General News Thread

[Euskaltel!]

Seems like Euskaltel-Euskadi, although probably better to just call them Euskadi now, might field a Continental team next year as well as an amateur team:

http://ccaa.elpais.com/ccaa/2013/10/25/paisvasco/1382716261_244913.html

Basically, they needed more support and a bunch of businesses were able to provide it, but only for Continental/Amateur level competition. So the Fundación lives on, and probably at a more sustainable level.

 

[Ferminal]

Verbier and Saas-Fee as MTFs in Suisse 2014, final two stages, how exciting.

http://www.tourdesuisse.ch/news/new...penorte-der-tour-de-suisse-2014-sind-bekannt/

 

[Netserk]

Verbier and Saas-Fee as MTFs in Suisse 2014, final two stages, how exciting.

http://www.tourdesuisse.ch/news/new...penorte-der-tour-de-suisse-2014-sind-bekannt/

Wasn't that the finish of Libertine's Suisse?

 

[pastronef]

Please tell me this is someone's idea of a sick joke

May as well reduce squad sizes to 15-18 riders

Surely organisers like ASO and RCS won't stand for Dauphine, P-N, T-A, etc to be shortened so much? The Spanish calendar has been gutted! Next we'll be having two week Giro and Vuelta.

i think they will stand. you can notice how their middle east races will be promoted to 2nd division come 2017, very high class races. (rcs organizes Dubai, Aso the other 2)
$$$$

 

[Gloin22]

Please tell me this is someone's idea of a sick joke

May as well reduce squad sizes to 15-18 riders

Surely organisers like ASO and RCS won't stand for Dauphine, P-N, T-A, etc to be shortened so much? The Spanish calendar has been gutted! Next we'll be having two week Giro and Vuelta.

They will if this reform comes to plan.

Maxiumum of 22 riders.

Anyway, those reforms have been planned under McQuid. Cookson might have different view. However some change is needed for sure.

 

[theyoungest]

They will if this reform comes to plan.

Maxiumum of 22 riders.

Anyway, those reforms have been planned under McQuid. Cookson might have different view. However some change is needed for sure.

Indeed. The calendar has to make sense for the non-cycling obsessed as well. And currently it doesn't, certainly with major races taking place at the same time.

I'm not in favour of making everything shorter though. There seems to be this idea that shorter races promote cleaner racing, which is utter BS.

 

[janraaskalt]

Anyway, those reforms have been planned under McQuid. Cookson might have different view. However some change is needed for sure.

This was not a McQuaid going solo project. Race organisers, teams representatives and riders representatives were all involved in the plans. I doubt Cookson will change it.

 

[janraaskalt]

Indeed. The calendar has to make sense for the non-cycling obsessed as well. And currently it doesn't, certainly with major races taking place at the same time.

I'm not in favour of making everything shorter though. There seems to be this idea that shorter races promote cleaner racing, which is utter BS.

Shorter is easier for non-overlapping races. Riders can ride both Paris-Nice and Tirreno or double the Dauphine and Suisse. Which they will do like... never. Unless this is the 1915-1920 calendar reform project.

 

[theyoungest]

Shorter is easier for non-overlapping races. Riders can ride both Paris-Nice and Tirreno or double the Dauphine and Suisse. Which they will do like... never. Unless this is the 1915-1920 calendar reform project.

I don't think it's the goal for riders to do both Paris-Nice and Tirreno, but rather that the public stays entertained and not confused.

 

[janraaskalt]

I don't think it's the goal for riders to do both Paris-Nice and Tirreno, but rather that the public stays entertained and not confused.

Yes, that's one part of it. The other is to have the best riders in the best races. We get less Tier-1 teams and less Tier-1 races. The teams have only a small group of riders that can ride in lower level races.

However, for me there's nothing more entertaining than a nice T-A stage after having seen a P-N stage

 

[Arnout]

I don't think it's the goal for riders to do both Paris-Nice and Tirreno, but rather that the public stays entertained and not confused.

Like tires that intentionally disintegrate for "entertainment". Dumbing down events to appeal to the casual mass is idiotic, they won't suddenly be interested if Suisse is three days shorter, but at the same time followers will be annoyed.

It's like Telegraaf buying Hyves for way too much money because they are arrogant enough to think they can make it work whereas every sane person could see its time was over. Now we have some cycling idiots who think they can manage public interest.

Meanwhile I stopped watching F1 because of the added entertainment.

 

[Afrank]

Seems like Euskaltel-Euskadi, although probably better to just call them Euskadi now, might field a Continental team next year as well as an amateur team:

http://ccaa.elpais.com/ccaa/2013/10/25/paisvasco/1382716261_244913.html

Basically, they needed more support and a bunch of businesses were able to provide it, but only for Continental/Amateur level competition. So the Fundación lives on, and probably at a more sustainable level.

Should have done this a long time ago.

 

[Parrulo]

Like tires that intentionally disintegrate for "entertainment". Dumbing down events to appeal to the casual mass is idiotic, they won't suddenly be interested if Suisse is three days shorter, but at the same time followers will be annoyed.

It's like Telegraaf buying Hyves for way too much money because they are arrogant enough to think they can make it work whereas every sane person could see its time was over. Now we have some cycling idiots who think they can manage public interest.

Meanwhile I stopped watching F1 because of the added entertainment.

I agree with this. Besides how hard can it be to understand that just like 2 football games can overlap, so can 2 cycling races?

That's insulting to people's intelligence and let's be honest, if people really can't understand that, you can be sure they will never follow the sport at all and they aren't worth the time and the annoyance caused to the real fans.

