Pat wants global superstars

[thehog]

Slight shift on Lance?

...and I don't want to talk about it? Just issue anonymous press release.

---


VN:
What other things does the sport need to do in the future?

PM:
There are certain things we have to do … the anti-doping still has to be worked on. Maybe we will have to look at the regulations in relation to races, the grand tours maybe. I think we have to strongly consider introducing a third rest day into the grand tours. And I think the UCI will have to look very closely at any ideas the organizers come up with to bring the grand tours to far-off places, because we always have to consider the health and sporting aspects of the athletes … and that will determine how a proposal such as the one for starting the Giro d’Italia in Washington, DC, works logistically for the riders.

The other thing is to continue to create stars and try hard to find another global superstar. Despite everything that may be going on at the moment, Lance Armstrong was a truly global superstar for our sport who was a household sport and did a lot for cycling. We need to find one or two others who can communicate by their persona, their performances and the way they interact with the media to become international brand names. Because that’s what every sport needs to be a global sport.

VN:
In many people’s eyes, Armstrong has tarnished or even destroyed his image as a global superstar because of his alleged involvement in doping practices. So how do you feel about the ongoing federal investigation into his former teams, U.S. Postal Service and Discovery Channel, and the comments you’ve made about Landis and the accusations he has made about organized doping within those teams?

PM:
It’s not something I want to talk about in any detail because there is an investigation going on and I can’t comment on that … but I have been saying all along that Landis has an agenda. The agenda is (1) to bring down Lance Armstrong and (2) to bring down the sport of cycling. And his actions support that agenda.

Now, Armstrong is under investigation and we’ll have to wait and see what comes out of it. Whether it’s positive or negative for the sport, we’ll deal with it; but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Lance Armstrong is a global superstar. And as we globalize cycling, we need to be taking the sport into areas where the people know who the athletes are, know the big names, so I still maintain that the sport does need global superstars.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2010...ilcockson-pat-mcquaid-interview-part-3_153249

 

[BotanyBay]

VN: So that leads me to the next question, pat. People have been accusing you of protecting riders you deem to have "superstar potential" while hanging lesser-known riders out to dry. Many have wondered why Fuyu Li was suspended immediately while Contador's case was only acknowledged to exist after a German TV network actually exposed it. How do you explain the difference in how these two cases were handled? Why was Fuyu Li discarded so quickly while Contador was arguably aided by the UCI?

McQuaid: As I said before, Landis is intent on destroying Armstrong, as well the the sport of cycling.

 

[D-Queued]

Duck, cover and roll.

...Fuyu Li, was he a superstar?... what part of my answer did you not understand?

Dave.

 

[BikeCentric]

Okay, so it sounds like Paddy Mac's strategy (likely discovered at the bottom of a Jamison bottle) is to find a rider with an awesome back story and great personality in press conferences and then allow him to dope to the gills and become a protected global cycling superstar. Sounds like a great strategy with little downside risk for the sport, unless of course some uppity Federal agent comes sniffing around...

 

[Digger]

Okay, so it sounds like Paddy Mac's strategy (likely discovered at the bottom of a Jamison bottle) is to find a rider with an awesome back story and great personality in press conferences and then allow him to dope to the gills and become a protected global cycling superstar. Sounds like a great strategy with little downside risk for the sport, unless of course some uppity Federal agent comes sniffing around...

Take it easy there with the stereoptypes.......not all Irish people drink whiskey and have leprechauns popping out their a**.

 

[Kerbdog]

Im Irish. When I drink whiskey I have seen Leprachauns coming out of asses.

 

[Benotti69]

i'm a coffee total paddy and know that the leprechauns live in a big house called Dáil and run the country.....into the ground while stashing pots of gold at the end of their rainbows, no doubt a couple of bottles of jamey too. is there a pot of gold and bottle of Jameson at the end of a rainbow in Aigle

 

[Barrus]

People, people. Like most people here I do like a jameson on its time (although I'd rather have real whisky ) But lets keep the alcoholic references, the stereotypes and the politics to a minimum, now shall we?

 

[icefire]

McQuack wants cycling to become a traveling circus like F1 or Tennis but he doesn't realise that cycling is more like football, with national and continental tournaments, and that doesn't prevent the likes of Messi or Ronaldo from being global superstars.

 

[thehog]

The stupidity of it all is why couldn't Ullrich be a global superstar or Bassons? You don’t get to select who becomes the star they make themselves.

