World body threatens to go to CAS

Deutsche Presse Agentur
Published: Sunday September 24, 2006

Salzburg, Austria- The president of cycling's controlling body UCI Pat McQuaid has threatened to take the organizers of the main cycling races to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The UCI and the organizers of the Tour de France, the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta have been embroiled in a conflict since 2004 over the insistence of the race organizers to keep their races out of the ProTour series.

UCI is insisting that the three races be part of the ProSeries and has included them in the series calendar.

"We are responsible for the sporting side of things and nothing will change that. If the organizers want to exclude themselves for marketing reasons CAS could be called upon to decide," McQuid said in Salzburg.

Meanwhile McQuid told the organizers of the German Tour that the UCI will attempt to stage the German Tour in September. The last two German tours have taken place in August straight after the Tour de France.

© 2006 DPA - Deutsche Presse-Agenteur