UCI Amateur World Cycling Tour

[woodie]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-launches-amateur-world-cycling-tour

So what do people think about this??

I think it could be interesting. I'm looking forward to more details. This could be something the UCI could do right for once....

 

[NickBVK]

Chance for people that rate themselves on weekends to have a crack.

As if put it in Perth though >.<

 

[Race Radio]

That is not what I expected it to be. It is just a bunch of Grand Fondos, lame ones at that.

There are some great riders racing masters in some parts of the world. In the US the USA Cycling scene is super competitive. In Italy the Grand Fondo scene is very competitive.....this misses all of that.

strange.

 

[bhilden]

Sounds like the only riders capable of going for the overall title will have to have their own private jet. Does the UCI really think that people will travel all over the world to ride a bunch of Gran Fondos?

You can just show up and ride these things. You need to worry about stuff like jet lag, acclimation to altitude, etc. I guess if you can afford to fly all over the world you can afford to take about 4-6 weeks off from work to do so.

Bruce

 

[Michele]

UCI is out of toilette paper.

 

[NickBVK]

Sounds like the only riders capable of going for the overall title will have to have their own private jet. Does the UCI really think that people will travel all over the world to ride a bunch of Gran Fondos?

You can just show up and ride these things. You need to worry about stuff like jet lag, acclimation to altitude, etc. I guess if you can afford to fly all over the world you can afford to take about 4-6 weeks off from work to do so.

Bruce

Pretty sure you just go to one qualifying event and then the final.

Not sure if UCI/National federation would put up any money so would need to find a sponsor - feeling more and more like a pro!

 

[Roland Rat]

My money's on a doped up US Master.

 

[Wiesmier]

thought the UCI got rid of amateurs about 30 years ago. This seems to be a backward step and, like above suspect its all about money.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-launches-amateur-world-cycling-tour

So what do people think about this??

I think it could be interesting. I'm looking forward to more details. This could be something the UCI could do right for once....

this is more like the stupidest idea ever. real amateurs can't travel the world over for this bs so it means unranked amateurs will ride these races. for instance according to uci the only pro riders are registered uci riders. have uci ever hear of marco arriagada?? he makes more money than at least 50% of all pt riders. but officially amateur. but all the races are in the western countrys so no riders from there I suppose. probably wealthy americans, australians etc for some lame grandfonto;s nobody will care about.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Roberto Heras!

 

[tidean]

Have look at my post in the doping dept

 

[Race Radio]

The more I read on this the more disappointed I am.

When this was first announced a few months back the details were sparse. I happened to be riding with a few guys who had done the St Anton Worlds a few times. Both had podiumed. We all expected a series of Masters only, "World Cup" style races and thought it was a great idea.

Personally I was excited. In certain areas of the world there are excellent Masters racers. SoCal, Italy, France, Belgium, Colorado. You could have some great masters only races.

Instead we get a bunch of GF's. Not only that but they are not even classic GF but a series of new "Races" that paid to be included. There are some excellent GF's in Italy that have absurd levels of competition and great courses....none of them were included. It appears the only real race is the Colorado one.

It appears the UCI's goal was not to give Masters racers the showcase they deserve but they wanted to extract the most $$$ possible for the cyclo-tourist World Championships.

 

[Race Radio]

I just checked the entry fee for the NYC event...$195! What!?!

I just entered two races in Italy this summer, they were 30 Euros each.

 

[tidean]

Australia has some great masters racing, and in fact there is a masters racing association totally separate from Cycling Australia because in the past masters were always getting treated as "add ons" to racing programs. It is a really good organization for riders 35yrs & above, with good regular racing both handicapped & age graded. I did a series of masters races (50-55yr category) at the Tour Down Under a few years ago & got smashed big time, which may have been due to the presence an Olympic medal winner from LA games & a former Aus national champion in the peletons, but the racing was great.
Amateur racing & masters racing on such a grand scale will probably be unmanageable, perhaps unfair, by the UCI (again see my post in the clinic).
$$$$'s will be a factor, it's a factor in pro racing, in-fact its a factor in life, the guys/girls with the best financial backing, be it from mum & dad or perhaps the company one runs/own or from just the good old trust fund.
But all in all it will be another racing format that we can all watch, follow, maybe race in, or maybe just comment from afar.

 

[craig1985]

The Perth course looks rather lame. Even if I were in the Master's category, I wouldn't bother to fly to Perth for that. I bet I can come up with a tougher route here on the Gold Coast then the Perth one.

 

[tidean]

I,d reckon one could get a good course in SA, Vic, NSW or Qld where 95% of the Aust population live. There may be a more financially inspired reason for going to the other end of Australia. Like lets make 195 of the competitors go 4,500 kms so that 5 riders can ride at home, or maybe they just don't know how big Aust is

 

[Roland Rat]

I just checked the entry fee for the NYC event...$195! What!?!

Clearly have massive overheads to cover. Wonder what they could be.

It seems like PAt knows his time at the UCI is up and he wants to make as much cash as possible before retiring to become a fuedal overlord at the IOC.