Vuelta a España Reduced to two weeks from 2013

Doobz

Nevermind. It seems today is some sort of weird version of April Fools for Spaniards.. Wish they would just stick to their doping.. I can just about keep up with that!

Translation

The Tour of Spain is reduced to 14 days
BY JORGE- DECEMBER 28, 2011
POSTED IN: GRAND TOURS
Was expected. As always, the Spanish proverb is rarely wrong, and when the smoke there's fire. Or the rumor is the eve of the news. Finally, the news broke and the Tour of Spain, from 2013, will be only two weeks. 14 stages in total, including a day of rest.

Finally, Unipublic, ASO and UCI agreed and the year 2013, the Tour of Spain will host the first fortnight of September and will have 14 stages. A change that aims to rearrange the cycling calendar in the medium term. By 2013, the two tests will be delayed Canada's World Tour, both the GP Montreal and Quebec GP not to coincide with the Tour of Spain .

In the medium term, possibly to 2015, the UCI aims to create a new category of turns of two weeks and spread to other continent s. So would two GT's, Tour de France and Giro d'Italia, and three MT's (Medium Tour), which corresponds to Tour of Spain Tour of California and Tour of Beijing, thinking ahead to organize another MT in Oceania, specifically in Australia . A change to the ICU means "to conform to changing times and continue our expansion in other continents more profitable, both sporting and economically."

In its press release, Unipublic explains why this reduction arises as the future of the race. "In our desire to innovate, we have decided together with the UCI, which due to fatigue accumulated during the season and many of the riders came with the sole intention of preparing the World Cup, a reduction of one week for the good of the race. A reduction that will make everyone leave early and you can see one more show on Spanish roads. " A decision was controversial. On the other hand, claim that the route of the race, the flat stages will be reduced . "The route for 2013 will consist of a trial, 3 flat stages, 5 and 5 medium mountain stages with the high end" all with "to promote the show and according to the general public demand."

The only known at the time statements are those of Joaquim Rodriguez and those of Carlos Sastre. The first said: "To me if I removed the same to me time trials on race days there. I feel like five, ten or twenty. But no time trials, that is not cycling . " While the winner of the Tour de France in 2008 he added: "I already told you. Cycling is becoming a fiction of brats . "

http://cobblesandhills.com/wordpress/20 ... a-14-dias/

jerry3571

I really don't like these new races. Can't we stick to the old favourites?
History and all that.

-Jerry

shinyhelmut

jerry3571 wrote:

I really don't like these new races. Can't we stick to the old favourites?
History and all that.

-Jerry

I doubt it after all McQuaid doesn't have a stake in the vuelta.

OffTheBackAdam

He fancies himself as a fatter, Irish Bernie Ecclestone.
I see he's trying to stick his fingers into the cyclocross pie too.

squired

I think changes like this will be good for cycling. The UCI has made good efforts to globalise the sport, which I think they deserve credit for. Eventually it will get to a point where big name global companies will think, "hang on a second, there would actually be some value to sponsoring a cycling team". We aren't there yet, but if the UCI can move things in the right direction over the next few years it is very possible.

One thing that some teams have been vocal about it TV money being given to them to reduce their reliance on sponsorship. This is an area where the UCI could do something big. If they introduced that model for races they organise (like Beijing) it would do wonders for them in the eyes of the teams and improve the status of their races.

jerry3571

I guess it's all about chasing money. Shame.

cal_stewart

I've died a little bit.

sherer

don't like this as it goes against tradition.

There should be three Grand Tours and the UCI should protect that.

The Vuelta usually gives good racing now we lose another week of cycling on TV

jerry3571

Tour fo Lombardy messed about with also.

I guess a small percentage of the Chinese population watching Cycling equates to a greater amount of potential cash and audiences than the european heartland. Maybe the UCI et al are trying to replicate the same as Man Utd where (I think) there are a greater number of Man Utd fans in China than the rest of the World put together.
This also maybe the UCI trying to put the grand Tours to the sword for their belligerence.

It's cutting Cycling off from it's history which is unforgivable.

-Jerry