Bicileaks: Passport Fee Hike

Vaughters letter to McQuaid

We were given this letter written by Jonathan Vaughters in his capacity as the president of the AIGCP to Pat McQuaid. Apparently the UCI has demanded a 20,000 Euro contribution from Pro Continental teams to support the Bio Passport program, an increase added on top of the 60,000 Euros those team already pay. This increase is being levied mid season, with team budgets already set.

Our source believes this is McQuaid pushing back against the AIGCP for their dissent on the race radio issue, trying to break team solidarity by taxing smaller, more vulnerable teams. The letter is below, original French version follows.

English translation:

As you know, the International Association of Professional Cycling Groups -AIGCP is engaged with determination along with the UCI in favor of protecting the health of riders and the fight against doping. Our support for you never fails and sports groups are the main contributors to the budget of the Anti-doping cyclist, nearly 70% of the annual budget is supported by them.

This continued support allows us to call upon you today concerning the proposed significant increase in the annual Professional ContinentalTeams for 2011.

These Professional Continental Teams have told us recently of the unilateral increase of 60,000 Euros to 80,000 Euros for the annual Biological Passport in 2011, representing an increase of over 33%!

Let us note the following:

The Union Cycliste Internationale and its representative Ernst & Young required by the groups a tight budget, accurate as of October 1, for their approval for the following season. When any unexpected expense is then engaged, Ernst & Young, entrusted by the UCI at the highest level, requires from teams justifications and accurate information about the funding of any further commitment. It is therefore surprising to note that the UCI can, without having prior warning, impose a considerable expense to sports groups, while the fiscal year is already underway by one quarter. You will agree that it is virtually impossible for a team to find € 20 000 additional non-planned, over a year already marked by other significant increases, such as the cost of fuel.

The Fundraising Committee of the Foundation Antidoping met on December 2. This Council is to regroup around its president Daniel Baal and yourCEO Jean-Pierre Strebel, a representative of each family business:riders, teams and organizers. The AIGCP wonder then that he was notinvited to the meeting on 2 December in Paris.

Professional teams taking over two-thirds of the funding, why not be a focus on all the other contributors? It is also surprising that the UCI, whichcontributes only 14% for only the general budget of the Foundation, willsee its contribution in 2011 to increase by only 1% …!

In the letter sent to teams to announce your decision, UCI argues, explaining that "the amount paid by the UCI Continental teams issignificantly below the cost price. " This analysis calls into question the need for sharing costs of such tests. Tomorrow will you pay extra ridersparticularly targeted, with which you perform more testing, simplybecause they cost more to the community? Or is it recognized the public interest that everyone contributes to the well of a common policy and thesuccess of the biological passport system? This question is particularlyrelevant as some teams are surprised paradoxically a significant drop inunannounced to their riders, since the beginning of 2011 …

For all these reasons, the AIGCP ask you to please suspend the increased contribution 2011 for the Biological Passport for the Professional Continental Teams.

Naturally, in a spirit of responsibility and cooperation, the AIGCPcommitted to join in all the study work alongside the UCI and the cyclingof other families who seek to establish a new mode Funding for the 2012 season, expressing the hope that these new provisions be adopted as soon as possible so that the Teams can now allocate any sumsreassessed in their budgets.

Counting on your understanding, please accept, Mr. President, the assurances of our devoted sentiments.

Original French version:

M. Pat Mc QUAID
Président
UNION CYCLISTE INTERNATIONALE
Ch. de la Mêlée 12
CH – 1860 AIGLE

Lannion, le 29 mars 2011

Participation financière des équipes continentales professionnelles au passeport biologique

Monsieur le Président,

Vous le savez, l’Association Internationale des Groupes Cyclistes Professionnels – AIGCP est engagée avec détermination aux côtés de l’UCI en faveur de la protection de la santé des coureurs et pour la lutte contre le dopage. Notre soutien ne vous a jamais fait défaut et les groupes sportifs sont les principaux contributeurs du budget de la Fondation Cycliste Anti-dopage, puisque près de 70% du budget annuel est pris en charge par eux.

Ce soutien fidèle nous autorise aujourd’hui à vous interpeler au sujet du projet d’augmentation significative de la contribution annuelle des Équipes Continentales Professionnelles pour l’année 2011.

Ces Equipes Continentales Professionnelles nous ont fait part dernièrement de la décision unilatérale d’augmenter de 60 000 Euros à 80 000 Euros la contribution annuelle pour le Passeport Biologique en 2011, ce qui correspond à une augmentation de plus de 33% !

Permettez-nous les remarques suivantes :

L’Union Cycliste Internationale et son mandataire Ernst & Young exigent de la part des groupes un budget rigoureux et exact dès le 1er octobre en vue de leur agrément pour la saison suivante. Lorsque la moindre dépense imprévue est ensuite engagée, Ernst & Young, fort de la mission qui lui a été confiée par l’UCI, demande aux équipes des justifications et une information précise quant au financement de tout engagement supplémentaire. Il est surprenant dès lors de constater que l’UCI peut, sans les avoir avertis au préalable, imposer une dépense considérable aux groupes sportifs alors que l’exercice financier est déjà entamé depuis un trimestre. Vous admettrez qu’il est pratiquement impossible pour une équipe de trouver 20 000 € supplémentaires non prévus, au cours d’une année déjà marquée par d’autres hausses sensibles, comme celle du coût de carburants.

Le Comité de financement de la Fondation Antidopage s’est réuni le 2 décembre dernier. Ce Conseil est censé regrouper autour de son président Daniel BAAL et de votre Directeur Général Jean-Pierre STREBEL, un représentant de chacune des familles professionnelles : coureurs, organisateurs et équipes. L’AIGCP s’étonne donc de n’avoir pas été conviée à la réunion du 2 décembre à Paris.

