Less than 24 hours after major race organisers announced plans to reduce maximum team sizes in 2017, the UCI have told them that they cannot. The sport’s governing body says that such changes must be agreed by the Professional Cycling Council (PCC) and it had already been agreed there would be no change for the coming season.
In a joint statement from ASO, RCS Sport and Flanders Classics, it was announced that the three Grand Tours would feature eight riders per team instead of the current nine, while shorter stage races and one-day classics would have seven riders instead of the current eight.
It was said that the twin aims were to improve the safety conditions for riders by having a smaller peloton on the road, and to make it more difficult for a team to dominate a given race.
However, in a statement today, the sport’s governing body said:
“Whilst a potential reduction in team sizes may reflect a view held by some stakeholders, including some race organisers, 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.
“This subject was discussed at the last PCC meeting in November 2016, and it was agreed to consider in detail the implications of such reduction over the coming months, with no change for 2017.”
The UCI announcement may come as a relief to team owners concerned by the short notice.
Cannondale-Drapac team boss Jonathan Vaughters tweeted:
More likely they're just responding to a very skewed version of the incident presented to them by Royal Parks at face value.
We had to seriously brake to avoid a car running a red light this weekend; we were also in a car, following a green light....
I guess the FLock Light works best if you have paler legs for it to light up. Mine are actually blue (like any true Scotsman's legs they only turn...
You say that, but Sunak got in. So maybe you just need to be waiting nearby when one of the more far-out spontaneously combusts or implodes?...
Helmet zealots' lack of logic and knowledge, as evidenced by your post I responded to, exasperate me I'm afraid.
Absolutely agree: "You'll be sure to make a statement with these brightly-coloured road shoes from Fizik" - the statement being "I have no taste...
Well done to Nick for opening up and sharing his story. Much respect.
Anything shy of a watersports dry suit (and you don't want to ride a bike in one of those) will let in heavy, set-in rain, as identified typically...
They have their own forum for members, go check them out....
I don't think this kind of "innovation" is a positive step for active travel. However, that's the way of the world. Who's going to buy "just...