new European race series

UCI plans new European series from 2005

BERLIN, June 5 (Reuters) - Cycling's ruling body UCI plans to launch a new series of European races
from 2005 in an effort to make the sport more attractive to sponsors. The new series would comprise
30 to 50 races which would be entered by 20 to 22 teams, UCI president Hein Verbruggen said on
Thursday. "We plan to call the new series the UCI Professional Competition and want to put it into
place from 2005 to 2010," Verbruggen told a news conference in the German city of Coburg, where
Thursday's third stage of the Tour of Germany started. The teams not allowed to enter the series
would have to concentrate on minor races. Verbruggen said the reform was aimed at limiting the
importance of the major races such as the Tour de France, the Giro and the Vuelta, and at
encouraging sponsors to invest in the sport. "At the moment the sport depends on some 60
professional teams, some of which only have one sponsor," he said. "There are less and less sponsors
who can afford to invest in cycling," he added. "There are reluctant to spend millions without
knowing whether they will be allowed to enter the Tour de France. "Under the new system every team
in the series will have the right and the obligation to enter every single event." Verbruggen
unveiled UCI's plans a few days after Italian world champion Mario Cipollini received confirmation
that he would not ride in this year's Tour de France. Race director Jean-Marie Leblanc upheld his
decision not to accept his Domina Vacanze team. The problems mentioned by Verbruggen were also
illustrated by the fate of the German Team Coast stable, whose licence was withdrawn by UCI last
month for non-payment of riders' salaries. A new team, Bianchi, has since taken over from Team Coast
and been authorised to enter the Tour. Ullrich and Bianchi are testing their Tour credentials in
this week's Tour of Germany.