• Road

UCI denies Battenkill’s appeal

by VeloNews.com

• December 05, 2008
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The Tour of the Battenkill Valley, an upstate New York road race that has captured the imagination of many Northeastern riders with its partly dirt route, will be a two-day event with a pro road race next year.

But the new pro race will not be UCI sanctioned or part of USA Cycling’s America Tour calendar, as the promoter would have liked.

USA Cycling and UCI officials say the race’s short history and unusual course raise too many question marks, especially after deadlines have passed for requesting UCI sanctioning.

The UCI informed promoter Dieter Drake this week it would not consider his application for next year, but encouraged him to apply for 2010.

Earlier this fall USA Cycling declined to endorse Drake’s request to the UCI, so Drake appealed directly to the international body.

An official with USA Cycling said the organization is taking a wait-and-see approach.

“It’s a great event, there are a lot of folks there, it’s very interesting,” USA Cycling’s chief operating officer Sean Petty told VeloNews this week.

But Petty isn’t convinced organizers are prepared to run a race by UCI rules, especially on the dirt roads.

“We were looking at it from the perspective of the UCI. In the past (Battenkill organizers) have run many fields on the course at same time — there wasn’t a rolling caravan, you had the yellow line rule: These are not to UCI regulations.”

“The dirt roads wouldn’t automatically disqualify it — but it is cause for alarm … there are a lot of question marks. What was submitted was basically, ‘Yeah, we’ll meet all the standards.’ Well, that is easier said than done.”

“We told (Drake) we would be able to evaluate the race in 2009. We would have someone there to check out the race — perhaps even the UCI America Tour adviser, Pierre Hutsebaut out of Canada, would attend.”

Last month, Drake told VeloNews that a UCI sanction was key to his plans to add a pro race. “There is a ton of support, from team directors who are planning on coming — teams like Rock Racing, Kelly Benefits, UCI Continental Professional teams. Now I’ve got to get over this hurdle,” Drake said. “These guys are trying to collect UCI points, they’re trying to gain notoriety for their sponsors. They’re trying to gain standing so that they can get to Europe. That status is real important.”

Drake had hoped his event could fill a spot in the America Tour calendar that opened up when the 2009 Tour de Georgia was canceled.

Asked to respond to the latest development, Drake provided VeloNews with copies of his correspondence with USA Cycling and the UCI. In his appeal to the UCI, Drake emphasized that Battenkill’s unusual course made it something special:

“My intention with the race is and has been to capture the essence of European cycling that has been so successful for many, many decades, and to bring some of its tradition to North America.  It is my opinion, and also that of many other North American UCI race promoters and former professional riders, that cycling in North America needs to develop a tradition.  With so many races like the Tour de Georgia failing after only a few years, the general public here has clearly lost trust in the sport.  The ongoing doping stories found in the press only exacerbate this negative perception.  Without long-running, successful professional cycling here, cycling, I fear, will quickly fall further away from access to race venues, media, and sponsorship money.  It is races like the Tour of the Battenkill and many others which capture the enduring essence of European racing that are capable of capturing the public’s attention, thus allowing them to invest in the sport at all levels now and in the future.”

In an earlier email to USA Cycling officials, Drake said the Battenkill route was proven safe and popular with racers.

“The overall character of the course is proven successful and safe, and provides no undue or unexpected risk to riders. Based on the very high popularity of the event and the recommendations from UCI Commissaires, USA Cycling Officials, professional riders, and team managers this point is bolstered. A very large amount of time is spent on ensuring that the course is of the highest quality and character.”

Drake has said he is in the final stages of negotiations that could bring on a major American corporation as title sponsor. The Battenkill tour is scheduled for April 18 and 19, 2009, in Cambridge, New York.