http://www.roadcycling.co.nz/RaceTalk/womens-tour-of-new-zealand-cancelled-for-2013.html
Those looking at the following chart will see that about the same time in 2013 , there was an alternative Womens' UCI 2.2 Event in Costa Rica ! WHERE ? Yes in Costa Rica , where do they send the UCI required " Anti Doping TESTS "?
New Zealand is a Sporting Country , that FIGHTS above it's weight in Worldwide Events ! So many Olympic Gold Medals are collected by their Sports Athletes in Cycling , Rowing and other sports , that even Powers such as Great Britain & Australia , look to their success and try to emulate and attract their Talent ! It may have been noticed by readers that it was New Zealand that very NEARLY recovered the " America's Cup " , last month ! With the investment of nearly $NZ100Million , it was a cliff hanger event that saw the US finally awake from their nightmare of ONE Win to the 8 wins of NZ , to seize the day , when they finally drew level !
With the ability to find this level of Investment , it comes as a surprise to see that NZ Authorities allowed their " Anti Doping Laboratory Facilities " to drop below the standard required by WADA ? Third world countries can be excused for this taking place , but i doubt any NZ Athlete looking to compete at Rio in the Olympics OR Paralympics will be happy to see their Career Hopes diminished by this situation continuing ?
Recently UCI published the 2012 Annual Accounts , it showed a Surplus as a result of the Income from the 2012 Olympics . Most of this money was placed in Reserves , looking to the future of Cycling ? Could it not have been possible for the UCI to have made some of these monies available to " Assist " funding Anti Doping at the 2014 Tour of NZ ? Take a look at 2014 Calendar ! Do you see the " Tour of NZ "?
Like any other Sporting Body , UCI prepares for the NEXT Years , somewhat in Advance ? It would be safe to assume that the UCI Womens Calendar was drawn up under the Administration of Mc quaid , then sent to the UCI Congress for their approval ? If that is the case , then TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE , the UCI need to contact the Organisers of the " Tour of NZ " and advise that IF they reschedule the 2014 Event , that they will receive FUNDING towards the " Anti Doping " testing required ! WITH no Womens Events in UCI Oceania Region in early 2014 , it is doubtful that the Racers will be TOO BUSY to attend ?
Over the years Womens Racing has been allowed to COLLAPSE , a reading of the following article will show the 2013 planned schedule as against the actual situation that was achieved :
http://www.podiumcafe.com/2013/10/7/4811474/womens-uci-cycling-calendar-2014-2013-comparisons
Whilst under the stewardship of mc quaid , the UCI sought to be a more Global entity , can anyone believe that Costa Rica was more important than New Zealand ? Sponsorship is a funny animal , but i doubt that there are MORE Sponsors available for the Costa Rican Event than there are for NZ ?
Oceania was provided with New Leadership when @gaudryt took the reins in 2013 , reports lead
to the fact , that she has done a GOOD JOB ! That must be a certainty , since she was elected to the Vice Presidency of Cycling by her Peers at the UCI Congress in Firenze during September ! It will come as NO Surprise to see Womens Cycling in Oceania have INCREASED presense in the 2015 Womens UCI Calendar , BUT ; why not rework the 2014 Calendar to include the :
" TOUR of New Zealand "
Here is a link for what has been proposed for 2015 :
http://www.tourofnewzealand.co.nz/
The management of this Tour has decided on a new approach for 2015 , AMATEUR Status ! Is Cycling in New Zealand ready to give up on THEIR Professionals , even though that Olympic Gold medalist , Sarah Ullman has retired ?
ADDITION on 12th Oct 2013
Nothing to do with Womens racing but needs more thought !
Copied from elsewhere
philippegilbert.com/
I would also like a to address race organisers and the UCI. I hope the new UCI President is open to feelings that currently live among the riders. That alone would be quite a change, as well as a major step forward for the riders.
The way road cycling seasons are organised right now, the number of races and their levels of difficulty, it is all a bit much, if not wrong. All organisers want to have the race with most heighth difference, the longest climb, the steepest climb, the longest race... In short, their aim is to have something out of the ordinary for their own race so as to distinguish themselves from the others.
In a time where we all want to do away with doping more than ever before, there is a clear discrepancy between what the riders are able to manage and what is presented to us during races.
This year, I participated in races under extreme weather conditions. During Milan-Sanremo we suffered severe snow storms and in the Tour of California we had to endure temperatures of up to 50 degrees. For both these races, fans were urged to stay put at home and not to make unnecessary journeys. We, however, were urged to be offering the spectacle the audience was expecting from us, despite the clear and apparent risks to the health of an entire peloton. This is clearly too much, and it shows that through various associations within cycling, no clear vision, let alone appropriate pro-active intervention, has emerged so far.
And then I did not even mention the lengthy transfer journeys during stage races. These journeys go at the expense of the rest and recovery so desperately needed. Therefore, my question is rather simple: do we really need all those extreme circumstances? Does it not suffice already that riders simply go all out and themselves provide spectacle for all cycling enthusiasts?
http://philippegilbert.com/
