Oceania: death of a UCI cycling confederation

During the UCI s overhaul of its professional road cycling framework in 2005, the global race calendar was split into five cycling confederations, known as Continental Circuits . Seven years on, the calendars of each confederation have progressed and matured with one great exception.

With only two UCI-sanctioned races, the Oceania Cycling Confederation consisting of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Guam has become such a neglected area that even its official website has now expired. It s free to be registered by anyone. The 2012 Oceania Tour calendar consists of two races (not including Confederation Championships) the Jayco Herald Sun tour and the New Zealand Cycle Classic. It wasn t always that way.

BEFORE
In 2006, the Oceania Tour comprised five UCI-sanctioned races Herald Sun Tour (AUS, 2.1), Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic (AUS, 1.2), Powernet Tour of Southland (NZL, 2.2), Jacob s Creek Tour Down Under (AUS, 2.HC) and Trust House Cycle Classic (NZL, 2.2).

AFTER

The calendar atrophy over six seasons is noticeable. But when did the Oceania Tour s demise begin? Perhaps when the Tour Down Under became a ProTour (now WorldTour) event in 2008? TDU s re-classification effectively shut out regional teams from competing in what was Oceania s pinnacle event. Interestingly enough, the director of the Tour Down Under, Mike Turtur, was elected as the Oceania Cycling Confederation president the following year. I m looking forward to the challenge of this role and working with the cycling community in this region and internationally, Turtur was quoted as saying in the November 2008 Cycling Australia press release. What he didn t say was I m looking forward to developing the Oceania Tour .

Did Oceania ever have the fundamentals (cycling population, nations, proximity, funding, institutional support, teams) in place to continue as a standalone proposition? Whatever the case, the Warnie s last hurrah as a UCI-sanctioned race came in 2008 and the Tour of Southland would be next to voluntarily break free from the UCI. Maybe Turtur, by focusing all of his energies on the Tour Down Under, instinctively knew something that the UCI didn t when it made its reforms in 2005.

Following is a list of the five Continental Circuits, accompanied by brief stats on their respective race calendars. What is the point of the Oceania Cycling Confederation? , one might ask after comparing the five regions. Surely, the UCI is asking the same question. Cycling iQ has heard from multiple qualified sources that a final decision is to be made in September this year.

AFRICA | NATIONAL CYCLING FEDERATIONS
2012 AFRICA TOUR CALENDAR | Summary Season span: 29 September 2011 10 June 2012 Stage races: WorldTour: 0 2.HC: 0 2.1: 1 2.2: 8 One day races: WorldTour: 0 1.HC: 0 1.1: 0 1.2: 10

Total calendar events (not including national and continental championships): 19

THE AMERICAS | NATIONAL CYCLING FEDERATIONS
2012 AMERICA TOUR CALENDAR | Summary Season span: 02 October 2011 15 September 2012 Stage races: WorldTour: 0 2.HC: 2 2.1: 3 2.2: 17 One day races: WorldTour: 2 1.HC: 1 1.1: 0 1.2: 4

Total calendar events (not including national and continental championships): 29

ASIA | NATIONAL CYCLING FEDERATIONS
2012 ASIA TOUR CALENDAR | Summary Season span: 02 October 2011 30 September 2012 Stage races: WorldTour: 2* 2.HC: 5 2.1: 3 2.2: 18 One day races: WorldTour: 0 1.HC: 1 1.1: 0 1.2: 3 Total calendar events (not including national and continental championships): 32

*including Tour of Hangzhou

EUROPE | NATIONAL CYCLING FEDERATIONS
2012 EUROPE TOUR CALENDAR | Summary Season span: 29 January 2012 21 October 2012 Stage races: WorldTour: 12 2.HC: 13 2.1: 30 2.2: 50 One day races: WorldTour: 12 1.HC: 14 1.1: 83 1.2: 88

Total calendar events (not including national and continental championships): 302

OCEANIA | NATIONAL CYCLING FEDERATIONS
2012 OCEANIA TOUR CALENDAR | Summary Season span: 12 October 2011 29 January 2012 Stage races: WorldTour: 1 2.HC: 0 2.1: 1 2.2: 1 One day races: WorldTour: 0 1.HC: 0 1.1: 0 1.2: 0

Total calendar events (not including national and continental championships): 3

WHERE ARE ALL THE RACES?
Finally, here s a quick summary of where all the teams and races are, globally speaking. This is just the beginning of a much more specific analysis (total race days per continental circuit versus population and GDP, etc) that will be posted on Cycling iQ in the near future.