ROAD columns, posted and previewed
Posted on 03. Feb, 2009 in Blog
I’ve added a new entry in the ROAD Magazine archive: “Racing needs to embrace urban cycling“. The article’s premise is that the growth of more utilitarian forms of cycling means that performance and technological innovation will become less relevant in the bike industry. This will put pressure on the pro racing community to figure out how the average bicyclist can relate to the Tour de France.
And I just sent off my column for the putative April issue of ROAD. It’s about how a true labor union like the Major League Baseball Players Association for pro cyclists might actually function. Here’s a preview:
While baseball’s collective bargaining agreement is negotiated by MLBPA leaders that the players elect, UCI officials write cycling’s rulebook in an attempt to serve everyone’s interests with only non-binding recommendations from the Association of Professional Cyclists (CPA). Similarly, the CPA can make requests for things like shorter transfers between stages or a share of television revenue, but race organizers are under no obligation to accommodate the association. It’s also worth noting that the CPA’s offices are in a sports management complex supported by the UCI’s parent company, the International Olympic Committee.
Flickr photos by rgourley (riders) and robertvonwoodrich (picketers)
As long as racing is not going to embrace urban racing, then I’m cool. Imagine all the hipsters having to purchase a USA Cycling License to enter an alleycat…