This is very frustrating to see from my perspective. The UCI seems to be addressing issues that are of little to no valid concern for professional athletes while not addressing serious issues like those pointed out above (unnecessarily dangerous course selections, unsafe road conditions for riders, education and compensation to their athletes dealing with head injuries, psychological trauma, eating disorders, insufficient compensation for athletes, etc.). Whether the UCI means well or not, it seems I am not alone in feeling frustrated by that contrast.
Removing my bias, the UCI regulating these behaviors seems problematic due to:
- The slippery slope fallacy this has introduced and it’s implications on the abilities of professional athletes to do their job safely.
- The inconsistency that this highlights with other more dangerous / concerning things these athletes endure that remain unregulated.
I also don’t believe the UCI makes rules to “set a safe/responsible example for amateurs”. If that was the case, they’d be doing what I noted above and instead banning things like holding races in unsafe conditions, etc.
Cycling is inherently dangerous. That doesn’t mean we should just turn a blind eye to all danger and not be analytical about how we can improve it, but it does mean cyclists need to take ownership of the consequences that come with their choices in the circumstance of cycling. For me, part of taking ownership in this regard looks like the following:
- Deciding to let that paceline go and drop off the back if a rider is doing puppy dog hands and I’m uncomfortable with it.
- Deciding to not do a supertuck if my lack of ability to execute it puts me or anybody else at risk.
- Deciding to respect the rights of others to do this and choosing safer alternatives for myself.
- Deciding to respect the wishes of fellow riders in a non-race situation if they ask me not to do these things.
- Deciding to not ride on that sketchy stretch of road even though it’s in our weekly ride.
- Deciding not to race if conditions are unsafe.
To be clear, I feel that none of the above sounds as fun or appealing as the alternative choice, and it might feel frustrating if somebody else’s choices are the driving force behind that, but hey, us amateurs are not paid to do this sport so life very much goes on when we take responsibility and choose safety.
Regarding group rides and amateur racing, I still don’t think these things should be explicitly banned, but that’s not my place to decide either.
In the end, I think we have to keep separate the two circumstances here of UCI regulating pro racing and how we personally experience these things in a non-professional, and even non-regulated arena.
But all of this makes me question “Why?”, and I think the answer to that is super clear: The UCI is actually the NWO, is headquartered below Denver International Airport and Bill Gates is at the helm.
