Lappartient is worse for cycling than Cookson?

[fmk_RoI]

Between his close ties to ASO and the destruction he was wrought on women's cycling in France, is UCI president David Lappartient worse for cycling than his predecessor Brian Cookson?

 

[Alexandre B.]

Too early to tell.

 

[bewildered]

Too early to start a thread about it

 

[ontheroad]

Time will tell but dear god I certainly hope not.

 

[MartinGT]

Between his close ties to ASO and the destruction he was wrought on women's cycling in France, is UCI president David Lappartient worse for cycling than his predecessor Brian Cookson?

When Cookson was head of BC the Premier Calendar sharnk and domestic racing went from a decent calendar of road racing to city centre crits.

 

[Catwhoorg]

I am cautiously optimistic that he will be better than Cookson.

 

[hrotha]

Are close ties with ASO necessarily a bad thing? I'm not well informed enough to tell.

 

[King Boonen]

Re:

Are close ties with ASO necessarily a bad thing? I'm not well informed enough to tell.

I suppose it depends on your views on doping. If you think it is prevalent and everyone knows the yes, it's probably bad as you would assume ASO want to avoid scandal. If you think doping is no longer prevalent and people want to catch the cheats then it might be a good thing as they can work together. And every shade of grey in-between exists too.

In terms of racing, it's probably neither good or bad.

 

[veganrob]

I think Pro cycling wants to avoid any scandal therefor no dopers are caught anyway. Unless you think they are all clean.

 

[fmk_RoI]

Re: Re:

Are close ties with ASO necessarily a bad thing? I'm not well informed enough to tell.

I suppose it depends on your views on doping. If you think it is prevalent and everyone knows the yes, it's probably bad as you would assume ASO want to avoid scandal. If you think doping is no longer prevalent and people want to catch the cheats then it might be a good thing as they can work together. And every shade of grey in-between exists too.

In terms of racing, it's probably neither good or bad.

For a brief time, during the Pro Tour wars, ASO led on fighting doping. Then the Widow Amaury ordered that scandals were more damaging than doping, so they fell back into step.

 

[fmk_RoI]

It's worth considering some of the things Lappartient is promising to do, so here's a few bits from his manifesto.

ENHANCE THE ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY OF THE UCI PRESIDENT AND THE MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE

Take power back from UCI staff like Martin Gibbs?

STRENGTHEN THE UCI’S ABILITY, AS AN INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION, TO WIELD INFLUENCE IN THE GLOBAL SPORT MOVEMENT

Brow-beat the IOC into giving us our seat back?

RESPECT THE UCI’ ENGAGEMENTS AND FOLLOW THROUGH ON PROPOSED REFORMS

Have a vision for the future?

 

[fmk_RoI]

This next one is a biggie and he will be judged on it:

REGROUP OUR 4 CYCLING OLYMPIC DISCIPLINES FOR A SINGLE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP EVERY 4 YEARS

A combined quadrennial World Championships, track and road, BMX and MTB, once every four years. How many countries could host that?

Related to that:

CREATE A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FOR “SMALLER COUNTRIES”

Rainbow jerseys for everybody in the audience? (Do you know how many rainbow jerseys the UCI currently gives out each year? Hundreds.)

 

[fmk_RoI]

Another Big Ticket item:

CONTINUE TO DRIVE PROGRESS IN OUR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

The really big point being the abolition of the TTT WC, the trade teams having turned their backs on the thing they lobbied for. He also wants a Worlds in Africa, so get the chequebook out South Africa, he's looking at you.

 

[fmk_RoI]

This sound familiar?

MAKE MORE VIABLE THE STRUCTURE OF WOMEN’S CYCLING

You'll have all heard it by now, how he's single-handedly killed women's cycling in France. So take this how you will, but he is saying he'll encourage organisers to run parallel women's races, like what ASO does that the Tour and the Vuelta.

INCREASE WOMEN REPRESENTATION IN THE GOVERNANCE OF INTERNATIONAL CYCLING

Did you see how male Congress was?

 

[fmk_RoI]

This has the potential to make you cringe:

DEVELOP A UCI MOBILE APPLICATION FOR CYCLING

There's a Thick of It episode he should watch...

