Facinating article on [url= http://www.pinkbike.com/news/UCI-Clarifies-Rule-on-Unsanctioned-Races.html ]PinkBike[/url] regarding the UCI's recent statement on races not sanctioned by them
In short, any UCI license holder will not be allowed to participate in anything other than officially sanctioned races. This surely has huge implications, not least for the Enduro scene. Riders like Dan Atherton will have to decide whether they want anything to do with the UCI any more, given the majority of Gravity Enduro races aren't sanctioned.
Anyone feel the UCI are regretting not supporting this side of racing and are have a tantrum?
I know that a sports sanctioning body is seemingly supposed to act against the best interests of it's sport, but the UCI really do take the biscuit!
Would this stop roadies racing local TT's?! Wiggo et al have often ridden them in the past when at home!
Edit, are local xc series UCI sanctioned? If not, the Elites wont be able to do then if they want to ride the national series!
Without knowing all the details and going by the quotes in the article. If they arent sactioned by their local federation and get their own insurance, surely there's no problem, How likely would it be for local federations to take any action?
The problem as I see it is, if any professional riders compete in a race not officially sanctioned by UCI/BCF, will be liable to a 1 month ban & fine. There are numerous series (UK Gravity Enduro being an obvious one in this country) that aren't sanctioned.
edit, having said that, they do appear on the BCF calendar - not sure where that puts them. The World Enduro Series most certainly isn't sanctioned though.. I guess it depends on how rigorously national bodies enforce the ruling.
The UCI must be ready for an Ecclestone type shake up....
Unbelievable. UCI should bd ashamed - blatant protectionism and given their track record managing the sport the worst thing that could happen to the Enduro scene.
Red bull are going to be stuffed too.
I suspect the plan is not to stop the riders but to get the events all coming under UCI control through the local federations.
I don't see that standing up to a legal challenge, not within the EU anyway.
Can someone please clarify, is this just for Enduros or cycling as a whole.
The story I read suggested that it only effected riders registered to UCI pro teams. Not even all pros fit this description.
I think giant are running two teams to get round this.
Since the UCI is one of the monopolistic organisations I loathe the most, I'd happily join a breakaway federation. In fact from the tweet that has been retweeted a lot, I'd join just for the T-shirt...
In response to the UCI...we should start our own federation. We could call it the Federation of Unlicensed Cool Kids Out For Fun.
Ac282 - the article linked is about that route being closed off. Rule now allies to all UCI licence holders.
So no UCI riders doing charity races like the Steel City DH?
I think it's about time, for everyone in the mtb world, to tell the uci, to go **** themselves.
Actually, all cyclists should tell the uci, to go **** themselves.
Bike Rumor has it too. In theory it effects all licensed riders in all races not sanctioned.
Silly question, but if the governing body of an organisation that isn't exactly great for mountain biking in the first place sets out to wreck the scene completely for everyone but themselves, surely it's time to just start a new and more favourable organisation... ?
A governing organisation with no membership would have a hard time enforcing silly rules...
As a bcf license holder I'm supposedly not allowed to race road races sanctioned by Tli,Lvrc or even my own clubs tuesday evening TT series!!
W.T.F 👿
4x and enduro need to have a chat to launch their own governing body
Or with all the hype of enduro at the moment dh should consider ruling it's self
What's their stance on the Leith hill mega......?.
DrP
That link confirms that it affects all cyclists. Utter crap. Totally unworkable and just wont happen. How many local CX races are UCI registered? Are riders just to ride the national trophy rounds? Etc etc
I suspect the plan is not to stop the riders but to get the events all coming under UCI control through the local federations.
Agreed. I really hope it'll backfire on them.
So if I have a BC race license I could get a month suspension & a fine for entering a local/non BC sanctioned race?
This rule only applies to riders holding a UCI licence. If you are a BC member, with a BC racing licence, and you do not race internationally, you can still race anything you like.
If you are a UCI rider licenced through british cycling, or any other national federation, then it will effect you. (so, thats me then.)
Will it not give us (well, some of you) lot a chance of winning stuffs instead of the pros cleaning up all the time?
Forgive me for being a bit ignorant of the racey things but there seems to be no separation between full time athletes and us amateurs.
fbk - Member
Anyone feel the UCI are [s]regretting not supporting this side of racing and are have a tantrum?[/s] [u]a bunch of tools?[/u]
Yup.
