The much needed UCI loller thread

[CyclistAbi]

'Paradoxically, the teams didn't accept it' – Teams budget caps not coming to cycling in near future, reveals UCI President

David Lappartient talks cycling's financial state in extensive interview with Ouest-France, also explaining difficulty of future ticketed entry at races

www.cyclingnews.com

I feel that until a Tour winner is paid the same as a top scorer in UEFA Champions League there will always be initiative to do better in term of the finances. As for the future i feel that instead of "Super League" or "franchise system" or similar and worrying about on who can buy a ticket to enter into such competition it's important to copy European football model. That is to develop a strong cycling clubs culture over Europe with die hard fan bases. And such clubs to be able to compete at any rank of cycling competition for as long as they do better then the other "wealthy" teams (cycling clubs). To some extent that will hence need to be financially supported and regulated. Athlete safety is something that will need to get addressed too as currently not a lot of parents would allow their kids to participate in such clubs at a young age due to safety concerns.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

What route do you suggest to a position where there are teams with "die-hard fan bases"?

A survey on this forum suggests that loyalty to a team is a very small element of fan engagement currently: how would the UCI change that?

 

[RedheadDane]

Dunno if it was already mentioned, but seems ASO/UCI (whoever's to blame) has done it, the stupidest thing ever:

12.04

Paris-Roubaix Femmes

Yeah... that's on the Sunday, same day as the men... that's definitely not going to improve the chances for full-race coverage of the women's race.
Also dunno what it'll mean for the U23 and Junior (men's) races.
Or any hope that they'll include U23 and Junior women's races at some point in the - hopefully, not too distant - future.

 

[Wyndbrook]

Dunno if it was already mentioned, but seems ASO/UCI (whoever's to blame) has done it, the stupidest thing ever:

12.04

Paris-Roubaix Femmes

Yeah... that's on the Sunday, same day as the men... that's definitely not going to improve the chances for full-race coverage of the women's race.
Also dunno what it'll mean for the U23 and Junior (men's) races.
Or any hope that they'll include U23 and Junior women's races at some point in the - hopefully, not too distant - future.

All four races appear to be listed for Sunday 12th.
Somebodies going to have get out of bed early.

 

[CyclistAbi]

What route do you suggest to a position where there are teams with "die-hard fan bases"?

A survey on this forum suggests that loyalty to a team is a very small element of fan engagement currently: how would the UCI change that?

Strengthening local cycling clubs network cross Europe, likely there could even be cycling ultras. As currently the focus seems to be only for the top few cycling clubs, most soaking in money and peaking in sports washing. In general it's harder to truly identify with that in terms of a fan base. Especially if not being involved with this sport in any meaningful way and in your local community.