The future of Pro Cycling...where to?-Discuss

as one of the proposed revisions in the World Anti-Doping Agency code,
which will be considered at WADA's meeting in Madrid in November this
year, would allow anti-doping officials to respond to negative
statements about the arbitration process that are "directly
attributable" to accused athletes

seems more likely an initiative of Dick Pound ( is he trying to
legitimise his habits?), so the new head of WADA and others can make
all the statements they like in future, but there is nothing in this
review about trying to preserve/protect the rights of riders.

This leads me to think about the continuing power struggles at the
profile end of cycling administration which seem to go on and on
ad-nauseam, and the riders are (as always) at the receiving end...

lucky we, fans, tifosi, dads, mums, kids who love the bicycle in all
its forms and all who love watching races by amateur and pro-riders,
still can ride when we want for our own fun... but the pro riders, who
have (so-far) been able to get some pay for what they love and do, are
under the pump and whilst things are just hanging in there for them
...I have to ask

....for how much longer? ....

How will long this argybargy between ASO, UCI, RSF, LNDD, WADA etc, all
of them I put in the same box (of power/ego hungry people running them)
go on?....

there may be no one at all riding a Pro Tour soon, there could be just
the administrators and promoters left to fight over the bones and empty
musettes and bidons, with all the riders going to a day job and
commuting instead of racing...

bleak?... no answer....maybe not, remember Rugby/League, Cricket/World
Series Cricket, Amateur Olympics/Professional Olympics, Amateur
Tennis/Pro Tennis... etc...

Rugby was probably the odd one out ( as it did have strong social
significance) as the players needed to be paid as they couldnt afford
to put in the time amateur rugby demanded at an elite level and rugby
was dominated by well healed UK upper class then, so it had social
drivers that forced an economic claim...but

I think it will work out, ...like the other sports over the years have
...but we are at a cross roads and the next few years may well be
turmoil and pain for a lot of riders and those organisations trying to
get teams together for their riders careers..

I dont envy the likes of Drapac Porsche at the moment, but a global
ProTour may be the outcome, which may even see the Giro, Vuelta and
Tour de France cease to be a Pro-Tour events, and just "classics"... it
may even be a pure race of open non ProTour riders... that would be
interesting...a test bed for new riders...(an organisational/logistics
nightmare) but perhaps a re-visit to the way the Tours were run in
decades gone by... real classics, real gritty, really tough and real
outcomes...the images from those black&white pics we see from old tours
are haunting, magical in some ways...but I'm not overawed by that alone,
sure they had drugs then, conniving, conspiring...all the goings on to
secure or prevent a win....

so what is the answer?


- return to the old ways?
- revitalise and change everything?
- new global Pro Tour?
- or continue with the controversies & power struggles and call that
an evolutionary process with only time being the teller of
outcomes....!!

thoughts?...


--
rooman

rooman Wrote:


so what is the answer?


- return to the old ways?
- revitalise and change everything?
- new global Pro Tour?
- or continue with the controversies & power struggles and call
that an evolutionary process with only time being the teller of
outcomes....!!

thoughts?...

Fer starters, can someone/some org please commit a community service by
sending Dick Pound into exile somewhere, preferably away from all
electronic recording equipment, media outlets and flush toilets?

Also I prefer any move towards points two & three, as the pro cycling
community & it's fans have surely had enough of points one & four....


--
cfsmtb

Cycling needs a Kerry Packer and Tony Greig to do what was done to
cricket.

Purists may not like the one day game but the flow on was a vast
improvement in players conditions in the Test arena as well as the one
day game.

Dick Pound - is that his real name or is it what he does?

Mike


--
coppershark

In aus.bicycle on Mon, 26 Feb 2007 20:57:40 +1100
coppershark wrote:

Cycling needs a Kerry Packer and Tony Greig to do what was done to
cricket.


What? THey are already dressed funny.

Zebee

- return to the old ways?
- revitalise and change everything?
- new global Pro Tour?
- or continue with the controversies & power struggles and call
that an evolutionary process with only time being the teller of
outcomes....!!


The main problem (I think) is that to start a new global circuit,
you have to get the Grand tours on side. Few want to be the World
Champion, if you can't test yourself against Le Tour, or the
Giro, or the Paris-Roubraix (excuse the spelling). Everyone wants
to history of these races, but they are run nationally.

Also, as a sponsor, you want your name to be seen. Before I was
interested in cycling, I knew of the Tour de France, but nothing
else.

But enough of reasons why not to.

My vote is for b) and c) including Europe, North & South America,
Australia/Oceania, anyone elso willing to stump up the cash.

- return to the old ways?
- revitalise and change everything?
- new global Pro Tour?
- or continue with the controversies & power struggles and
call[color=green]
that an evolutionary process with only time being the teller of
outcomes....!!

The riders won't go away - they want money and want to ride the grand
races. They will take the money from whoever provides it and ride the
races run by whoever sorts their **** out enough to organise the
favoured grand races..
Whether or not they are riding in the ProTour or a removed league or
for themselves - if someone runs Le Tour and puts up some cash - who
wouldn't want to ride it??

hippy


--
hippy