Revolution announced in cycling, the boss of a team offers replacements “like in football”

Eusebio Unzue, à gauche, avec José Maria Alvarez, directeur de Telefonica SA. EFE – Mariscal

Avant le départ du Tour de Colombie, Eusebio Unzue, manager historique de l'équipe Movistar, a proposé publiquement des possibles pistes d'améliorations pour moderniser un cyclisme à ses yeux trop conservateur. 

Grand Tours shortened to two weeks, replacements like in football: Eusebio Unzue, the historic manager of the Movistar team, has put forward several avenues to modernize cycling which according to him should be improved. #39;inspired by the path taken by other sports for its future. 

"All sports evolve but we continue to do the same things as forty years ago. Since I started in the 1980s, the rules of cycling have changed very little. I think it's time to adapt", he told a few reporters.

Among the avenues mentioned by Unzue, 68, is the possibility of replacing a rider in the event of abandonment during one of the three major Tours (Tour de France, Tour d'Italie, Tour of Spain).

On the Tour de France 2023, "we lost Enric (Mas), our leader , from the first day on a fall. Why not allow him to be replaced, at least for the first week, and continue with eight riders?", Unzue asked.

Several rules proposed for the evolution of the sport

"We must make the rules more humane and less brutal, better protect the health of runners", a-t -he insisted, recalling that at "foot there was for a long time no possible replacement" before it changes.

Other reform mentioned:"Today, if a runner falls, he sometimes has to suffer like an animal to reach the finish and have the right to start again the next day. Why not allow him to get in a car or ambulance to get checked out and leave the next day if nothing is broken ?", continued the boss of the Movistar team for fourteen years.

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Unzue also proposes shortening the duration of the Grand Tours from three to two weeks. "This would allow the best to participate in all three and be competitive. It would add to the spectacle to see the best racing against each other more often", he thought.

If the American Sepp Kuss won the last Tour of Spain after racing the Tour of Italy and the Tour de France in a role of ;teammate, it is extremely rare to see riders competing in the three Grand Tours in the same year, as these events are physically and mentally demanding.

"We all grew up with the epic idea of ​​sport but we need more humanity", Unzue pointed out.