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"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - TDF 2004 & US Postal ?

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Ed Holland

01-07-04, 09:20 AM

Interesting news item here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/cycling/3342755.stm

It seems that the UCI are dragging their heels (Should that be pedals?) in registering the US Postal and Domina Vacanze teams. The BBC reported a vague statement from the UCI which reads "These teams have been invited to present explanations on certain points in their files by 8 January 2004"

Are they up to "tricks" to exclude Armstrong & 'Cipollini or do they have some justification for this action? In my opinion it seems fishy, but I'm not in posession of the facts.

Debate please!

Cheers,

Ed

Ajay213

01-07-04, 09:44 AM

That was noted here as well;
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/?id=2003/dec03/dec23news

This is what is posted on LA's website;
12/22~ Update: You have probably heard that Team USPS and 5 other teams have their UCI Div I status "pending". We spoke to USPS's Director Sportif Johan Bruyneel and as we suspected, it is all a matter of proper paperwork and they have 2 weeks to get things right. "We had some delay with the paperwork, mainly because of the late leaving of Roberto Heras, and then getting Jose Azevedo, and the complicated contract issues related to this. It's getting fixed." - and now you know

Andrew

Ed Holland

01-07-04, 10:02 AM

Thanks Ajay, I didn't get time to check out the proper cycling/sport information sources...

Cheers,

Ed

brent_dube

01-07-04, 11:59 AM

That news station is just hyping up the fact that those teams haven't regestered yet, and making it sound like there is actually something going on. This is probably very common each year.

roadwarrior

01-08-04, 03:08 AM

Ed Holland

01-08-04, 04:53 AM

That news station is just hyping up the fact that those teams haven't regestered yet, and making it sound like there is actually something going on. This is probably very common each year.

Quite possible

The BBC misrepresenting the "facts"?

Say it ain't so...

It wouldn't be the first time... you should see some of the politics stories we've had recently ;)

Of course they haven't got anything to print during the off-season period. It's even worse with football. On the plus side, BBC have begun to raise the profile of cycling in their sports news coverage, something to be greatful for I think. However they could have made a bit more effort with this story :)

Cheers,

Ed