Pressure on UCI mounting

[purcell]

Well, I am in Canada.

I don't get ESPN.


IF I pay - a lot I can get ESPN but why on earth would I do that just to get US centric sports coverage?


I suspect that in Canada, ESPN IS ABOUT 3 rd or 4 th in viewership.

 

[Velodude]

SBS's Mike Tomilaris gave a radio interview last week about the USADA report. He openly denounced Armstrong as a cheat and a liar. When the radio host commented on LAs charity work citing his personal donation of 6 mil to Livestrong, Tomilars questioned it. Said he didn't believe one word that came out of Armstrong as if to suggest that his lies stretch to all aspects of his character..not just cycling. It was music to my ears. Sorry I cannot find a link.

The alleged donation by Armstrong has a sordid background.

Armstrong was exposed as personally profiting out of the sale of an LAF asset in the Demand Media IPO.

To atone he donated the profit to LAF.

If this was the basis of Tomalaris' grumble he was correct.

 

[Tinman]

Daley Thompson suggesting cycling to be removed from the Olympics

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/ot...ance-Armstrong-scandal.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

'The governing body are a disgrace,' added 54-year-old Thompson. 'Suing people who report on the sport, and put it in the papers? Well, this whole subject isn't going to go quietly away as the evidence mounts up. I hope that he sues them straight back for what they've done to him.'

 

[ebandit]

wow!

wow! when i was young daley thompson was a real hero and today he tells it just as it is lance you cheating bas**rd

and of course he got away with it for so long thanks to mr v and fat pat

goodbye to the olympics ................it will be worth it to see uci management follow lance down the pan

 

[sniper]

pressure on UCI is mounting further:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/rid...ishment-of-independent-anti-doping-commission

sounds good, but what's all this negotiating with the UCI all about?
why isn't CPA simply demanding Phat to resign? It could be that simple, but instead they continue the negotiations and continue to actively involve Phat in the development of new plans.

CPA president Gianni Bugno told the association’s annual general meeting in Milan on Monday that he will seek a meeting with UCI president Pat McQuaid in order to discuss the matter. Bugno will request that at least one member of any such independent anti-doping commission is nominated by the CPA.

so the rest of the committee will still be nominated by UCI?

 

[Tinman]

pressure on UCI is mounting further:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/rid...ishment-of-independent-anti-doping-commission

sounds good, but what's all this negotiating with the UCI all about?
why isn't CPA simply demanding Phat to resign? It could be that simple, but instead they continue the negotiations and continue to actively involve Phat in the development of new plans.

so the rest of the committee will still be nominated by UCI?

Yeah saw that too, exactly my thoughts. Would like to know more of the dynamic within the CPA and conclusions to Bugno on what to pursue with UCI. I suspect they are still a pretty divided bunch, and as long as that continues they will never get what they deserve from UCI. Cycling as a sport should be much more about the riders, their heroicism, their personal battles, and their suffering. Compare it to F1, what a dull sport, but what heroes are these guys turned into. Way too little cycling rider and team profiling done in the media, by both event organizers and UCI. But has to come from CPA, as do all the other things they should be demanding from/negotiating with the sports administrators. Way too passive in my view the CPA.

 

[Grandillusion]

Bugno is just politicking and re-positioning for his own self interest.

Three weeks ago he was praising Lance (post RD) as a great rider who he respected, bolstering the UCI as a champion of the anti-doping battle, and subtly trying to patronise & undermine the Manifesto published by five major European newspapers.

And none of the riders his organisation is supposedly representing made a whisper of criticism. Or the team managers.

 

[Velodude]

Yeah saw that too, exactly my thoughts. Would like to know more of the dynamic within the CPA and conclusions to Bugno on what to pursue with UCI. I suspect they are still a pretty divided bunch, and as long as that continues they will never get what they deserve from UCI. Cycling as a sport should be much more about the riders, their heroicism, their personal battles, and their suffering. Compare it to F1, what a dull sport, but what heroes are these guys turned into. Way too little cycling rider and team profiling done in the media, by both event organizers and UCI. But has to come from CPA, as do all the other things they should be demanding from/negotiating with the sports administrators. Way too passive in my view the CPA.

CPA just cosmetically following the strength.

This is the same organization that engineered an event start line protest against Jesus Manzano's revelations of doping.

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2004/mar04/mar26news3
The final stage of the Setmana Catalana did not start on time Friday, as the 112 remaining riders held a two minute protest on the start line against the words of ex-professional Jesus Manzano, who has this week lifted the lid on alleged doping practices within the peloton. The majority of the riders signed a petition protesting Manzano's claims, as well as asking the Professional Cyclists Association to "restore the dignity of cycling."

 

[sniper]

CPA just cosmetically following the strength.

