Radio ban

The UCI has decided to postpone the introduction of an outright race ban in all pro racing for at least another year, smoothing the way for the top professional teams to attend next month's Tour of Beijing.

The UCI has agreed to extend the Tour Down Under's WorldTour licence until 2015, it was announced on Wednesday.

SAINT-PAUL-TROIS-CHATEAUX, France (VN) — The UCI and the Tour de France parent company (ASO) rolled out a new agreement Monday to get the debut Tour of Beijing off the ground this October.

Tension between the UCI and the top pro teams is reaching a breaking point over the use of race radios in elite professional races. Things got so bad that teams walked out of a meeting last week in Belgium that was supposed to be a sit-down between the major players to hammer out an understanding. Instead of reaching a common ground, both sides seem further apart than ever.

Several team directors walked out of a UCI meeting in Brussels Monday protesting the way the sanctioning body is dealing with disagreement over its race radio ban.

The professional cyclists association has called off plans to hold a rider protest at this weekend's Harelbeke race over the UCI's radio ban. The CPA's Gianni Bugno told members Wednesday that UCI president Pat McQuaid had agreed to meet with him to discuss rider concerns over the ban.

Dario Cioni has a front-row seat to how decisions are made on such topics as the controversial ruling to phase out race radio.

Johan Bruyneel gives an interesting interview with the Belgian daily Het Laastse Nieuws

USA Cycling on Tuesday reversed course and announced it would ban race radios at national level events, including National Racing Calendar and national championship events.

UCI president Pat McQuaid cried foul over USA Cycling’s recent decision to allow race radios in its sanctioned events this season and said the federation has been “hijacked” by special interests.

MILAN (AFP) — As the UCI dug in its heels Friday over the radio ban, it was revealed that the peloton aims to defy UCI orders by wearing the radio-earpieces during the Harelbeke GP E3 on March 26, the Coppi-Bartali international cycling week on March 22-26 and the Criterium International on March 26-27.

Pat McQuaid issues an open letter to riders regarding the radio ban

UCI president Pat McQuaid is digging in his heels over the race radio issue and promises there will be no moving backward.

The UCI on Thursday said cycling teams' decision to boycott the Tour of Beijing will not affect the organization's policy on race radios.

"President McQuaid regretfully noted this new element of tension in the situation. It will not, however, change the UCI’s position on the subject. "

UCI officials say they will push ahead with plans to hold the Tour of Beijing despite a call Thursday for a protest by the top professional teams of the inaugural event scheduled for October.

Frustrated teams threw down the gauntlet Thursday and vowed to not attend the UCI-backed Tour of Beijing in October over a long-running feud on the race radio ban issue.

Press Release: Statement from the AIGCP re: the race radio ban