Wednesday’s Mailbag: Who’s at fault here?

By VeloNews.com
Published Mar. 7, 2007
Updated Nov. 4, 2009 at 12:36 AM UTC

The Mailbag is a regular feature on VeloNews.com. If you havea comment, an opinion or observation regarding anything you have seen incycling, in VeloNews magazine or on VeloNews.com, write toWebLetters@InsideInc.com. Please include your full name andhome town. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Writersare encouraged to limit their submissions to one letter per month.The letters published here contain the opinions of the submittingauthors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, policies or positionsof VeloNews.com, VeloNews magazine or our parent company, InsideCommunications, Inc.

What is it the UCI does anyway?
Dear Velo,
Throughout all the previous years, race organizers (including the Grand Tours) have always sent invitations to teams they hoped would accept and race in their races. And all that time, the UCI remained in the background – doing really nothing. Now the UCI wants to tell race organizers who should be riding in their races. The race organizers have put up all the time, sweat and money while attending to all of the problems involved with their races, and all the UCI did was watch. What is the UCI for anyway? It is the races that fans will what to watch. It might help if some big names race in them, but eventually who ever wins will be deserving – whether coming from a big team or a national/amateur team. The fans want to see a good race. The UCI will do better just the let the race organizers do what they have been doing all these years and not interfere. If it is about money revenue sharing, the organizers come up with their cash first. The teams and racers get prize money – so no other means of sharing should be expected. They should not be any ‘start up’ money incentive to show up in races. If the teams and riders want to race, any race, they will accept their invitations or pay to start in races. Any race organizer or the Grand Tour organizers should be able to do whatever they want with their races, invite who they want, and not be told to accept anyone they do not wish to. The UCI is wrong here, there was never any problem with the World Cup before. The Pro-Tour is a ridiculous replacement, conceived and started with arrogant stances.
Geromin Gonzales
San Diego, California Slapped by the big green hand
Editors,
A law that bans the promotion of gambling? That is the argument? Then what about PMU, sponsor of the Green Jersey at the Tour de France? PMU, at www.pmu.fr, where you can bet (as in gamble) on horse racing?! This argument against Unibet seems totally absurd.
Mike Sakarias
Juneau Alaska Yup, we have to agree, Mike. As we’ve pointed out before, the 19th century French law in question actually bans the promotion of gambling and “lotteries” as well. If fully enforced, that sure wouldn’t bode well for Française des Jeux or Predictor-Lotto, now would it? – Editor The UCI blinked
Editors,
The UCI caved, plain and simple. If I was in charge of Unibet I’d sue their pants off. ASO is just poking the UCI with a pointy stick and the UCI says uncle and Unibet’s $32 million investment gets flushed down the toilet. The teams needed to stick together and send ASO and the other Grand Tour organizers a message to not play fast and loose with their livelihoods. Unibet today, who tomorrow? The only way to have stopped the problem is to let the organizers know that they need to work within the rules of the UCI or change them from inside the system or they don’t get a race. The television networks and other sponsors are not going to pay to for a continental team competition. As it is they have Empowered the organizers and destabilized the UCI and as a result the sport… idiots!
Terrence Martineau
Ottawa, Canada Unibet has already raced in France
Dear editors,
My only question on this mess is to ask about the last time Unibet raced in France? If you look at the results from the ProTour races last year Unibet was in several races with some good if not great results in France. So is this a new law that does not permit online gambling advertising? Or has it been in effect for some time and now is put in for an excuse? Unibet paid its dues and money to get a ProTour license, so why exclude them now? If I was a sponsor I would be very upset and have to rethink my investment.
Thanks
Dale Luedtke
Ocenaside, California Why all the lawyers?
Dear VeloNews,
There was a time I loved the sport of cycling. I raced for 17 years, not for money or glory but because I loved and love cycling. The events of the past few years, with doping and courtroom drama have left me a bit weak in the knees. What the hell is going on? Cycling in now more about lawyers, suits and appeals than it is about racing. I’m sorry, but I am not interested in this sport, I’m not a lawyer, I’m a cyclist. It’s sad to say, but i don’t even care any more. I just ride my bike now. I could not care less about who wins which race any more until the lawyers get their hands out of it and racers take responsibility for their own problems. Thank you for your time. I will be riding my bike. Take the media BS if you would rather do that than ride. As far as I’m concerned, the true sport of cycling is dead. Who won or will win that last tour. Exactly! its kinda stupid any more isn’t it.? I bought a kayak to replace my doped up bike.
Alex Strouhal
Sarasota, Florida What has changed?
Dear VeloNews,
How disheartening to watch cycling’s leadership continue to do their best to harm the sport rather than take advantage of the good thing it had going in recent years. With great rivalries and strong riders from a nice cross section of countries around the continent and globe, the sport seemed healthy and thriving last year at this time, then all this unsubstantiated Operación Puerto stuff shows up and the ensuing witch hunt ruins the remainder of the ’06 season and chases many of this generations’ stars out of the sport, if they haven’t proven anything a year later then what was it all about?

The UCI stands by a lab that can’t follow its own protocol, but attacks the classic races that have been around about as long as the bicycle, am I missing something? Tyler Hamilton can race this year but Floyd cannot? Ulrich and Jaksche have to retire in disgrace but Basso can lead Disco to greater glory?

What a mess!

In ’98 I waited atop a Col in France for the last mountain pass battle to decide if an American (Bobby Julich) might top the podium, only to witness a parade lap caused by the Festina Affair, what’s changed in ten years? Who will win the Tour this year? Who cares, I’ll be out riding my bike!
Long Live Stage 17,
Don Cunningham
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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