new pro tour

tispectrum

Cycling tour revamped for next year

By RAF CASERT, Associated Press Writer
April 22, 2004
LIEGE, Belgium (AP) -- A new cycling tour will be introduced
next season in which the best teams will be forced to compete in more races.

The creation of the Pro Tour was announced Thursday by world
cycling authorities in a shake-up of the sport's calendar.

The World Cup of one-day races and the governing body's ranking
system will be scrapped in favor of an overall Pro Tour ranking.


The Tour de France will remain the world's biggest race, with
100 points going to the winner. A one-day classic like the Ronde of Flanders
or Paris-Roubaix will earn 50.

The Pro Tour next year will require the leading 18 teams to take
part in 30 one-day and multistage events. The Pro Tour would amount to about
180 days of mandatory cycling for the teams.

UCI world cycling federation president Hein Verbruggen wants top
racers visible throughout the March through October season. He also wants to
make it tougher for riders like Lance Armstrong, who peaks during the Tour
de France, with his whole team geared primarily toward the July race.

Verbruggen referred to such former champions as Belgium's Eddy
Merckx, who excelled throughout the year in one-day races and tours.

``I am bothered time and again that we have ever more riders who
specialize themselves,'' he said. ``It is not in line with the traditions of
cycling.''

Some team leaders, however, say the new calendar will lead to a
wide gap between the top and lower squads. And some organizers whose races
fail to make the Pro Tour think the new schedule will doom their event.

The Pro Tour would feature the top teams in the three biggest
events -- Tour de France, Giro of Italy and Spain's Vuelta. That would
assure better exposure for sponsors.

To be part of the top 18 next year, teams will have to provide
financial guarantees and abide by an anti-doping policy.