Matt Bottrill hour record attempt - please read

[bob tobin]

For the last few months (since the UCI change the rules) Matt has been training for an attempt at the hour record. We have combed the rules and we have a bike, equipment and position which are UCI legal thanks to his sponsors. As you have all seen he is in the form of his life and from the testing we have done 52-53km looks possible.

 

But we have now been told by the UCI that because of a requirement that is not in the rules we cannot make the attempt and neither can 99.999% of cyclists. You need to be on the biological passport system (which only World Tour and Continental Professional cyclist are on). For any other world record on the UCIs books - 200m, kilo, 4km pursuit an amateur cyclist could set the record and there is no requirement for a biological passport at the time you set the record (although you might be required to join it at some point). It seem that the UCI are making the rules up as they go along in order to make sure only their golden boys like Tony Martin, Bradley Wiggins and Fabian Cancellara are the only people who can attempt it. Where would Chris Boardman and especially Graeme Obree be if they didnt have the hour record to springboard their careers?

 

Tomorrow Matt is going to start a twitter conversation with Brian Cookson to try an find out why they dont tell people what the rules are clearly on the UCI's website. Isn't that the point of publishing the rules? Why the rules for this record are different to the others? Why they dont want amateur cyclists to attempt world records if they are capable of setting them? It all smacks of the crony-ism that thwarted Obree and that Cookson was elected to try and root out.

 

So if you are on twitter please follow Matt and retweet his questions so the UCI and media pick up on it.

https://twitter.com/BottrillMatthew

 

Bob

[Chas]

Will do

 

Bob, this is of absolutely no surprise to me and others I know who have had dealings with the UCI

[theolderIgetthebetterIwas]

That's a real shame. I'd like to see an amateur such as Matt get the record and essentially turn the clock back to the days of Boardman/Obree which then went on to re-kindle interest from professionals, but I guess the UCI are just covering their backs with what is arguably the highest profile event of the ones you reference.

[TarmacExpert]

Perhaps he could go for the masters hour record, and the end result of the masters hour record for his age being superior to the open hour record might embarrass them into changing something?

[Lee]

What the UCI making up rules because it suits their agenda? Who'd have thought it? Meet the new boss, same as the old boss...

[CarlosFerreiro]

Perhaps he could go for the masters hour record, and the end result of the masters hour record for his age being superior to the open hour record might embarrass them into changing something?

"Unknown amateur sets bike record we never heard of" gets you a small mention in general media.

"Plucky postman amateur sets bike record we never heard of and then the nasty blazers at the world governing body won't recognize it, even thought there is nothing in the rules to stop it" sets up a juicer story..... ;-)

[borisface]

That's sad but considering that the current recordholder is serving a ban... Really confirms what I had always thought - the UCI needs cycling but cycling doesn't need the UCI.

[uk gearmuncher]

To be honest, whilst this would make me unpopular, I can understand the uci's want to have the biological passport in place to help protect the record. They got burned by sosenka and want to re-establish the credibility of the record. I feel for Matt but it's been announced all year they were going to rehash the whole thing so everything was up in the air until at least June. Even Cancellara had his record attempt on hold and he had a bike on standby too.

 

I don't like the elitism the record will now require but whilst Matts morals aren't at question, you have to mitigate with the whole of the sport in mind. Whilst this stance prevents the obree types from going for it, the Lugano charter did that anyway.

[fylbike]

Can't have amateurs, or non-insiders, taking a record, or attempting to take it, whilst most of the likely candidates (Cancellara, Martin, Wiggins - add any others you want) are too scared of attempting it . just imagine what these guys would look like if thay still didn't attempt it whilst riders like Matt did

[neil ridley]

Bet you thought the C in UCI stands for cycliste, i suspect it may be something else with 4 letters

[Top Tester]

He should just do it, bang out a huge distance and show the world just what can be done on less than 10 hrs a week and bucket loads of pure clean class. Who cares if it isn't official.

