Has Victor Hugo Ramírez been taking a internet course in Beginning McQuaid?
Yesterday in the wacky Tour of Uruguay, the weather was shit-awful and 66 of the 96 riders decided to protest conditions by refusing to ride.
So race director Ramírez went postal and disqualified them, two thirds of the entire peloton with four stages still to race.
Holy mackerel. A full on South American death squad DQ. Love the managed google translation: the stage six was only “partially fulfilled.”
That loco decision-making was backed up by some rhetoric and bombast that could only have come from a man schooled in the ways of UCI president King George Patrick McQuaid.
As evidence, we reprint a few quotes from Ramírez. You tell us he didn’t get an A+ in UCI conflict exacerbation.
“The tour will continue for those who raced today and were given official results,” said Ramírez.
“There will be no reverse in the decision to disqualify the riders, nor to suspend the stage.”
We suspect that Ramirez has already received a congratulatory note from the UCI overlord himself and an invitation to help quash the anti radio ban revolution. These are two guys that want the Moral High Ground.
Maybe he’ll bring some Uruguayan mercenaries who will kill Jonathan Vaughters on sight. Things are crazy down in Uruguay but really, not as bizarre as events at UCI headquarters.
By the way, according to the race website, “The National Army is active in logistics units providing their housing and feeding of athletes. This will be overseen by chefs of the organization with a list of default menus for each phase.”
The army gives the race that Latin American vibe and what stage racer doesn’t want the army cooking up his pasta? Ride faster or we open fire with the machine guns.
The Vuelta Ciclista del Uruguay sounds like Pat McQuaid’s kinda race. Vamos, overlord.
Wow, indeed there are some links here. Sounded like a blast from the past, this is conditions riders would have trained in DDR in the seventies…Old Pat's new pet is arising, from South-America?! Would have expected some DS or Team owner from Russia back Old Pat, but I guess in these times you take what you get…
Well, the only two teams that didn't walk out on McQuaid at the latest UCI meeting were Katusha and Astana. I think they like that old Soviet bang the shoe on the table style of management. Matt