Les équipes professionnelles assumant plus des deux tiers du financement, pourquoi ne pas faire porter l’effort sur l’ensemble des autres contributeurs ? Il est d’ailleurs étonnant de constater que l’UCI, qui ne participe que pour 14% seulement au budget général de la Fondation, ne verra sa contribution 2011 augmenter que de… 1% !

Dans le courrier adressé aux équipes pour annoncer votre décision, l’UCI argumente en expliquant que « la somme versée par les équipes UCI Continentales est nettement inférieure au prix de revient ». Cette analyse remet en cause la nécessaire mutualisation des coûts de ces contrôles. Ferez-vous demain payer des suppléments aux coureurs particulièrement ciblés, auprès desquelles vous pratiquez plus de contrôles, simplement parce qu’ils coûtent plus cher à la collectivité ? Ou est-il reconnu de l’intérêt général que chacun concoure au bien d’une politique commune et à la réussite du système du passeport biologique ? Cette question est d’autant plus d’actualité que certaines équipes s’étonnent paradoxalement d’une baisse significative des contrôles inopinés auprès de leurs coureurs, depuis le début de l’année 2011…

Pour toutes ces raisons, l’AIGCP vous demande de bien vouloir surseoir à l’augmentation de la contribution 2011 pour le Passeport Biologique, pour les Equipes Continentales Professionnelles.

Naturellement, dans un esprit de responsabilité et de concertation, l’AIGCP s’engage à s’associer à tous les travaux d’étude, aux côtés de l’UCI et des autres familles du cyclisme, qui viseront à établir un nouveau mode de financement pour la saison 2012, en émettant le vÅ“u que ces nouvelles dispositions soient adoptées au plus vite, afin que le Groupes Sportifs puissent dès à présent imputer les sommes éventuellement réévaluées, dans leurs budgets prévisionnels.

Comptant sur votre compréhension, nous vous prions de croire, Monsieur le Président, en l’expression de nos sentiments les plus dévoués.

Jonathan VAUGHTERS
Président AIGCP
 

25 Comments

Maxime Ceramic

I have never seen such a disorganized one sided sports organization. The UCI either needs a complete overhaul or a new organization needs to be formed.

?

UCI is indeed a mess, but Vaughters is not the man to take them on. It’s impossible to take the guy seriously. His smug prose and ridiculous costumes belong in Polo, not cycling. #douche

Johnnie 8ball

Leaked. I wonder who leaked it? Could it be the deluded egomaniac with the carnival sideburns?

West Coast Reader

More bribes hugh. The balls on Pat, now he’s asking for 20K Euros to coverup all the Bio DrugPorts, guess its his last ditch way of getting money before he bails like Hein.

Pat should of just increased the license fee for the ProTour riders by 100 and he would of had more in those fee’s than this new bribe. Oh well.

Teams don’t have the 20K? Well sell some bikes on E-Bay and there you will have 20K in a couple bikes.

Domenico Bearing

I think Vaughters is the man to take it on for exactly that reason. Who else is going to? Someone more entrenched in the system? Shaking things up (even stylistically) is just what this sport needs.

Charles Butyl

Burn it all down. But I wouldn’t trust any league started by the teams. But I don’t trust the UCI so I guess nothing would change.

Victor Bushing

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spike lemming

I thought Vaughter’s was a dickweed.
But then the dickweed started dropping bombs.
For a little guy he has big balls and isn’t afraid to lay them on the table.
Go cat go!

?

To Domenico Bearing

Shaking things up stylistically? What the fuck does that mean?

Why don’t you put your fedora back on, pop your collar, and ride your fucking pursuit bike back to whatever stylistic douchebag hideout you came from.

Pro cycling needs a visionary leader, not a fucking internet pundit.

?

Dear Tristan Seatdouche,

I’m thrilled that Vaughters’ height gets you hard, but if you think he’s bright you’re obviously special. I’ll leave it at that. I’m glad you’re high functioning enough to operate a computer. Good for you.

The Queen

Have you JV lovers seen the new Beyond the Peloton episode? He looks like Prince Charles’ down’s syndrome twin. Embarrassing. Who knew that someone could make Peter van Petegem look handsome.

The Queen

Have you JV lovers seen the new Beyond the Peloton episode? He looks like Prince Charles’ down’s syndrome twin. Embarrassing. Who knew that someone could make Peter van Petegem look handsome.

Grandmaster Fondo

That JV, boy, he tryin’ hard, real hard to be da uppity whitey pimp daddy of bike racin’, man. But is tough to step on outta dem ho shoes he was once wearin’, you know what I’m sayin’? Once a ho always a ho, I say.

Benjamin Clamp

Vaughters is such a spoilt brat, he doesn’t get his way he throws a tantrum and turns on those he has used to pay for his snobbish lifestyle. And nyvc take his sponsorship and play his game for him. Shame on you may you drown in the crocodile tears of the bosses and choke on their douche bag scarves.

Matteo Dropout

…this is a man who started out with an idea of what he thought a cycling team should be…some of you laughed at him…

…he created that team & stated that the goal was to eventually race in the euro pro peleton…some of you laughed at him…

…once that team was in europe & had some legs under it, the goal was to become one of the best in the world…some of you laughed at him…yet again…

…jonathan vaughters, who’s team just won paris-roubaix in case you missed it, takes his job, his team & any undertaking quite seriously…i wonder when some a’ you clowns will stop laughing at him & realize that whether he’s a ‘rocket surgeon’ or not, he’s one fucking determined individual…

…he’s busy accomplishing shit so i guess if you’re still laughing at him, the jokes on you…

…with love, bgw…

Comments are closed.