In Reply To:
1) Traditions? You mean like how they moved the Vuelta from June to September some years ago? Exactly. As well as moving the WC's so that many of the best riders no longer want to go. Allowing race radios so that the directeurs can dictate the race through their TV feeds, rather than the riders / teams with the best tactical sense. restricting innovations in equipment. Implementing the ProTour in and of itself was another one of their bonehead moves, in that it has hurt those races that are not on it but used to attract top level teams.
This reminds me of a discussion on a hockey forum about the tighter fitting uniforms they will be wearing in the NHL. The guy against them, who started a petition, screamed about tradition and then disappeared when I showed him that tradition has been long gone. If you want total tradition then you are about 20 or 30 years too late and if you want real tradition then you are about 80 years too late.
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Proud Founder of the Jamis Mafia- Daring to be different.