Cycling should think about the future. The One Cycling project has been mentioned, but other voices in cycling are also calling for an update. This also applies to Eusebio Unzue (68), the big boss of Movistar. “15-day grand tours would create more of a spectacle.”
According to our information, they have not yet joined the talks surrounding the One Cycling cycling reform project, but that may change soon. Movistar president Eusebio Unzué, the sometimes outspoken Spanish counterpart of Patrick Lefebvre, indicated in an interview on the sidelines of the Tour of Colombia that he would also like to think about the future of cycling.
“There are many teams who are concerned about what should happen in our sport in the coming years,” Unzoe said. “They want to find other ways to be more competitive as teams in the cycling jungle. We also want to have a conversation. We can't give details yet, but it's good that many teams are working on a cycling business model.
He added: “Almost all sports are evolving, and cycling is very conservative in that regard. We continue to do the things we have always done. It started in the 1980s and the rules have barely changed. It is time for us to adapt to the current zeitgeist. I don't know if “It is true to say that it should be more humane, but the rules should at least be less strict.”
The 68-year-old Spaniard also has concrete ideas, especially from his own experience. “If a passenger falls, why not put them in a car or ambulance to be checked and start again the next day? Now they have to endure a lot of pain to finish if they want to start the next day. “We want more humanity, which starts with protecting the health of riders.”
“Why don't we allow substitutions in the first week of the Grand Tour,” Unzue asks. “We lost our leader Enrique Mas on the first day of the last Tour after he fell badly. We are preparing ten riders for the Grand Tour to be ready for anything. Why are we not allowed to replace the rider who dropped out in the first week?
“It's a matter of personal opinions, but let's say the Grand Tours are limited to 15 days. The best riders will probably ride the Giro, the Tour and the Vuelta,” Unzwe adds. “That will give them enough time to recover between themselves and be able to compete in all three legs. It would create a scene where the best compete against each other more.
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