Cyclingnews understands there will be no reduction in team sizes in the 2017 Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, the cobbled Classics and other races, after leading race organisers ASO, RCS sport and Flanders Classics accepted that any changes to planned team sizesmust be put on hold and approved by the UCI’s Professional Cycling Council that is responsible for the rules of professional racing.
On November 26, during the General Assembly of the International Association of Cycling Race Organizers (AIOCC), Amaury Sports Organisation, which owns the Tour de France and co-runs the Vuelta a España, came together with Giro d’Italia owners RCS Sport and Belgian one-day organisers Flanders Classics and agreed to limit the number of riders teams can field in races.
They announced they would reduce Grand Tour teams from nine to eight riders and reduce teams from eight to seven riders in their other events. They caused consternation by saying the new policy would go into effect for the 2017 season, despite teams having already completed their 2017 rosters and planned their race programmes.
ADVERTISEMENT
The race organisers cited possible improved safety for the riders and hoped that smaller teams would "make it more difficult to dominate a race as well as enhance conditions for events to offer better racing for cycling fans".
The reduction was seen also seen as a way of limiting Team Sky’s dominance at the Tour de France.
However the UCI hit back at the race organisers’ unilateral decision during the UCI WorldTour seminar in Mallorca, reiterating what they said in an initial reaction to the decision that "any changes to the regulations governing men's professional road cycling must be agreed by the Professional Cycling Council (PCC), on which the race organisers are fully represented."
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest News http://ift.tt/2gUuRxZ
No comments:
Post a Comment