ilillillli said:
The problem is that while "burn it down" is really fun to say... it doesn't really mean much. How, exactly would "burning it down" go with pro-cycling/UCI/ASO/etc.?
"Burn it down" implies that professional cycling is corrupt from top to bottom. And not only professional cycling, but the whole structure that feeds it, specifically the national associations and their domestic competitions (not excluding, necessarily, those at the amateur level); basically, all competitive cycling organized or overseen at both the national and international levels. That is what "burn it down" means; let it be destroyed root and branch.
This would occur through a comprehensive clearing of the air: transparent, independent audits of the concerned organizations, criminal investigations and so on. The inevitable result would be a mass exodus of commercial sponsorship from the sport and thus the end of all or most traditional races, the disbanding of teams, the collapse of oversight bodies, and the likely expulsion of cycle sport from the Olympics due to lack of interest (the public having turned its back on racing). To think otherwise - i.e., that revelation of corrupt practices and criminal activity throughout the sport would be seen as a sign of health, thus drawing or retaining commercial interest and public faith - is naive in the extreme (as the phrase "burn it down" acknowledges).
marinoni said:
I don't see "burn it down" ever happening. Then again it might not need to. Maybe a slow steady smouldering. There are far fewer races these days. Sponsorship deals seem to be increasingly short-term. There are how many teams looking for new sponsors next season? For those people who are worried that the mainstream sports media is losing respect for cycling, you may as well stop worrying, that ship has sailed. Fairly or not, pro cycling is a laughing-stock in the mainstream sports media.
So what I see as increasingly likely in 10yrs is a sport with even fewer races. I also expect to see fewer, smaller teams with much smaller budgets and salaries.
This of course is assuming continued relatively prosperous times. If the economic collapse in Greece spreads to other Euro nations as expected then all bets are off. I wish I had reason to be more optimistic but this sport has been digging it's own grave for years now, it deserves everything it gets.
On a brighter note- microsnacking! very funny.
So in this case we may see, instead of an abrupt and profound rupture in the sport, rather a slower death, wherein the oxygen is season by season sucked out of the room and the various people and things and money and fan interest fall away bit by bit. No less dead by the end of it, and even less likely to be revived.
ilillillli said:
can someone please explain to me what "burn it down" actually means? and how it would be "built back up" in a way that's any better than it's current form.
scribe said:
No one really knows, and can't provide a roadmap to a better alternative in the rebuild. Fact of the matter is, the situation we are in is because doping controls can't keep up with the medical innovations that are giving the cyclists an edge. I think it would be embarrassing for cycling and doping control authorities to make it their constant position to publicly state that they can't effectively test their athletes. It is a miracle they are keeping guys from killing themselves in the manner that was happening previously.
This in my view is the crux of the problem: building it back up. I don't for a minute think cycle sport is any more corrupt than, say, American football, soccer, Formula 1, or what have you. It's all corrupt.
Let's say we, the fans and riders, encourage the destruction of pro cycling, do all we can to hasten its death, and throw lime after it into the grave. What happens then? Eventually, local races among amateurs will become new traditions and gain sponsorship and the whole thing will come full circle. Would any point or progress have been made then?
BikeCentric said:
The point of "burn it down" is eliminate the UCI. Cut off the head to kill the beast.
Dr. Maserati said:
Here is your road map....
Yes, you will always need an authority to agree rule's,and have 'uniformity' from within its members.
What is not necessary is that the same authority is also in charge of upholding those rules, having a bizarre system to elect officials and one that decides which rules it will or will not enforce.
Cycling has always been a popular pastime and sport - however the 'grassroots' have little say in its implementation - control is with a few, and many have a dubious past.
There are some good people within the UCI - but they are shut out of most of the decision making process.
If you have missed this in discussions then with respect, you have not been paying attention.
scribe said:
wait. So your roadmap is an indictment of past claims of unbalanced application of the rules, a quest for grassroots leadership, and an ad hominim swipe at the the end to help along your position?
I don't think you appreciate how cycling has found itself where it is, and likelihood that it will return there after it's burnt down.
Alpe d'Huez said:
As far as "burn it down" goes, while that sounds good, what really needs to happen is that both Hein and Pat need to leave cycling, and all of sports. There then needs to be a complete outside audit of the UCI with a full report with full transparency.
Once Pat is gone, a completely new, no-nonsense Eliot Ness type person needs to become the new head of the UCI.
There also needs to be a near completely re-write of the UCI's anti-doping procedures. This new book needs to contain guidelines on working with whistleblowers, and providing amnesty to riders who dope, but help provide factual evidence that catches other cheats - especially suppliers, doctors and such.
The UCI also needs to work with scientists like Ashenden and others to implement CO tests to detect autologous blood doping, as well as working with manufacturers in order to in the future detect gene therapy drugs, such as Repoxygen and stem-cell gene doping.
Exactly, to this last point. Rather than wanton destruction of all that is cycling, address the greatest problems more or less one at a time. First, investigate and reform - or, rather, replace - the UCI. Do this and most other problems get resolved. Secondly, and on the heels of the UCI, root out corruption in WADA and in the national organizations.
In order for any of this to happen, the EU and US government bodies must coordinate their investigative, legislative, and oversight efforts. Anything less and cycle sport becomes roller derby. (And this is the far more likely outcome.)
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