 

[Afrank]

Calendars for 2015 and 2017 leaked?

http://inrng.com/2013/10/pro-cycling-calendar-uci-reform/

This is a utterly stupid idea for a calendar if they go through with it, really hope they don't. Don't see anything wrong with some races overlapping at the moment, or with the current length of races, or with 30-man teams. UCI just trying to change things that don't need changing.

 

[theyoungest]

Like tires that intentionally disintegrate for "entertainment". Dumbing down events to appeal to the casual mass is idiotic, they won't suddenly be interested if Suisse is three days shorter, but at the same time followers will be annoyed.

It's like Telegraaf buying Hyves for way too much money because they are arrogant enough to think they can make it work whereas every sane person could see its time was over. Now we have some cycling idiots who think they can manage public interest.

Meanwhile I stopped watching F1 because of the added entertainment.

I think this kind of response is expected in the conservative cycling world, but the fact is that most people don't give a toss about any race other than the Tour or Roubaix. The cycling calendar can use an update, the cycling fans will follow the races anyway and maybe now we can get some more people than just the hardcore followers interested in races like Tirreno.

The WorldTour as it stands is a joke, where else do you get someone with a shot of winning the world cup not appearing at the start of the final races because he prefers a holiday? Then how do you expect casual fans to care?

 

[Netserk]

It'd be better to just kill the World Tour.

 

[JRanton]

I don't think it's the goal for riders to do both Paris-Nice and Tirreno, but rather that the public stays entertained and not confused.

Yeah, I can't see guys finishing Paris-Nice on the Sunday, jumping on a plane on the Monday and then starting Tirreno on the Tuesday. I mean you might get a few domestiques doing both, but the vast majority won't.

EDIT - Although I remember Acquarone suggesting in quite a recent article that having all of the best riders racing both events was the way forward.

 

[LaFlorecita]

They will if this reform comes to plan.

Maxiumum of 22 riders.

Anyway, those reforms have been planned under McQuid. Cookson might have different view. However some change is needed for sure.

22 riders and 16 1st division teams and 8 second division. Oh dear think of all the riders without a job. It will be even worse than this year.

 

[JRanton]

They will if this reform comes to plan.

Maxiumum of 22 riders.

Anyway, those reforms have been planned under McQuid. Cookson might have different view. However some change is needed for sure.

From what I can tell each team has to have 22 riders, there's no minimum limit. That makes sense considering that there are still three grand tours to be raced and if there are a few injuries then I can see teams getting stretched very thin despite there being no overlapping of racing. I wonder if you'll be able to substitute riders in from the planned development teams consisting of between 8 and 10 riders? Could be a bit like the NFL. Place a rider on injured reserve and promote one of your young riders from the practice squad to take his place.

 

[janraaskalt]

I wonder if you'll be able to substitute riders in from the planned development teams consisting of between 8 and 10 riders?

Highly unlikely. The "development team" however, seem like designated riders who can perform on the highest level, whereas the others are not allowed to act on continental level. Remember, 22 riders plus 8 = the 30 riders the teams currently have.

 

[JRanton]

22 riders and 16 1st division teams and 8 second division. Oh dear think of all the riders without a job. It will be even worse than this year.

Let's say there are 18 teams this year and on average 28 riders on each team. That's 504 riders in the first division (world tour). 16 teams of 22 riders is 352 riders. So over 150 less riders will be racing in the top division if these plans go through. Of course there's the second division but there's going to be a limited number who will find places with those teams. Most will go unemployed as we've seen this year.

A couple of other main points of interest are that the likes of Androni, Bardiani and Caja Rural wouldn't be able to race the Giro/Vuelta under these proposals because they wouldn't qualify for the second division (based on 2013 team rankings). That would completely kill off those teams I'd imagine.

Also, from what I can gather 1st division teams aren't able to race anything below 2.HC ranking events. So for instance, if the Tour of Britain was to remain at its current status as a 2.1 race then Team Sky wouldn't be able to compete in it.

 

[JRanton]

Highly unlikely. The "development team" however, seem like designated riders who can perform on the highest level, whereas the others are not allowed to act on continental level. Remember, 22 riders plus 8 = the 30 riders the teams currently have.

Yes, but what is the make up of those development teams going to be? Are they all going to be under 23s? That isn't going to help the old guys find a job.

 

[The Hitch]

Yeah, I can't see guys finishing Paris-Nice on the Sunday, jumping on a plane on the Monday and then starting Tirreno on the Tuesday. I mean you might get a few domestiques doing both, but the vast majority won't.

EDIT - Although I remember Acquarone suggesting in quite a recent article that having all of the best riders racing both events was the way forward.

I can see sprinters skipping eze and whatever joke hill stage Paris nice uses to get a 3 day rest before doing the sprint stages in ta (and pulling out for chieti).

 

[JRanton]

Yes, that's one part of it. The other is to have the best riders in the best races. We get less Tier-1 teams and less Tier-1 races. The teams have only a small group of riders that can ride in lower level races.

However, for me there's nothing more entertaining than a nice T-A stage after having seen a P-N stage

Also one of my favourite days of the year is the G-W, Catalunya and Crit International Super Sunday in March.

 

[The Hitch]

Yeah, I can't see guys finishing Paris-Nice on the Sunday, jumping on a plane on the Monday and then starting Tirreno on the Tuesday. I mean you might get a few domestiques doing both, but the vast majority won't.

EDIT - Although I remember Acquarone suggesting in quite a recent article that having all of the best riders racing both events was the way forward.

I can see sprinters skipping eze and whatever joke hill stage Paris nice uses to get a 3 day rest before doing the sprint stages in ta (and pulling out for chieti).