Funny you should announce this now. I was just talking to hutch about bio passports on Saturday. It's the reason why he isn't considering another go. Good luck Botty, get out there and show em all

[uk gearmuncher]

The reality is that under the previous bike rules (post 2000, pre 2014) neither Hutch, Matt or even Obree would have got it anyway. The enemy here is the Lugano charter, not the bio-passport. It's legislation against technological innovation that prevents left field thinking. If you haven't got world class physiology, you're not going to be in the frame anyway.

[TarmacExpert]

It was mentioned back when the rule changes were announced:

 

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cookson-reveals-that-people-have-come-forward-to-the-circ-reform-commission

 

but it was a bit ambiguous:

 

"He said that any rider attempting the Hour Record will have to be part of the Biological Passport programme"

 

"nobody can just rock up and have a go, it has to be pre-planned and were likely to insist that it is someone who is in the Biological Passport"

[CarlosFerreiro]

From the UCI Bio-passport page

 

Which riders have a passport?

 

In 2011, the following riders participate in the passport program:

• all riders registered with a UCI ProTeam,

• all riders registered with a UCI Professional Continental Team ,

• other riders as determined by the UCI.

 

So all it takes is for them to put Matt on the passport. Of course then their problem is the length of time needed to establish a profile, but that's a problem with the system?

[DaveClarke]

Meanwhile the UCI allowed Denis Menchov whose bio-passport went rogue to retire with a knee injury - surprised they didn't ask him to have a crack at the Hour before he picked up his gold watch

 

 

[bob tobin]

It was mentioned back when the rule changes were announced:

 

http://www.cyclingne...form-commission

 

but it was a bit ambiguous:

 

"He said that any rider attempting the Hour Record will have to be part of the Biological Passport programme"

 

"nobody can just rock up and have a go, it has to be pre-planned and were likely to insist that it is someone who is in the Biological Passport"

 

They make up the rule book - but they didnt put it in the rules. If they make it a requirement put it in the rules so everyone knows. Not hard. I understand why they might want the biological passport - although I think this just limits doping. Who is more likely to be doping - a professional with lots of money and sports doctors etc or an amateur who probably couldn't afford to race at the top level if he didn't have sponsors to loan him equipment.

 

If they put it in the rules do masters and women have to have passports too? Even fewer women riders on the passport and likely no masters at all.

 

Bob

[umop3pisdn]

I want to see what bike he was going to do it on, presumably a Giant Omnium wouldn't have cut the mustard. Trinity with 130mm spaced track disc?

[toeclips53]

I assume that there is nothing stopping Matt from attacking the record with all other requirements met and hopefully setting a great new record and then let the UCI manage the PR fallout if they won't validate the record. I assume that one of the key validation conditions is UCI observers who won't turn out for a rider not meeting the UCI conditions re testing. So that is a substantial hurdle and therefore the Masters route might be beneficial.

 

The UCI are open to challenge on limiting who can attack the hour record, I can understand the need to control/exclude dopers but a biological passport is overkill and excludes talented amateurs.

[eileithyia]

Go attack it as an amateur and show them......

[rob shed]

Nice one Andy.

A Pedalling Postie out-pedals ex-EPO Pros but is prevented a WR because he hasn't a Bio-Passport.

The UCI would really look petty and ridiculous by barring a part-time amateur.

[RodSwan]

"Unknown amateur sets bike record we never heard of" gets you a small mention in general media.

"Plucky postman amateur sets bike record we never heard of and then the nasty blazers at the world governing body won't recognize it, even thought there is nothing in the rules to stop it" sets up a juicer story..... ;-)

 

This. Let's get real for a moment. Bottrill is a super quick amateur with loads of natural talent. But if he did go for the record he's simply trying to be the first rider to exploit a rule change. He knows and we all know he hasn't the capability of those that have set the athletes hour or those that will go on to set this record. So I'm not knocking him for wanting to try, but complaining about the organisation whose recent actions are the ONLY thing that would make it even vaguely feasible to set the record THEY govern doesn't seem very logical.

