World Series Cycling in talks with UCI over ten-race Grand Prix series

What a load of rubbish, does this also mean that the *ahem* UCI Worldtour is a failure, with its multitude of made up races in places that have no interest

I really do support the poster further up regards Sky, they must be involved and yup, on bike cameras on descents etc would be fantastic, ditto rider power meters on screen! Cycling need not let go of its routes/roots, e.g. F1 still respects Monaco.

The smoothest transition would need to involve the UCI as they (probably) own the contracts with ASO etc.

In footballs Champions League, UEFA 'owns' the Tournament and Team Marketing the sponsorship rights and they work together. This is not dissimilar as I see it. The arguments against it I recall are the same as when the Pro Tour came along and we all got over those.

The only thing I would protest against is railings up the climbs with ticket entry a la Olympics (should it be considered).

I'm probably going to get a lot of hate for this, but why don't we let Murdoch do to cycling what he did to football. Billions of pounds are waiting in TV revenue.

I do agree that the UCI needs to be left for dead. There are so many things that it's doing wrong, the only thing that is keeping people there is a mixture of social stigma, the lack of any other options and the fact that a lot of race organisers seem to be tied to them.

Which organisers wouldn't switch to the TV money treasure trove though, with wider audiences and SOOOO much more income.

HATERS GONNA HATE

(Oh, and an IPL style thing would be pretty good, like 5 man stage races or something)

A lot of comments above seem slightly mis-informed. There is a lot of clarification in this interview with one of the guys proposing this:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/how-world-series-cycling-plans-to-reinve...

I love the complexity of cycling as it is, I love history of the sport, I enjoy the knowledge required to watch and really know what's going on; but I've been watching for about thirty years and TBH, if I was a newbie, I'd probably just find it confusing and a bit of a turn-off.
If cricket can sell itself to a wider audience with 20-20 and still keep multi-day tests going, then I'm sure cycling can incorporate something similar.

What do they need the UCI for? I do not get it. If you want to break away the first thing you have to do is BREAK and then you have to AWAY. This is just re-branding a flawed product.

Jesus wept. This is a great way to kill cycling stone dead. If the team owners think they are going to line their pockets with TV money off the back of this they are deluded.

I've made comment to get this series going in the past and still all for it.

My suggestions are to run the F1 style format for 6-8 races in the first year or two and when it gains momentum, pick up the classics and other grand tour tour events. EG Tour Down Under, Beijng, Qatar, Dauphine and others might convert easily if the sponsorhip is guaranteed. How about a 5 days format instead of 4. Each region to have 1 each of flat, mount, rolling, tt and one to match their local terrain at their choice.

As for UCI in charge of drug testing. Sure, make those norty boys face up and own their problems and WADA to independently and freely monitor and audit their testing.

Total oxymoron this Antonio you're right - both parties will want control as Bakala wont invest his Millions to be controlled by McQuaid and his crew.
But then again, old Pat could never say no to a few quid could he?

Reading the UCI statement, 'full control' I have to ask, What 'breakaway'.

It seems extremely confusing to try and fit a new ranking system inside of the current UCI schedule. Efforts should either be made to revise the current system or scrap it. It makes no sense to make another confusing system inside of an already kind of confusing system.

For cycling to progress you arguably need to get Sky involved on a broadcasting level. Not only will it increase the money coming into cycling they'll inovate with their coverage. There's so much more scope in broadcasting cycling to expand on the format and increase interest. Being able to speak to riders mid-stage (like in 20-20 cricket), having on bike camera's to get a better view of the action (like F1) and generally having much more comprehensive coverage (like Football) will all improve coverage which is, for non-fans, a bit shit at the minute. No-one is investing in the coverage because of the fragmentation of the sport, why should ASO improve things for everyone else? Even simple thinks like GPS attached to all the riders for better tracking and more cameras would improve things. As nice as it is to see rolling hills and the odd medieval French town there's a lot that can be done to increase interest.

To get someone like Sky on board you need to be able to market the sport internationally and at the minute, other than the odd race, that's not happening. The fragmentation of race ownership harms the cause because races are competing with each other for attention rather than joining forces and competing with other sports. If someone can come in and bring the sport together, unite the different sides with a view to expanding cycling as a whole, and increase interest, surely it can only help?

Finally, with money coming in from someone like Sky and a set of races which are guaranteed decent coverage the sport will be more appealing to sponsors and may help to bring in the big names and other companies who've been wavering. At the minute - with doping, failing races, unclear criteria for obtaining licenses, and every other issue surrounding the sport - cycling is not a sport you'd want to put a lot of money into. Bringing the sport onto a stable footing will help everyone.

All that being said, I don't pay for any cycling coverage (or any sport) so I'm not sure how I'd feel about the TdF ending up on Sky. If there was a real improvement in the quality though I'd probably sign up as long as I could watch everything on this World Series.

"Points accumulated throughout the season would result in one rider and one team being crowned ‘world champions’"

I don't mind the principle, but what happens to the worlds, and for that matter, the rainbow jersey?

Also, the UCI responsible for dope testing? Really??!

This is a great idea.....for woman's racing and to get it on tv. Not good for men's