Pro Tour Expands to...Russia?

by Jack

The UCI is expanding the Pro Tour to Russia in 2009 by including a tour of the Sochi region. (This happens to be the site of the 2014 winter Olympic games.) What the heck is the UCI thinking? I'm usually a pretty big supporter of the UCI (as evidenced in my pro UCI rant here) because I feel that cycling does need a governing body to regulate the sport, but this is ridiculous! I totally understand globalizing the sport and making it grow but why grant Pro Tour status to an untested event? How the UCI can overlook proven events like the Tour of California or the Tour de Georgia is beyond me! It just seems logical to expand the Pro Tour with a race in the US rather than Russia.

Follow up:

First, let me take a step back for a moment and talk about the first Pro Tour event outside of Europe. This year, a new Pro Tour race was held in Australia. The Tour Down Under (TDU) proved to be a huge success and there promises to be more. So is Australia as big of a potential market as the US? Probably not. But at least the TDU has proven itself capable of holding a world class event and has consistently brought the elite level teams to the start line year after year. Has this happened in Russia? I guess it doesn't matter because Putin and Co. are getting their wish anyways.

To make matters even worse, the proposed date of this Tour in Sochi conflicts with the Giro d'Italia! Although I don't agree with the Grand Tour organizers' opposition to the Pro Tour, I certainly would not want to piss them off even more by creating a race that directly competes with the Giro. But guess what? The Giro has nothing to worry about. In my opinion, the Pro Tour teams will send 2nd rate squads to Russia and leave their A-teams to ride the Giro as well as the Volta a Catalunya, yet another Pro Tour race in conflict!

Although I do wish success to this new race for cycling's sake, it does seem to have a few things going against it. If the UCI wants to assert themselves and prove to the world that they are legitimate, they must make decisions that are logical and for the good of the sport, not because they want to appease a very powerful man in Russia.

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8 comments

Comment from: brian [Visitor]

Again, you are missing the point. This is just a UCI attempt to cover bases in case ASO steals all the races. Pat McQuaid accuses ASO of creating a alternative bike league, but it seems to me that Mr. McQuaid is doing the same thing.

06/13/08 @ 16:28

Comment from: Jack [Member]

Actually, the point is quite simple. Why not the US if the UCI plans to expand regardless of the UCI/ASO spat? Thanks.

06/14/08 @ 07:32

Comment from: Brian [Visitor]

Think really hard....Maybe ASO has already signed a deal with all of the American Races. That is why they didn't announce a tour here.

06/14/08 @ 19:49

Comment from: Jack [Member]

Doubt it. It's simple business. Organizers of the tours here in America don't need a foreign or french company running the show. Companies like Medalist Sport do just as good of a job. Also, ASO has no business interests here in America. L'Equipe or any of their other publications are not widely available here so it makes no sense business-wise. But thanks for your opinion.

06/15/08 @ 10:04

Comment from: Rick [Visitor]

I'm gonna have to go with Jack on this one... sorry Brian.

06/15/08 @ 12:15

Comment from: Jack [Member]

Brian.

Have to acknowledge that based on the article below posted on Velonews, you were right, sort of. That's more of an AEG going after European growth than ASO coming to America in my opinion. Let's see what happens.

www.velonews.com/article/77749/tdf-amgen-tour-partner-on-promotions

06/15/08 @ 22:00

Comment from: Brian [Visitor]

Looks like you were both wrong. AEG didn't sign the deal because it is after European growth. The only European growth AEG is after soccer. ASO has already signed deals with enough races to have its own series next year. Some of them have been announced and some not. AEG is in a race with several others to become the US based Grand Tour. You guys really need to get more involved behind the scenes before you start ignoring perfectly well though out and perfectly well researched comments.

Another thing....saying medalist is as good as ASO? You are wearing your knowledge of cycling on your sleeve. If you would like me to write an article for your blog detailing the major differences, just give me the word. I hope you don't have any aspirations to be friends with people at ASO because you just gave them the biggest insult possible.

06/16/08 @ 15:48

Comment from: Jack [Member]

Hey Brian, thanks for your comments, but careful now... Let me explain what a blog is. It’s a place for people like me to write about any topic I choose. It may include my opinions as well as known facts. I have never protested to be someone “behind the scenes” and choose to make opinions based on being an outsider, kind of like having 2 sides to an issue. This post is a great example of that. Although I try to be correct most of the time, the best part about having a blog is that I don’t have to be. In fact, it would be boring if everyone agreed with me.

This is a place for everyone, me, you and others to share information about the sport that we love. So thanks for your participation and I look forward to hearing your opinions on other topics as well. And, if you have more insider information, feel free to pass those on.

Thanks!

06/16/08 @ 16:19

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