By allowing Armstrong and his team to have full reign on the doping just compartmentalised the sport. Many other global superstars in the making never stood a chance.

 

[Arnout]

McQuack wants cycling to become a traveling circus like F1 or Tennis but he doesn't realise that cycling is more like football, with national and continental tournaments, and that doesn't prevent the likes of Messi or Ronaldo from being global superstars.

And don't forget that F1 has rich car companies backing up the teams in many cases and compared to the huge investments to develop a car, the traveling is not that expensive. With a 10 million budget at most, traveling to another continent 5 times a year with staff, riders, equipment and all that is a big chunk of the budget.

What's more, F1 is just a weekend, cycling is often a week long. Means that it is harder to prevent jet lag problems.

 

[Angliru]

One doesn't simply create a sporting icon or sporting superstar, nor does one select one. Is he insane? How can someone with such a clueless nature be the head of such a great sport? He has to go. GTFO!!!! I imagine that he has Andy Schleck on his shortlist of chosen ones to lead the sport out of its hole of deprivity and decadence. I really doubt though that Contador was on that shortlist considering his less than fluent English and less than stellar relationship with the 2nd coming himself, his Lanceness. His protection was strictly for business purposes not for any personal preservation of his future in the sport.

 

[Benotti69]

And don't forget that F1 has rich car companies backing up the teams in many cases and compared to the huge investments to develop a car, the traveling is not that expensive. With a 10 million budget at most, traveling to another continent 5 times a year with staff, riders, equipment and all that is a big chunk of the budget.

What's more, F1 is just a weekend, cycling is often a week long. Means that it is harder to prevent jet lag problems.

F1 is Bernie Eccelstone's ball and when he doesn't want to play he takes it home. At this stage he has taken it home too many times for the manufacturers liking and they want out. F1 teams want a bigger share of the tv money. Ferarri today were saying they want more tv money or they start their own F1 series.

Pro cycling is a European based sport and should remain so in my opinion. Paddy McQuack wants to globalise it not for the benefit of the sport but for his bank account. Riders travelling around the world to race is not a good idea. Might be good for fans, for sponsors, for Tv and the various countries that wish to hold events but the affect on riders will be hard, unless the races are reduced in length.

Footballers dont like travelling and it has been shown to affect performances.

 

[Benotti69]

People, people. Like most people here I do like a jameson on its time (although I'd rather have real whisky ) But lets keep the alcoholic references, the stereotypes and the politics to a minimum, now shall we?

one hopes that you leave your Jameson at home( or in the cupboard) when modding

 

[BotanyBay]

Wilcockson's email address is CLEARLY LISTED on the velonews website (just mouse-over his contact link) at
http://velonews.competitor.com/author/jwilcockson

Myself, I'm going to send him an earful of an email. You're all welcome to follow suit.

 

[BikeCentric]

Take it easy there with the stereoptypes.......not all Irish people drink whiskey and have leprechauns popping out their a**.

I am Irish. So I'm allowed to stereotype. You're right, not all Irish drink. But I certainly do! <reaches for Guinness pint>

 

[BikeCentric]

People, people. Like most people here I do like a jameson on its time (although I'd rather have real whisky ) But lets keep the alcoholic references, the stereotypes and the politics to a minimum, now shall we?

I recommend Knob Creek - some good American Bourbon. Back on topic.

 

[Barrus]

one hopes that you leave your Jameson at home( or in the cupboard) when modding

One can hope

Also spare me the american **** known as bourbon.

Anyway back on topic, or otherwise start a new thread about liqour in the general subforum.


Anyway, is this thing From Pat Mcquack a jab at Contie, seeing as he was not popular with Pats new and more beloved audience of the Anlo-American and Australian people, since he does not speak English very often. If only pretty boy english speaking people can now become stars in cycling, please sod off with you new audience and keep the sport in mainland Europe, for the love of god, sod off Pat McQuack, follow Verbruggen and promote yourself out of cycling. Really, you are purposely trying to destroy cycling, aren't you, Pat?

 

[BikeCentric]

One can hope
Anyway, is this thing From Pat Mcquack a jab at Contie, seeing as he was not popular with Pats new and more beloved audience of the Anlo-American and Australian people, since he does not speak English very often. If only pretty boy english speaking people can now become stars in cycling, please sod off with you new audience and keep the sport in mainland Europe, for the love of god, sod off Pat McQuack, follow Verbruggen and promote yourself out of cycling. Really, you are purposely trying to destroy cycling, aren't you, Pat?

