Move over UCI?

Patrice Clerc, the president of the company which owns the Tour de France, has rejected claims by world cycling's ruling body that his ultimate aim is to set up a parallel world cycling federation.

Clerc, president of ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation), said Friday, April 4 in Le Monde that recent claims by International Cycling Union (UCI) chief Pat McQuaid were wide of the mark.

McQuaid said last week that he suspected ASO, with whom the UCI has been feuding intensely in recent months, of setting up a parallel cycling federation.

That was a claim that Clerc flatly denied, adding: "I want to put paid to a certain number of untruths. ASO has no ambition to transform itself into a new world cyling federation," Clerc told the newspaper.

"On the contrary, for years we've been calling upon the UCI to do its job in a transparent, democratic and legitimate fashion - and to be a federation that can be respected by everybody.

"Who was the first to come up with the idea of a private league, and who is now waving it about like a fan?" added Clerc, in reference to the UCI's Pro Tour series.

The Pro Tour series, the brainchild of former UCI chief Hein Verbruggen prior to his departure, is now on shaky ground following a split with major race organisers such as ASO over unresolved issues.

The absence of such flagship races as Paris-Nice, the Tour de France, and a number of big one-day classics such as Paris-Roubaix has effectively left the Pro Tour racing calendar split into several categories.

Last month, ASO held Paris-Nice as a French federation event outwith the auspices of the UCI.

McQuaid hit back in bizarre fashion, threatening the riders and teams with sanctions if they took part. In the end, all of the teams invited took part.

McQuaid recently suggested that Tour bosses had threatened riders with not being invited to the July race if they did not race Paris-Nice, which Clerc denied.

"ASO is not using the Tour de France as an instrument of blackmail to the riders, managers or sponsors," he added.

"The Tour is the number one cycling event in the world and has always promoted stong values of equality and friendship.
"Was it not the international federation that tried to take the riders hostage before Paris-Nice by making all sorts of announcements and threats in a bid to have the race boycotted and then cancelled?"

The UCI also fell foul recently of the World Anti Doping Agency after the UCI announced plans to sue WADA over allegedly inflammatory remarks made to the UCI by its former president Dick Pound.

WADA responded by cancelling its plans to work with the UCI on an ambitious, and potentially crucial anti-doping programme dubbed the 'biological passport.'

Clerc said that was "further proof that the UCI was being marginalised."

Later Friday, meanwhile, the UCI said they intended to press on with the Pro Tour development. (See below)

"It's extremely satisfying to see that even in these somewhat troubled circumstances the riders as well as the teams and organisers who have licences show such commitment," said McQuaid.

"This demonstrates that the objectives of the UCI ProTour, in particular the universalisation of cycling, quality improvements across all aspects of the structure and increased visibility of events are priorities which are very much shared among those who truly want to promote the sport of cycling."

UCI statement on 2009 ProTour
The UCI ProTour Council met at Bruges in Belgium, two days before the Tour of Flanders, the second event in the 2008 ProTour.

After the introductory speech given by the President of the UCI, Pat McQuaid, the representatives of all the parties involved in professional cycling who constitute the CUPT expressed their determination to continue the development of the UCI ProTour.

For President Pat McQuaid « it is extremely satisfying to see that even in these somewhat troubled circumstances the riders as well as the teams and organisers who have licences show such commitment. This demonstrates that the objectives of the UCI ProTour, in particular the universalisation of cycling, quality improvements across all aspects of the structure and increased visibility of events are priorities which are very much shared among those who truly want to promote the sport of cycling”

During the meeting the CUPT continued its analysis of the calendar for the 2009 UCI ProTour, which forsees the inclusion of new events and adjustments to the calendar to make this run smoothly were discussed. In this context the CUPT was informed of progress in discussions with its partners in Russia and China as well as other developments which could lead to opportunities in other continents (America and Africa) in the medium term.

The CUPT also noted that a service unit has been established which will provide services in the development of new events and other support for organizers and teams in spheres such as the production and distribution of television images and securing of sponsors.

Also, the Manager of the UCI ProTour, Alain Rumpf reminded the meeting that the annual procedure for the issuing and renewal of licences would commence shortly.

At the end of the meeting, President of the CUPT, Vittorio Adorni, underlined that « if the riders, the teams, the organisers and sponsors assume their responsiblities everything is in place for the UCI ProTour to be a success which will be of benefit to the whole of cycling.