Comments on: Beijing or Bust http://www.belgiumkneewarmers.com/2008/03/beijing-or-bust.html Pro IS PROGRAM GO Wed, 09 Jun 2010 01:50:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: bikesgonewild http://www.belgiumkneewarmers.com/2008/03/beijing-or-bust.html/comment-page-1#comment-12448 bikesgonewild Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:54:00 +0000 http://66.147.244.157/~belgiumk/2008/03/beijing-or-bust/#comment-12448 ...i agree, art...the uci is more of a necessary stabilizing force than anything else...<br/><br/>...both parties (& their predecessors) have been aware of drug usage since the dawn of competitive cycling, not as something new & recent & have only ever bothered w/ it when usage has become too obvious to the public or outside officials...<br/>...for the aso to portray themselves as innocent victims & use the issue as a trump card is bunk...<br/><br/>...this is a simple control issue...money, power & to some degree, prestige... …i agree, art…the uci is more of a necessary stabilizing force than anything else…

…both parties (& their predecessors) have been aware of drug usage since the dawn of competitive cycling, not as something new & recent & have only ever bothered w/ it when usage has become too obvious to the public or outside officials…
…for the aso to portray themselves as innocent victims & use the issue as a trump card is bunk…

…this is a simple control issue…money, power & to some degree, prestige…

]]> By: Art http://www.belgiumkneewarmers.com/2008/03/beijing-or-bust.html/comment-page-1#comment-12442 Art Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:51:00 +0000 http://66.147.244.157/~belgiumk/2008/03/beijing-or-bust/#comment-12442 gary: If the UCI went away, you would notice. There would be a different set of rules for nearly every race. And that could cover everything from depth of prize money all the way down to aero bar positions. As heavy handed as they can be sometimes, the UCI has lent a lot of stability and consistency to the sport. But sometime very soon, they're going to have to bend an inch and sort this situation out, because right now it's heading for a league split. If RSA and ASO completely break from the UCI, there's nothing to stop them from building a private race league that's the cycling equivalent of professional wrestling. They'll take races like the Tour de France in whatever direction serves their financial interests. Once it's made clear that riders in the private league are out of the Olympics, then the races are out of WADA jurisdiction. Organizers will no longer have to ban teams to avoid drug scandals, because they will be under no pressure to test in the first place. The silver lining will be a return to amateurs in the Olympics, but only because there isn't enough sponsorship money out there to support two international professional cycling leagues. gary: If the UCI went away, you would notice. There would be a different set of rules for nearly every race. And that could cover everything from depth of prize money all the way down to aero bar positions. As heavy handed as they can be sometimes, the UCI has lent a lot of stability and consistency to the sport. But sometime very soon, they’re going to have to bend an inch and sort this situation out, because right now it’s heading for a league split. If RSA and ASO completely break from the UCI, there’s nothing to stop them from building a private race league that’s the cycling equivalent of professional wrestling. They’ll take races like the Tour de France in whatever direction serves their financial interests. Once it’s made clear that riders in the private league are out of the Olympics, then the races are out of WADA jurisdiction. Organizers will no longer have to ban teams to avoid drug scandals, because they will be under no pressure to test in the first place. The silver lining will be a return to amateurs in the Olympics, but only because there isn’t enough sponsorship money out there to support two international professional cycling leagues.

]]> By: gary watts http://www.belgiumkneewarmers.com/2008/03/beijing-or-bust.html/comment-page-1#comment-12439 gary watts Tue, 11 Mar 2008 01:29:00 +0000 http://66.147.244.157/~belgiumk/2008/03/beijing-or-bust/#comment-12439 It's not obvious to me what purpose the UCI serves. If they disappeared, I'm not sure it would matter. I do guarantee you that if the Tour de France disappeared, you DEFINITELY notice. <br/><br/>Race organizers are the ones with a stake in the game, along with the riders. The riders need a union FOR THEIR BENEFIT, not the UCI's. The UCI just need to keep getting funding from the Olympic committee.... <br/><br/>The UCI is getting involved in doping monitoring, something they should 100% contract and stay out of. Their technical decisions regarding equipment requirements are poor and arbitrary at times.<br/><br/>The continued voice for "wiping the slate clean" would appear to extend much further than has been suggested.....my opinion. It’s not obvious to me what purpose the UCI serves. If they disappeared, I’m not sure it would matter. I do guarantee you that if the Tour de France disappeared, you DEFINITELY notice.

Race organizers are the ones with a stake in the game, along with the riders. The riders need a union FOR THEIR BENEFIT, not the UCI’s. The UCI just need to keep getting funding from the Olympic committee….

The UCI is getting involved in doping monitoring, something they should 100% contract and stay out of. Their technical decisions regarding equipment requirements are poor and arbitrary at times.

The continued voice for “wiping the slate clean” would appear to extend much further than has been suggested…..my opinion.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.belgiumkneewarmers.com/2008/03/beijing-or-bust.html/comment-page-1#comment-12438 Anonymous Mon, 10 Mar 2008 05:16:00 +0000 http://66.147.244.157/~belgiumk/2008/03/beijing-or-bust/#comment-12438 Your blog is great. I thoroughly enjoy it and learn a few things too. <br/><br/>This is about the best commentary on this situation I've read so far, kudos. <br/><br/>The idea of going back to an all-amateur Olympics is something I always come back to as well; no matter how utterly remote--check that--impossible. I'm with the Team Chef--it'd be great and reinvigorate cycling in many different ways. <br/><br/>--Brij L. in Santa Cruz, CA Your blog is great. I thoroughly enjoy it and learn a few things too.

This is about the best commentary on this situation I’ve read so far, kudos.

The idea of going back to an all-amateur Olympics is something I always come back to as well; no matter how utterly remote–check that–impossible. I’m with the Team Chef–it’d be great and reinvigorate cycling in many different ways.

–Brij L. in Santa Cruz, CA

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