That's a good point and I honestly just don't understand Pat's strategy. For me personally and a lot of other cycling fans I know the European traditions of the sport are a big part of what makes it cool and unique. Belgians flying the Lion of Flanders flag in Paris Roubaix, Basques that come out of the mountains to ride for Euskatel, stereotypical stoic Spanish tough guys like Indurain, incredibly ostentatios and flamboyant Italians like Mario Cipolini, all of these aspects of the sport are just awesome. Shooting down Contador because he had a feud with Sir Lance seems like very bad short term thinking likewise favoring Anglos for "global superstar" of the sport seems at odds with its traditions.

And finally to Angliru's spot-on point above, I absolutely agree. All one has to do as the head of an organization such as pro cycling is to create a fair and equitable sporting environment and the superstars will create themselves. Isn't that what we all want to see?

 

[sniper]

That's a good point and I honestly just don't understand Pat's strategy.

Me neither. First officially denying Landis' accusations in this public press release, now confirming Landis' accusations by talking bulls* about the need to create superstars.

Shooting down Contador because he had a feud with Sir Lance seems like very bad short term thinking

I don't think Pat thought Contador's time was up.

 

[D-Queued]

Me neither. First officially denying Landis' accusations in this public press release, now confirming Landis' accusations by talking bulls* about the need to create superstars.
...

We already know who is talking crap here.

When Landis accuses the UCI of favoritism, he doesn't even need to rely on his own firsthand evidence:

From the WADA Independent Observer report:

During the Tour, a number of riders demonstrating suspicious profiles and/or showing significantly impressive performances at the Tour were tested on surprisingly few occasions and for three riders of interest did not provide a blood sample for the purposes of anti-doping in the whole Tour (instead each providing a single sample for the ABP). This was consistent with the IO Team’s view that at times more weight was given by the UCI to ABP samples than samples for the detection of the ‘presence’ of prohibited substances and/or methods

The problem with calling someone a liar is that you better not be lying when you are doing so.

Yes, Pat, I am calling you a liar.

Please identify these three riders. Please also provide any information about any additional favoritism that the IO representatives may not have observed or reported.

The UCI subjectivity and favoritism noted in the IO report needs to be acknowledged, an explanation provided, and an official enquiry pursued by an independent organization with full access to UCI files and personnel - preferably backed by legal teeth.

Oh, sorry, Novitzky beat me to it.

Nice job minding the cupboard Pat.

Dave.

 

[BotanyBay]

Me neither. First officially denying Landis' accusations in this public press release, now confirming Landis' accusations by talking bulls* about the need to create superstars.



I don't think Pat thought Contador's time was up.

Contador was all Pat had at the moment. But now he sees that the public wasn't gonna buy the tainted beef excuse, so AC is history.

The new chosen one

is Andy Schleck. He'll be afforded all of the luxuries of the next UCI "Global superstar", including OOC test protection, extra time to pump IV saline after stage finishes, etc.

And AC, you can join Rasmussen, Li (and many others) under the bus:

 

[JMBeaushrimp]

The stupidity of it all is why couldn't Ullrich be a global superstar or Bassons? You don’t get to select who becomes the star they make themselves.

By allowing Armstrong and his team to have full reign on the doping just compartmentalised the sport. Many other global superstars in the making never stood a chance.

I used to race with Jan. This, for me, is the largest tragedy of all. He got run out of the sport, and LA got to continue his dominance. That's sad.

I REALLY hope that LA gets spanked on this one, and I think he may. 'Overreaching' comes to mind. Let's all hope it sticks. That would be enough of a Christmas present for me...

 

[sida-mot]

Didn't sports use to be about competition?

Creating superstars and building a strong brand and so on, isn't that supposed to be the side show and not the main event?

I must be getting old...

 

[BotanyBay]

Didn't sports use to be about competition?

Creating superstars and building a strong brand and so on, isn't that supposed to be the side show and not the main event?

I must be getting old...

50-75 years ago, in baseball (sorry you cricket and football fans), we (arguably) had bigger "superstars", but it wasn't because these guys were being propped-up by the sporting body. It was because they were genuinely superb individuals. They were appropriately recognized as such by fans and media.

Eddy Merckx is one of our sport's superstars. Not hurting for money, but by no means flying around on private jets either.

All Pat needs to do is deliver a sport that the fans can appreciate and trust, and the superstars will arrive.

This interview actually made me sick. I was not expecting him to be so forthcoming about the true nature of his ambitions.