New UCI Pres.  Cookson out.

I have mixed feelings re: Cookson's term as pres.  A huge change from the previous, a real step up for women in presence but less in races.  Big changes improving and cleaning up doping.  Motors?  A lot of work to do there and I hope the new pres gets that right.  (I still like my thought that there should be a techno-geek brought in to run the show.  Some ne who is smart and can find the passion to outsmart the "bad guys".  Get heat guns into the mix.

Cookson got the globalization rolling big time.  Good?   Bad?  Cycling is a lot bigger.  It is now also in bed with Middle East dictators, the Chinese and other not always savory partners.   I'd like to see ethics being a bigger part of UCI and using that leverage to force some of these governments to be a little more transparent if they want into the game.

And I would like to see more effort at the grassroots level.  Foster more amateur racng and organizations, make it less about them and us.  (Here in Oregon, we have a great organization that keeps itself apart from the National level and by extension, the UCI to keep its ideals intact.  It costs us and the rest of North American racers in lack of access to races.  But it brings in families, kids, and great racing at its most fun.  Can't we/they do better to make this a model for elsewhere?)  Good thing is that France, the country of the new pres, seems to have things going at the lower levels judging my the new talent emerging.

Safety for racers - still a lot to be done.

I'll stay tuned to see what this new pres can bring.  I feel he has some passion for this and I have hope.

Ben