[font=Arial]As reported on the cyclingheroes website site:[/font]
McQuaid: ProTeams are not allowed to start at Paris-Nice
UCI President Pat McQuaid has send a letter to all Pro-Tour teams in which McQuaid writes that the ProTeams are not allowed to start at this years edition of Paris-Nice. It's another step in the powerstruggle between the UCI and the organizers of the three Grand Tours. As reported the conflict escelated this week . In the letter of February 21, McQuaid writes that "it is obvious that the UCI cannot sanction or recognize an event that would not be held in accordance to the rules."
McQuaids letter continues with: "Most recently we learned that ASO has made a private deal with the French Cycling Federation aiming at taking Paris-Nice out of the UCI-governed cycling and making it a "free" race on the French national calendar. This technique is not acceptable either, but anyway, as you know, UCI Pro-Tour teams cannot participate in a race on a national calendar: article 2.1.009 of the UCI regulations." The UCI president concludes his letter with: "As a result of the actions of ASO, it is clear that no UCI ProTeam is allowed to participate in Paris-Nice." It seems like ASO and the UCI are more and more dragging the Pro-Tour and Pro Continental teams into the conflict.
As a fan of cycling it looks like our sport will be split beyond belief this season. What will the proteams do - if they dont ride in the races owned by RCS, Unpublic and the ASO sponsors will just stop. The UCI who are supposed to be the head of our sport and should have agreed to disband the current structure of the protour this season and start to work out with all parties a way forward. Its not like they have not seen it coming. But I cant see the UCI being big enough to do this after McQuaid's letter to the proteams. Proteams will make their choice but splits will happen - its going to be very messy. Real losers will be the riders, staff on the teams who may lose their jobs and us the fans.