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Thursday 5 May 2011

UCI unveils 'No Needle Policy" - bottle openers next?

Hot on the heels of ludicrous rulings (for example the silly 'aero shoes' ruling), and the not so silly ruling (for example the race radio propsals which have so enraged the pro teams), the UCI have now announced a very sensible 'No Needle Policy' ahead of the upcoming Giro d'Italia (UCI unveils No Needle Policy | road.cc).
While Team Grumpy clearly applauds this move to limit the likelihood of illicit drug abuse in the pro peleton, it does raise questions as to where the policy will lead.  Team Grumpy only competes in one UCI controlled event on a regular basis (the Duo Normand), though occasionally (and when not organising it) 'Grumpy' Art Vanderlay rides in the BTTC time trial championsip, so these regulations don't often impact on the team's activities.
The team does however, maintain an enthusiastic, if non-commercial association with the products of the Leffe Abbey brewery: the official energy drink of the team being Leffe, which Grumpy Bob and 'Grumpy' Art consume whenever possible (though, it has to be said, not so copiously as they advance in years).  Team Grumpy are concerned that the UCI's continued efforts to protect riders' health and well-being might in future extend to banning crown cap bottle openers. Of course even with the banning of such bottle openers, the Team Grumpy manager is confident that her riders will still be able continue to consume energy drink, since the large bottles in fact have champagne-style cork closures.

1 comment:

Art Vanderlay said...

If all else fails, we can always try stabbing a hole in the bottle tops with the pointy toe bit of the team issue foot fairings - er, I mean Bont crono shoes. Let's face it, there's not much else we can do with them (although I am reliably informed that they look good with a pixie outfit).

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