 

[fmk_RoI]

The next Big Ticket item:

DESIGN A NEW REFORM FOR PROFESSIONAL CYCLING

Basically, undo the mess BC made of reform and start over, which includes

DISCOURAGE ANY PURSUIT OF “CLOSED-SYSTEMS” IN CYCLING

(To Vaughters, Velon and franchises for life...'Non!' means 'Non!')

 

[fmk_RoI]

More Big Ticket thinking:

BOOST THE ECONOMIC MODEL OF PROFESSIONAL CYCLING

Yeah, yeah, yeah, heard it all before, isn't this what those Outer Limits goonies chatter on about when no one's listening? But this:

STUDY THE POSSIBILITY OF JOINTLY SELLING THE REMAINING TV RIGHTS BELONGING TO RACE ORGANIZERS UNDER THE UCI AUTHORITY AND ON THE BASIS OF THE ORGANIZERS’ GENERAL WILL

For those who don't know, that's where it all started with Hein Verbruggen, a grab for the sport's TV money, and that led to the growing chasm between the UCI and ASO (it also led to Verbruggen being offered a gig at ASO - is that where Lappartient sees his future?).

He also wants to:

ORGANIZE ELITE RACES INTO THREE CATEGORIES: GRANDS TOURS, SERIES REGROUPING THE “CLASSIC CYCLE RACES” IN ONE DAY AND SERIES GATHERING “STAGE” RACES

Three rankings?

 

[fmk_RoI]

This next one looks easy but has the potential to be problematic:

IMPROVE THE ATTRACTIVENESS OF RACES

The issue?

It is clear however that some races, particularly those with multiple stages, have become tedious, which is leading to a decrease in fan interest and fewer television viewers. The misuse of certain new technologies may have had an impact on this issue by making the outcome of some of our races too predictable.

Let me hear you say it: ban race radios! Ban power metres! Or as he puts it:

ENCOURAGE INNOVATION AND THE USE OF MORE CONDUCIVE NEW TECHNOLOGIES IN CYCLING

(Bring bank the blackboards!)

 

[fmk_RoI]

This next one looks ordinary:

RE-EVALUATE THE CURRENT MISSION OF THE PROFESSIONAL CYCLING COUNCIL

Basically, he wants to reshape the CCP. Which is going to mean a new job for someone. Like, I don't know, a man who threatened to throw his hat into the election ring but didn't? Come on down, Tom Van Damme! The price is right for you!

 

[fmk_RoI]

Back to boring everyday stuff:

MAKE “DIALOGUE” BETWEEN PARTIES A PREREQUISITE FOR DECISION-MAKING ON CERTAIN SUBJECTS

The AIGCP, the CPA, the AIOCC, they're going to have to speak as one by agreeing their differences before they come and bother Mummy and Daddy in the UCI. No arguing at the dinner table!

 

[fmk_RoI]

Onwards! En marche!

PUT IN PLACE A PRACTICAL AND CREDIBLE ACTION PLAN AGAINST TECHNOLOGICAL FRAUD

Don't let Stade 2 make any more docus ripping the piss out of current efforts to spot motors.

ENSURE THAT TECHNOLOGICAL FRAUD’ « VERIFICATION TOOLS » ARE THOROUGHLY
VALIDATED BY CERTIFIED AND INDEPENDENT LABORATORIES

Seriously, no more Stade 2 docs!

 

[fmk_RoI]

The next Big Ticket item he will be judged on:

EXTEND THE LIST OF PROHIBITED SUBSTANCES BEFORE AND DURING RACES

Say no to Cortisone, kids! Cause we're gonna baninate it.

 

[fmk_RoI]

This seems simple:

IMPLEMENT AN INDEPENDENT MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM

Is he actually paying attention to all the cardio conditions, do you think?

 

[fmk_RoI]

And the final Big Ticket item:

REFLECT ON REGULATING COMMUNICATION BETWEEN RIDERS DURING RACES

He's repeating himself, but this time spelling it out for the slow learners: no race radios. Do you hear that Jonathan Vaughters: NO MORE RACE RADIOS!

 

[fmk_RoI]

The full manifesto is available here. There's more in it than is posted above, if you think anything important hasn't been highlighted, add it to the pyre. It'll be interesting to come back in 12 months or four years and see just how much - or how little - of this is actually achieved.