He fell somewhat between the folds in ecstasy after Remco Evenepoel’s world title, but after those World Cup finals, there was once again criticism for the lack of ears during the match. “In the short term, not much will change,” Spurza lit up with Peter van den Appel, sports director of the UCI.
Wout van Aert was still able to run for the silver in Wollongong, but he heard that after the end he was visibly disappointed. “Running without headphones, this is no longer the time.”
Patrick Lefevre, director of Quick-Step, went even further with his well-known De Tribune style by calling it “criminal.” Peter van den Appel, CEO of UCI, is bored with it.
“These are heavy statements,” he told Sporza of the UCI headquarters in Switzerland. Words like ‘criminal’ are hit hard.
Under UCI President Pat McQuade, it was decided to cancel radio communication between riders and support cars during the World Cup and Olympic Games.
Van den Abeele: “The current president, David Lappartint, is also not in favor of bringing him back, so not much will change in the short term.”
As long as the competitions are held on a closed circuit, it is acceptable to drive without headphones.
Van den Abeele also notes the advantage of having a track without an earpiece. “You should make the race more attractive. You make more Mess – in the proper sense of the word. If there are no ears, the rider has to rely more on his impulses and be less instructive than the support car.”
“On the other hand, the safety of the rider should not be affected. In the World Cup or the Olympic Games, where we mainly drive on a closed circuit, the safety check is easier.”
“As long as the competitions are held on a closed circuit, this is acceptable because the safety risks are lower. It is completely different in the open circuit, we prefer to use earphones for safety.”
The so-called ‘ardoisier’ or ‘man board’ at the World Cup in Australia.
“Running ‘ardoisier’ has never been good in Australia”
Not only did Wout van Aert fall from the sky after the finish, Christophe Laporte and Michael Matthews, both silver and bronze, were quite surprised that they still made it to the podium.
Peter van den Abel continues: “What happened now is also a learning experience for us. You have to take stock after each match and maybe adjust things in the next match.”
‘Run the so-called Arduzier Or the bordjesman (which conveys the time differences) was not good at all in Australia. That is why we have already made the decision within the UCI to recruit people with experience for the next world championships.”
“We can ask people, for example, from Tour or Giro or Ronde van Vlaanderen and not outsource to local organizations or federations. We want to take everything into our own hands to avoid such things.”
“We can also increase connectivity by using electronic panels in the feeding areas, by which riders can see who is at the race site. By the way, this is already done under the finish arch, where the difference between the leader and the riders is visible.”
So riders will have to learn to live with a championship without headphones for at least a few years, although communication should improve for everyone in the future. They don’t have to hope for more.
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