue in the very long term: something that cannot be said (predicted) of the Chinese events.

As a footnote, I wonder if the ASO will look upon this situation as another opportunity to expand their race portfolio?

 

[hrotha]

I wonder what the UCI does with all this licence money, because I was under the impression that, as an organization, they were relatively poor and the WC was its main source of money.

 

[greenedge]

I think they can save one.

The question is, which one do you guys prefer?

 

[gregrowlerson]

If cycling is not careful, it will go the way of Formula 1, which let historical Grand Prix in Holland, France and Austria die in favour of bland tracks in Bahrain, Shanghai, Abu Dhabi. Drivers rarely race on the same circuits that their heroes raced on.
You can broaden international appeal without destroying a sport's history, which is essentially a European history.
Football playing kids in Vancouver, Kuala Lampur and Beijing alike dream of playing at San Siro or Old Trafford or Camp Nou. Their bicycle riding neighbours want to ride where the historical greats rode, in the Pyrennes, the Alps and on the Flemish cobbles.

And let's not forget Adelaide

Disgrace that they got rid of the Austrian F1 GP. Really liked that circuit.

Oh, and keep Pais Vasco most definitely. It's Klodi's most successful event, so it must be good

 

[El Pistolero]

I wonder what the UCI does with all this licence money, because I was under the impression that, as an organization, they were relatively poor and the WC was its main source of money.

Considering it costs 2 million Euros to organize a race like the Ronde van Vlaanderen, 3 million in reserve isn't really much...