Is the UCI threatening team sponsors?

Pat McQuaid gun

The UCI is traditionally the governing body of the cycle sport but, via a subsidiary called Global Cycling Promotions, is now also staging the Tour of Beijing, making it not merely a governing body that sits above the sport but also a player on the ground with its own business interests.

This conflict of interest has worried some for a while. But now there could be evidence of the extraordinary steps the UCI is taking in order to further its commercial activities.

The Velocast has obtained a copy of the letter that appears to be sent from UCI President Pat McQuaid directly to team sponsors:

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Belgian menu

CRVV menu

It’s lunchtime across Europe, the almost sacrosanct pause in the day. For anglo-saxon readers used to non-stop life, in much of Europe many shops close, kids go home from school and those in offices are prone to long lunch breaks and a glass of wine. Not everywhere of course but if you do want to stop for a meal then check out the Centrum Ronde van Vlaanderen in Oudenaarde, Belgium. Good food and cycling go together, whether for basic fuel or as a means to sample local produce that you ride past but this takes things to a new level. It’s a museum that celebrates De Ronde, as the Tour of Flanders is often known. But it has a restaurant too and you can see the menu above. Note the dishes. There’s Spaghetti Boonenaise, Croque Masseur and Pollo Bettini.

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Specialized confirm new team sponsorship

High road sports

Having sponsored HTC-Highroad, Specialized will continue to sponsor several of their top riders for 2012 and beyond in a deal announced today. No it’s not Mark Cavendish, this is about the women’s team.

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Cavendish, Specialized, Omega-Quickstep and the vacuum

Mark Cavendish

You’re probably more interested in racing than rumours but where Mark Cavendish will ride next year is still up in the year and even if speculation isn’t your thing, there are some interesting ideas behind this.

I had thought Cavendish was going to Team Sky, only that US bike manufacturer Specialized were coming with him. But this sponsorship plan looks increasingly unlikely. First Pinarello have a firm three year deal with Team Sky meaning the British team are contracted to ride the Italian frames in 2012. And I believe the same is true of helmet supplier Kask, another frustration for Specialized.

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Tony Gallopin wins the Coupe de France

Tony Gallopin

The Coupe de France (“French Cup”) is a season-long trophy awarded for races in France. There are fifteen races and riders can score points in each round. Typical races include the season-opening Grand Prix d’Ouverture La Marseillaise, Paris-Camembert or Châteauroux Classic de l’Indre. The final round was on Sunday, the Tour de Vendée won by Marco Marcato of Vacansoleil and results allowed Tony Gallopin (Cofidis) to retain his lead.

Each of these races are open to the usual teams but points for the Coupe are only awarded to French riders and foreign riders on French teams. For example past winners include Thor Hushovd and Philippe Gilbert as they rode for Crédit Agricole and FDJ respectively.

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Greenedge, the fastest team in the world?

Greenedge logo

This isn’t a science but I’ve listed the Greenedge recruits for 2012 by what sort of rider they are. If you think the label is wrong, and there’s plenty of overlap, leave a comment and I can change it, part of the fun of the blog is the comment and interaction from readers.

What stands out is the sheer speed of the team. Sprinters, lead out guys with a track pursuit background, you name it this is certainly a squad that should make an impact early in the season. Just look at today, Chris Sutton has won Stage 2 of the Tour de Wallonie-Picardie whilst yesterday’s winner was Robbie McEwen. Both will be wearing green next year. And today Lithuanian sprinter Aidis Kruopis said he’s joining too.

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When bad news is good news

A small nugget from the UCI’s annual report, the triumphant report of rising internet traffic to the governing body’s website…

The statistics concerning the www.uci.ch website are also very encouraging. Nearly 2.8 million visits were recorded in 2010 (compared with 2.3 million in 2009). Furthermore, the previous record number of visits in one day was demolished when over 62,000 visits were made on 30 September.

What exciting news happened on 30 September 2010 to cause a rise in web traffic?

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UCI financial accounts published

UCI logo

Accounts are boring but often the money is not. I’ve done the hard work for you and here are some “highlights” of the UCI’s annual financial report.

First note it is from the year ending December 2010, some time ago but the wheels seem to turn slowly in Aigle and despite being approved by auditors in May, it took until September to agree to publish the accounts. Numbers are Swiss Francs (CHF) and today’s exchange rate is at the foot of this piece.

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Grand Colombier, big ideas

Grand Colombier

The 2012 Tour de France hasn’t been announced but the blogosphere has a good take on the route already. Whilst rumours circulate it seems several reports are confirming that the first mountain stage will feature the Grand Colombier climb in the Alps. It sits above the Lac du Bourget near Aix Les Bains and regardless of the route to the top this a hard climb with double-digit gradients and ramps at 20%  at times. Many riders will know it from the Tour de l’Ain race held every August.

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Avoiding the late season scramble

UCI golden age

The UCI might declare the sport to be in a “golden age” but I see otherwise. Sponsors are staying away from the sport and teams are increasingly reliant on wealthy benefactors for funding. There’s nothing wrong with the sugar-daddy approach but it substitutes corporate sponsorship; many companies might find their audience demographic of cycling is ideal for them but right now they are watching instead of investing.

The shortage of sponsors means there’s still plenty of uncertainty for the 2012 season. Things might fall into place in time for the Tour Down Under but don’t forget a team costs millions to run. For me it seems quite off-putting that several squads don’t know for sure what they’ll be doing next year. If you want to spend millions on a team you need transparency and long term visibility.

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