This is the same organization that engineered an event start line protest against Jesus Manzano's revelations of doping.

now THAT is interesting.
disturbing, mind-boggling stuff, really.
omerta in full swing.

would be very interesting to know who didn't sign the petition.

 

[Carols]

CPA just cosmetically following the strength.

This is the same organization that engineered an event start line protest against Jesus Manzano's revelations of doping.

Well that was in 2004..................

 

[thehog]

Well that was in 2004..................

.........those events are at 8-9 years old.

Cycling has moved on

 

[Carols]

.........those events are at 8-9 years old.

Cycling has moved on

I doubt the 22-23 year olds of today would engage in a demonstration like that.

 

[Velodude]

Well that was in 2004..................

Check the history of CPA. CPA perceived in cycling as an ineffective organization with a close relationship with UCI.

Formed in 1999 in the wake of Festina 1998 to protect pro cyclists. First and long term head was Francesco Moser who admitted to EPO use and the application of blood doping to beat the hour record in 1984.

The head of CPA after Moser was Cedric Vasseur who rode on the US Postal team in 2000 & 2001.

Current head, Gianni Bugno, had failed drug tests during his pro career and was a client of Dr. Ferrari.

Act as a trade union for riders in rights, contract negotiations and representation on UCI Commissions.

On their web pageclaim one of their objectives is:

- contributing to spreading a better image of the anti-doping fight. For several years now 2% of all the prizes won have been given as a contribution to fight doping. It is important to point out that this measure is taken in no other professional sport

They have been very quiet on this objective.

CPA have only jumped on the bandwagon in 2012 when they see that reform is going to occur in the light of the Armstrong Affair.

Pick any year from 1999 to 2011 and there is no evidence of CPA pushing an anti doping barrow.

 

[Tinman]

Time for some of the 'clean'riders to step up and take CPA and cycling to the next level..

 

[DirtyWorks]

I doubt the 22-23 year olds of today would engage in a demonstration like that.

Not in the same way, only because it would be comical. But, it doesn't mean they would not defend doping more artfully.

The idea that the UCI is under any pressure to change is a joke. What body has the authority or interest in cleaning up cycling for cycling's own good? None.

Again, the problem is not at the athlete's level. What incentive is there to run a relatively honest sport when the IOC, RCS, and ASO have zero interest in human-scale performance.

 

[sniper]

Not in the same way, only because it would be comical. But, it doesn't mean they would not defend doping more artfully.

The idea that the UCI is under any pressure to change is a joke. What body has the authority or interest in cleaning up cycling for cycling's own good? None.

Again, the problem is not at the athlete's level. What incentive is there to run a relatively honest sport when the IOC, RCS, and ASO have zero interest in human-scale performance.

post of the day, well at least of my day.

 

[MarkvW]

The UCI is not going to change. Look at today's news from the Polish cycling federation: A one race suspension for steroids? Then look at Weasel's domination of USAC. Then, there's the recent Australian scandals. Pro cycling isn't dirty from the top down. It's dirty from the bottom up (the national federations).

The riders are sheep. They do as they are told.

Pro cycling team ownership seems to me to be, in large part, a toy sport. Guys like Stapleton, Rihs, and Tinkov are operating their toy teams. Those teams are just tools for rich-guy ego fulfillment. Tinkov's and Rihs "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" approaches are utterly ignorant from a long-term sports marketing point of view, but make complete sense when viewed from the "I want my team to win" point of view. Then there are the organized doping teams . . . Liberty Seguros, Astana, etc.. . . . Those teams are not about sports marketing either--they are about "just win, baby." I don't see any change coming from the teams, either.

I don't foresee any change from the current structure. Cycling is going to remain the filthy niche sport that it has always been.

Now if somebody starts up a competing and professionally run league . . .. Then the existing pro racing structure will have to either shape up or die.

I'm not rooting for any changes at the UCI. I'm hoping that they fail, right and left. Maybe then somebody truly professional will start competing with them.

 

[thehog]

Only Bruyneel can save us now!

 

[Grandillusion]

Not in the same way, only because it would be comical. But, it doesn't mean they would not defend doping more artfully.

The idea that the UCI is under any pressure to change is a joke. What body has the authority or interest in cleaning up cycling for cycling's own good? None.

Again, the problem is not at the athlete's level. What incentive is there to run a relatively honest sport when the IOC, RCS, and ASO have zero interest in human-scale performance.

The UCI is under pressure, just not from any authoritative body. The pressure is coming from the likes of Kimmage, Walsh, LeMond, Cedric Aguet, and the Manifesto for Change published by five major European newspapers. And a cri de coeur from an impoverished WADA.

Absolving the riders from any responsibility to effect change is crazy. They have a voice, they have the ability to organise themselves. They could voice their support (presuming it actually exists) for the disparate voices fighting the good fight. They could have voiced their disgust at Bugno's pathetic statements and transparent polticking. What are they scared of? Is there something really obvious I'm missing?