Here is USA Cycling’s take on the Paris-Nice situation. Note that I added emphasis to a portion at the end. I did this, because this is precisely the sentiment I have felt when thinking about this all week.

Colorado Springs, Colo. (March 4, 2008 – from USA Cycling)–After several days of highly-publicized reports in the media regarding the upcoming Paris-Nice cycling race, USA Cycling Chief Executive Officer Steve Johnson issued the following statement Tuesday afternoon:

“We are very concerned by the recent movement of certain professional cycling events away from the established international organization of the sport. While we agree that the ProTour in its current structure should be revisited, we join the European Cycling Union in asking the French Cycling Federation to respect the established regulations of the sport, and implore all parties to return to the bargaining table to seek an acceptable solution in the best interest of professional cycling.

The decision to place Paris-Nice on the FFC national calendar is effectively forcing riders to break the recognized rules that govern professional cycling; placing them at risk for penalties and suspensions that could ultimately affect their participation in the 2008 Olympic Games and World Championships.

Of additional concern to USA Cycling is the fact that the removal of professional cycling events from the UCI calendar, and engaging the AFLD for doping control, is a move away from the WADA based international anti-doping process and the UCI’s state-of-the-art biological passport program. This is clearly a step backwards with regard to anti-doping efforts in professional cycling.

Finally, we are convinced that if cycling continues down this path it will only serve to create additional instability and uncertainty in our sport at a time when it most desperately needs some level of sensibility. Professional cycling cannot survive without teams, and teams cannot survive without sponsors; many teams are in renewal talks with their current sponsors, and many others are actively seeking new sponsorships. Anything less than a united front with regard to the international organization of professional cycling presents an additional obstacle in all of our efforts to attract the sponsors our sport needs to grow and flourish.”