Crisis Averted

Well, for everyone that matters anyway.

In an emergency meeting called by the riders, the organisers of the three grand tours and the UCI met to hammer out a tentative agreement to get through this season. The ASO, RCS, and Unipublic have agreed to allow all but Unibet and Astana into their races for the year. Meanwhile, it has been agreed that these two recent additions to the pro tour will be looked upon "favorably" when considering wild card slots.
So after all the name calling and posturing, we basically end up in the same place we started. Philippe Gilbert from Française des Jeux, spoke with Vers l'Avenir before this resolution was made. "They are not even concerned to know the thoughts of the cyclists; no one has asked us and our voice is lost." The clever irony over this statement is that the issue that has arisen with Unibet is based on French law regulating against advertisements for gambling. VeloNews added, "Oddly enough, the French law in question is a 19th century regulation that bans the promotion of gambling, including "lotteries," which could conceivably ban participation by two long-time pro teams, Française des Jeux and Predictor-Lotto."
So what does Philippe Gilbert care about Unibet.com now that he can ride. I would guess not much. Obviously, Unibet's management was not at all pleased with the outcome, arguing again that after paying the necessary funds to acquire a pro tour license they are still not guaranteed the full schedule of races. Speaking with the Dutch news agency ANP, Jacques Hanegraaff, the team's manager responded, "This is unacceptable. We are now going to start judicial proceedings against the organizers and the UCI to make the most of our rights."
Maybe Astana and Unibet should have saved a little money to pay the grand tour organizers. It might have gotten them a little further toward a secure season.

God Speed Joseph Schils

Joseph Schils, a great Belgian Champion, left this earth at the age of 75. Schils, whose career spanned from 1951 to 1965, burst onto the scene by taking the Belgian National Championship at only 20 years old. He never looked back earning 108 victories through the duration of his cycling career.

God Speed Cyclists

As reported in Cyclingnews.com...

Two cyclists were killed this week on New Zealand roads during a national cycling awareness week. Hilary Evelyn Howard, 57, of Hvelock North was killed instantly on Saturday in Taupo while riding with her husband according to the New Zealand Herald. An elderly cyclist from Matamata was killed Friday night.
"Both crashes occurred during what was otherwise a very successful Nationwide Bike Wise Week," says Cycling Advocates´ Network (CAN) spokesperson Stephen McKernon. "We cannot imagine how distressed the motorists concerned must feel. It is a great tragedy that a few seconds of inattention by motorists can lead to two cyclists deaths." Three other cyclists were injured in different accidents.
"The two of these cyclists were struck from behind in Taupo, during the week of a local campaign to educate motorists about sharing the road safely with cyclists. Another was struck from behind in Matamata,” says Mr. McKernon. "The problem is that motorists can forget roads are for everybody. Most motorists understand this and are treating cyclists with respect, as about a third of motorists are also cyclists. We can only hope that motorists and cyclists nationwide appreciate the tragedy and are reminded to share the road in safety.”
The New Zealand Rode Code reminds motorists that many vehicles are smaller and slower than today’s cars. It calls for special care around cyclists, who will always come off worse in a crash, and instructs motorists to leave a minimum gap of 1.5 metres when overtaking cyclists, and more on the open road. It also emphasises that if a cyclist can’t be overtaken safely, the motorist must wait behind until it is safe to do so, just as with any other slower vehicle.