Who runs cycling? The UCI or ASO (Amory Sports Organisation)

hemplands

Am I the only person around thinking that the ASO Amory Sports Organisation is getting too big for its boots. It controls the TdF, all the World Cup races and Paris-Nice and others, and seems to have more power than the UCI, and how much further is the net going to be cast? Who's the real power behind the throne?

PeterPedal

A.S.O. does not control all the World Cup races but "only" three of the 10 World Cup races!
Here is a list of all the races controlled by A.S.O.:
http://www.letour.fr/calendrier2004us.html

The three World Cup races organized by A.S.O.:
Paris-Roubaix
Liège-Bastogne-Liège
Paris-Tours
http://www.uci.ch/modello.asp?1stLe...2=1&idnews=1860


Bjut I agree with you that A.S.O. is contolling too much in pro road cycling.
I think it is a big problem that A.S.O. excludes a team like Kelme from all A.S.O. races because of the doping rumores from Manzano.
This can ruin a team like Kelme, even if it turns out that Manzano is lying about the doping at Kelme.
Kelme is alredy punished before there have been any proofs and verdict. Kelme haven't even been put on trial yet.
Kelme is alredy punished big time because of statements of one person, who haven't showed any proofs yet.
I think they should wait to punish Kelme until (and if) Manzano can prove anything.

Every rider can ruin a team he gets fired from this way by starting rumours, if there doesn't need to be any proofs before the team is exclude from all races.
Teams can get afraid to fire anyone because of the harm a rider can do to the team, by starting rumours even if they are not true.

I'm not saying that Manzano is'nt telling the truth (I don't know if he is), but I think they should wait to punish anyone before they know who is telling the truth.

jules_crapule

As fas as I know, each country has its own organisation that organises races and the one you mentioned looks like the French one to me. Yes I know Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège are Belgian races, but they're in the Walloon provinces of Belgium, southern part, where French is the native language, and those races are organised by them. Races in Flanders are organised by the "VUM"
UCI is more like FIFA in football. It doesn't really organise races, except WC, and it sets up rules i.e. bike size.

PeterPedal

There is not a special organisation in each country that organized all the races.
A.S.O. is probably the biggest organizer of pro races in the world, but there is also many (mostly smaller) organisations that organises races in France. Many organisations only organize one race.
A.S.O. on the other hand also organises races outside France like Tour of Qatar and Tour du Faso.
It's true that UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) is the international Cycling federation.
Just like there is a national federation in each member country.
A.S.O. is a private organisation and has nothing to do with the French national cycling federation.