Is it even legal for them to insist on this?
Wrecker- there is normally an 'elite' class for pros so that joe-average can still be in with a chance of winning
[i]“No license holder may participate in an event that has not been included on a national, continental or world calendar or that has not been recognised by a national federation, a continental confederation or the UCI.[/i]
Well my (logical) reading of that is that as long as an event is in a calendar somewhere or recognised by a federation, a licence holder can ride it.
When you've so many 'or'...
Bosman ??
The UCI has been holding back and screwing up road cycling since the 1930s - they're just catching up with MTB. Some of us were predicting that this kind of thing would happen if the UCI were allowed anywhere near MTB.
Best option overall is to let the UCI run the kind of races they really want to run - drug addicts riding 1930s racing bikes over the Alps - and set up a proper professional modern organisation to take care of all the other bikes.
What's their stance on the Leith hill mega......?.
😀 oh god let's enjoy a couple of months peace before that all kicks off again
Darn! Does that mean I can't do SSUKG and the TdF this year then?
Best option overall is to let the UCI run the kind of races they really want to run - drug addicts riding 1930s racing bikes over the Alps - and set up a proper professional modern organisation to take care of all the other bikes.
So who is going to fund anti-doping controls in this amazing new UCI-free world? Or do you just think people will not dope when the UCI disappears?
Enter all non UCI sanctioned races under a hilarious psuedonym.
Send their fines on an excrement smeared unsigned check.
I wonder if Peaty will officially change his name to Steve TheUCIcanlickmysweatytaint Peat for his final season. I hope so.
Or do you just think people will not dope when the UCI disappears
'Cause the UCI are ace at stopping doping, obviously.
Living in Australia we have Mountain Bike Australia which was set up due to the heavy road bias in the sport's body here. Time for a change.
Can Charlie confirm there will b no performance enchancing drugs at SSUKG this year please.
Pro cycling like much professional sport is often about money, power and politicking. Th UCI position is unsurprising; they basically have. Strong position and want to make it a monopoly position.
'Cause the UCI are ace at stopping doping, obviously.
No, the UCI are terrible at stopping doping.
But do you really think a new governing body, set up because Enduro riders and disillusioned mountain bikers don't like the UCI, is going to have a priority to set up a robust anti-doping program?
Will they ban pros from posting on Strava ? Cos that's a race...
Darn! Does that mean I can't do SSUKG and the TdF this year then?
Yes, you're just going to have to choose.
Its nothing new to sport. In fact I would have to assume that any BC licence holder would be up to date with issues like this. Anyway it is the same in many sports. If you want to play with the "official" boys you play by their rules. If you don't want to fine
Its no big deal actually. If you or I want to ride no one cares.
So who is going to fund anti-doping controls in this amazing new UCI-free world? Or do you just think people will not dope when the UCI disappears?
The problem at the moment is that there are very limited ways to get faster - you can't do it with technological improvements (or only minimally) because the UCI has locked down innovation. Riders are hitting the limits of what training can achieve. So really all that's left is to dope.
If you open it up so there are multiple ways to compete, multiple ways to win, then people won't need to dope so much. Imagine if you had TdF categories for recumbents (faired and unfaired), diamond frames and non-diamond uprights (Moultons etc). There's so much more possibility for innovation, strategy and chance to come into it.
Best option overall is to let the UCI run the kind of races they really want to run - drug addicts riding 1930s racing bikes over the Alps - and set up a proper professional modern organisation to take care of all the other bikes.
Agreed.
UCI - "We won't let your sport get in the way of our business!"
This stinks.
Basically we own you. ****s
If you open it up so there are multiple ways to compete, multiple ways to win, then people won't need to dope so much. Imagine if you had TdF categories for recumbents (faired and unfaired), diamond frames and non-diamond uprights (Moultons etc). There's so much more possibility for innovation, strategy and chance to come into it.
And it'd be crap. The thing about all racing is that you need to set some limits - you need a level playing field or the guy with the biggest budget has an unfair advantage. This is true of all sports: crawl is the fastest swimming stroke, so why aren't you allowed to use it in a breaststroke race?
The UCI's not ideal, it could certainly do with a shake up, and this move to stop riders competing in different races is pathetic - but the fact it controls the technology available to riders is not IMO a realistic complaint.