CYCLING COLUMN:RESPONDING TO the decision announced this week by the Tour de France organisers, ASO, to cut ties with cycling world governing body, UCI president Pat McQuaid has been strongly critical of the move.
"My overall reaction is one of great anger that they have decided to take this route," he told The Irish Times, speaking about ASO's decision to run the Tour de France in conjunction with the French Cycling Federation (FFC) rather than the UCI.
"They have consistently refused to accept decisions taken by the UCI management committee, and it is obvious that they are out to create another international federation."
The split is the latest chapter in a long-running political battle within cycling, and sees the French organisers insist that participating teams abide by its own set of rules.
McQuaid is not impressed, and he and the UCI will be debating what is the next step in trying to prevent anarchy in the sport.
"The contract which they have put out to the teams is a draconian one," he stated.
"It is also one which is only going to get worse because it is completely one-sided and it will be written into their rules as and from next year."
One possible measure is to threaten teams participating in the Tour de France with sanctions although, with the race holding such an important place in the world calendar, it's highly unlikely that such squads would choose not to line out.
In other news, Irish woman Lousie Moriarty is riding very strongly in the prestigious Tour du Grand Montéal in Canada, placing 14th in Wednesday's stage four Petite-Italie criterium and holding 26th place overall. She was also 12th in the sprint classification.
Moriarty was 34th, 19th and 37th in the first three stages, then came through with that strong criterium performance.
The race was due to continue late yesterday with the fifth and final stage, a 115-kilometre road race to be held on the Mont-Saint-Hilaire circuit.
Although she has shown in this race that she is capable of mixing it with the best riders in the world, Moriarty is one of those who was controversially overlooked for funding this year.
Moriarty, Siobhan Dervan and Jenny Fay fell short due to what appears to be inequalities in the carding system with regard to female performances.
Finally, a number of events are taking place this weekend, including the IVCA's time-trial championships tomorrow plus their well-known Wicklow 200 ride on Sunday.
FIXTURES
Saturday: Audi Grand Prix, Ballynure. Starts 11am. IVCA TT championships, Enfield. Starts 9.15am. Track training, Sundrive Road. Starts 11am.
Sunday: WTCC TT Series 40km time trial, Rathnew. Starts 10am. Noel Teggert Memorial, Banbridge. Starts noon. Kevin McInerney Memorial, Dunlavin. Starts 1pm. Wicklow 200/Wicklow Challenge. Starts 7am from UCD Belfield.
LE TOUR DU GRAND MONTRÉAL (2.1, Canada, June 2nd-5th): General Classification after Stage 4: 1, Suzanne De Goede (Equipe Nürnberger Versicher) 5hrs 49mins 28secs; 2 J Arndt (High Road Women) at 2 secs; 3 O Wood (High Road Women) at 13 secs. Irish: 26, L Moriarty at 40 secs.
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