 

Just go do it Matt. It will almost certainly get the recognition it deserves even if not from the UCI.

[uk gearmuncher]

Nice one Andy.

A Pedalling Postie out-pedals ex-EPO Pros but is prevented a WR because he hasn't a Bio-Passport.

The UCI would really look petty and ridiculous by barring a part-time amateur.

 

I would argue a talented amateur outside of the bio passport with the nous to dope to make a name for themselves by getting the record in its current 'soft' target has potentially more to gain then a pro.

[Xavier]

He knows and we all know he hasn't the capability of those that have set the athletes hour or those that will go on to set this record.

 

Don't be so sure that the gap is that big!

 

Xav

[RodSwan]

 

 

Don't be so sure that the gap is that big!

 

Xav

 

There's data out there that suggests the gap between Matt and the world's fastest is 2k to 3k. He isn't the fastest guy in the world over an hour on a bike.

[Robabank]

But we have now been told by the UCI that because of a requirement that is not in the rules we cannot make the attempt and neither can 99.999% of cyclists.

I really am surprised if you didn't "know" this already - the statements put out by Cookson about the changes in bike regs did contain this requirement.

Hire a velodrome (christen Derby?), invite allcomers to observe your compliance with UCI regs, and stream it live. Bit too late to start a stream of blood samples.

 

The reality is that under the previous bike rules (post 2000, pre 2014) neither Hutch, Matt or even Obree would have got it anyway. The enemy here is the Lugano charter, not the bio-passport. It's legislation against technological innovation that prevents left field thinking. If you haven't got world class physiology, you're not going to be in the frame anyway.

You mean the UCI branch of cycling as a sport is supposed to be primarily about physical ability rather than dominated by a technological arms race. If you want the latter, HPVA floats your boat. But a lot less people do.

The reality is the current target was set with 70s technology and other than by being first attempt it will merely be an impressive performance not a world record.

[uk gearmuncher]

 

You mean the UCI branch of cycling as a sport is supposed to be primarily about physical ability rather than dominated by a technological arms race. If you want the latter, HPVA floats your boat. But a lot less people do.

 

It's worth noting that some of the most frequent periods of record attempts were when technology was a massive factor. Limit it, yes but to suggest its all about physical ability is just uci rhetoric.

 

I don't agree with this paper but it's an interesting viewpoint of the impact of technology and the record:

 

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10438590000000003

[DrFuentes]

Hi Bob, I may be able to assist: your inbox on here was full, so I'll drop you an email on your sales@ address when I get into the office tomorrow.

[Stevep4]

Why can't the UCI just bring this up to date?

Bike should be UCI legal time trial bike (with Velodrome suitable wheels & tubs). So pretty much affordable and available.

Events such as the hour need to be set up months in advance, so do blood test at 3 month, 1 month, 1 week and immediately after the event. That should identify any dopers.

 

Such simplicity would allow amateurs and pros alike to challenge an event on equal terms. And it does not belittle the "classic" record set on a "replica" bike

[magic man]

 

 

There's data out there that suggests the gap between Matt and the world's fastest is 2k to 3k. He isn't the fastest guy in the world over an hour on a bike.

 

I think Matt is aware of that but just like any race where you can only beat the riders competing or in this case you can only beat the record that's there. Even if it only stood for a short time how nice would it be to say you held it.

 

 

By data are you referring to the bttc? If so I would say that's not really comparable and I'm with xav the gap wouldn't be as large as that would suggest.

[stealth72]

On the flip-side, how does the reliance on the 'passport' do anything other than prove that you are a pro on a registered team. It hasn't stopped dopers (Armstrong, Menchov, Vinokourov, others...) from doping, it just gives them a (self-set) target for a list of blood parameters. It just seems to be a highly evolved way to get back to legal heamocrit percentages.

 

Go for the Masters record, smash it, bombard the media with the how's & why's.

 

Under this current scheme Obree v Boardman for the Hour wouldn't have happened & the 'famously non-doped *ahem* Moser may still hold the record, as the Pro's were not interested in it...