Wow! The power/political battle moves up a level.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/aso-withdraws-the-tour-de-france-from-2017-worldtour-calendar/

This could,be the defining moment for Cookson and Pro Cycling.

And the ever excellent inner ring

ASO vs UCI: The War Resumes

I heard this on R5 just now – will be interesting

… or rather it would, if I had any idea of the implications 😳

Anyone care to explain (preferably as though talking to a small child)

<spots inrng link and toddles off – ta>

About time I reckon, Tinkov has a lot to say, some of it true.

This end of the wedge IMO.

Also, means some of the rules can be jettisoned for some more realist ones.

Always worth a read…
http://inrng.com/2015/12/aso-vs-uci/

Ah sorry Chef, was reading the link while you were ninja editing 🙂

My understanding is that it’s a backlash to the UCI reforms and an attempt to maneuver out Cookson and put someone French/more inline with ASO thinking in his place.

The inner ring analysis is worth reading for a balanced view.

Is there a second/third-tier race on in July 2017 that might end up extended and with a load of big names on it ?

The Tour of Poland is next year as it clashes with the Olympics, but not normally.

Guess they could throw Dubai, Oman and the others in 😛

Who’s Velon ? Sky, Tinkoff, … ?
Would they ever pull out of 2 GTs ?

wait,

BMC Racing Team

Etixx–Quick-Step

Team Lampre-Merida

Lotto Soudal

Orica-GreenEDGE

Team Cannondale-Garmin

Team Giant-Alpecin

Team LottoNL-Jumbo

Team Sky

Tinkoff-Saxo

Trek Factory Racing
That’d be some loss for Prudhomme – If the UCI could carry it off

Didn’t they run the tour under FFC regs a few years ago?
Or was that just an idle threat?

It would be even funnier if the uci refused to license them at all as uci teams aren’t allowed to race non uci events!

What would the tour be with amateur riders only? 😆

Tricky one isn’t it?

ASO do have too much power IMO, but I’m not fully sold on the world tour anyway.

And as thorough as the inrrng piece was, I must admit I still don’t really grasp aso’s complaint.

Velonews do a pretty good job of explaining it all here…

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/12/news/the-aso-uci-war-why-how-and-what-it-means_391448

Though the 70% rule is an UCI rule I assume, so they could change. Though who gets invited to the tour is still 100% up to ASO.

What would the tour be with amateur riders only?

(With apologies to the rider in the picture, but it was the first appropriate image when searching for “Sportive”. That it’s funny as well was unanticipated. Running shoes and reflectors FTW!)