That second article is a reminder of why the people who choose the Olympic cities are no longer allowed to visit them. They have the group presentations and videos all at once, because the cities used to spend big money courting the individual votes. People would vote based on the wining and dining and lavish gifts they were given on their personal trips to the cities. Now they all sit in a room as a group and view all the presentations, ask a few questions, and make their votes.
To go slightly off topic, but closer to pro cycling, I'm still a bit haunted by that New Pathways report. One or more Australian cyclists detailed one of the ways that cyclists cheat - by determining the winner of a stage where the break group makes it home. Some times a guy really needs a win, because he doesn't have a contract for the next year, or some other reason. They said that some times a guy offers cash, but there are other deals made as well. They "make it look good", but it's decided in advance.
With big money in gambling these days I hate to even think about other scenarios. I read the story about Armstrong offering money so he could win a million dollar bonus for taking the big American races one year. With news of point shaving scandals in other sports, I got sick to my stomach watching Contador let Schlecklet take the stage win at the Tour. After the video apology, he said what Google translated as "they had reached an agreement", and then there was the stage finish and the post-race wink. But some people here gamble on cycling, so imagine if some guys decided to make a quick payday by betting for or against themselves. It's not just post-race doping revelations that make me question what I see these days. And I'm still, for now, a Contador fan after weeks of being angry, but I'm not saying that he had a deal with Andy. But there's so many variations of cheating going on that it was the first thing that popped into my mind back in July.
So, how much does the original topic apply to the UCI, and their selection of venues for races like Worlds, and the selection of pro tour teams based on a rankings system not announced in advance or explained now, and the inclusion of new races on the calendar?