It took 12 years for the opposing powers in open-wheel auto racing in the United States to get back on the same page, tho it remains to be seen whether they will ever fully recover.
While the bickersons (IRL/IndyCar Series and CART/ChampCar) rendered open-wheel racing largely irrelevant in the States, NASCAR’s brand of stock car racing took over as The Motor Sport in the U.S. So, even though open-wheel racing has come back together this year under the IndyCar Series banner, the reunification might be too little too late.
What does this have to do with cycling?
Plenty.
The rift between cycling’s primary promoter — Amaury Sports Organization (ASO), owner of the Tour de France – and cycling’s governing body — Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) — is reminiescent of the rift between open-wheel racing’s primary promoter –Tony George, owner of the Indianapolis 500 — and the sport’s governing body – Championship Auto Racing Team (CART).
In 1996 George launched the Indy Racing League and essentially barred CART teams from the Indy 500. CART responded with a race to compete against the Indy 500. The only thing this accomplished was to diminish the Indy 500 (how can the best race in the world not include the best drivers?) and split the audience between the rival leagues and hence, kill the sponsorship money.
In cycling circa 2008, it’s 1996 all over again, with ASO in the role of Tony George and the UCI in the role of CART.
ASO is basically boycotting the UCI and running its primary events, including the Tour de France, outside of UCI influence. And where have we heard this before? The Tour de France, the best race in the world, will be contested this year without the best rider and one of the best teams — defending TdF champ Alberto Contador and his team, Astana.
In addition, ASO has bought 49 percent interest in the Vuelta a Espana, one of the three big grand tours along with the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia. It also has reached a marketing agreement with AEG, the organizer of the U.S.’s biggest stage race, the Tour of California.
So, it looks for all purposes that ASO is setting up a league to rival the UCI’s ProTour, which has helped raise cycling’s Q-factor around the world. The ASO’s moves against the UCI come at a time of transition in the sport as cycling moves beyond the doping era and into the anti-doping era, with the joy of competition perhaps regaining a foothold against the win-at-all-costs idealology that drove the doping era.
Respected Velonews scribe John Wilcockson has written an impressive analysis on the subject, and it remains to be seen where all this will lead.
The one thing cycling has going for it that U.S. open-wheel racing didn’t is that there’s no stockcar-esque version of cycling to compete with ASO’s and UCI’s brand of cycling, tho I’m sure the engineering students at Rolla or Washington U. could come up with something.
Oh, wait, the Rolla cats already have — a 59.36 m.p.h. bicycle and the third-fastest time ever by a college student at the World Human Power Speed Challenge. Maybe the rift between ASO and UCI wouldn’t be a bad thing afterall — NASCAR BIKES!
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