It’ll kill us off’: Huub-Wattbike on being cut from the Track Cycling World Cup

[opik_bidin]

https://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/6610/it- ... -world-cup

Cyc: What was communication with the UCI like leading up to the announcement?

DB: We’ve never had a huge reason to discuss things because we didn’t expect changes like this. Track cycling is developing well. Domestically it’s becoming increasingly well followed. Still, we’ve always tried to engage with the UCI.

Since we started it has been hard work, even finding out things like how to register as a trade team. Entering races, finding out the calendar, it’s a real closed shop. You’re trying to race around the world and you can’t even find out when the events are on, or where the official hotel is.

Cyc: Did any of this give you an inkling of what was coming?

DB: Since we’ve known the UCI it’s been like this. Maybe they’re different with other people. For the nations, it’s probably easier as they have a bit more sway. They’re like voters in a democracy, whereas we’ve no rights, no vote, and no say. When electing the president of the UCI it’s the nations that vote, not trade teams. So we’re left in the dark.

Cyc: How will your exclusion affect the viability of the team?

DB: It’ll kill us off. There’s no commercial viability for us to race at a lower level. It’d be the equivalent of Manchester United being made to play at the county regional championships.

At the World Cup events, you’re having to push some of the fastest times in history just to get on the podium. If we ride elsewhere the sponsors won’t get the exposure they need, and there won’t be the same push for development.

[foo on patrol]

Yeah the friggin retarded corrupt UCI have no bloody idea of what, the term "Promote" means. Bunch of backward thinking halfwits of the highest degree!

Foo

[RobertL]

The only team out there doing innovative things to improve the sport...no, no, no...we can't have that.

Idiots.

[foo on patrol]

The only team out there doing innovative things to improve the sport...no, no, no...we can't have that.

Idiots.

Exactly!

Foo

[Alex Simmons/RST]

Riders not selected for national squads.
Riders form their own team.
Riders beat national squads.
Riders' teams get banned.

Sadly this doesn't surprise me as the fate of riders who seek to work with people outside the system are always given the short shrift. Seen it plenty of times with riders of many nationalities.

[find_bruce]

Impressive results in the 4000 meter pursuit, including Lambie, USA, the individual world record holder & Archibald, Scottish, 4th fastest.

The rest (Tanfield, Bigham, Tipper are English, Wale is Scottish) are no slouches either. But is it likely that they will return to their respective national teams ? Maybe Lambie, but being in the USA track team won't win him any team pursuit medals. As for the British riders I'm with Alex that they are most likely to be overlooked.

I wonder if they are going to do a Perkins - plenty of countries that would love to boost their cycling development.

[Alex Simmons/RST]

In many ways the Olympics is a handicap event, since often many of the best competitors don't even get selected due to event quotas per country. This has the perverse outcome of seeing nationality shopping at times. Perko certainly wasn't the first. By and large, more have become "true blu Aussies" than gone the other way though.

One rider I coached (country not named) told me his country could select five riders to go to world championships. "OK", I said, "what are the criteria?".

His response: "Well, three go to corruption (i.e. money is paid to selectors), the other two have to win either or both of the two national titles and the continental championships".