Today, July 11, 2001, the ABA published a letter on their website stating that the UCI will not take punitive action against riders who compete in the ABA Worlds. Not a minute too soon - and, for many, perhaps too late, and purposely so. The UCI's (and by partnership, the NBL's) actions were a disgrace to the sport and a further proof that American bicycle motocross racing needs a severe overhaul.
How odd that this letter arrives to the ABA on the Monday after South Park... and that the NBL permitted the rumor mill to continue to operate over that race weekend. The minute the UCI decided not to take action against us, the riders, the NBL should have widely publicized that decision. Instead, rumors flew all weekend that riders who chose to race the ABA Worlds would be fined, harrassed, and/or denied entry to the NBL Worlds - and racers from all over the globe changed their plans in response to this blatant intimidatory tactic.
Imagine for a moment that you are racing in another country. Let's say that you don't speak the language that well, and that as a tourist you do not have easy access to the Internet. Where are you likely to get your information about future races - off the Web, or at the track? There is only one weekend between now and the ABA Worlds - so most riders have already made their plans, and made them based on a UCI move so heavy-handed and, dare I say it, un-American, that the UCI didn't even bother attempting to defend it in court, choosing instead to wait as long as possible before backing down.
What if the ABA were to employ the same tactic in a month, stating that any rider who competed in the NBL Grands would be banned from and/or fined at the ABA Grands? Many Pros would probably skip Louisville to focus on the more prestigious ABA title, along with the heavier infusion of cash and sponsorship money the west coast sanction offers. Other riders would be forced to make a choice between sanctions. It would be a nightmare...
...but what if the ABA "changed its mind" the weekend before the NBL Grands? It would be too late for many riders and their families to book flights, get hotel rooms, and make other travel plans. Most of the damage would be done, regardless of what the ABA actually did or did not do to NBL Grands-attending riders. That's what has happened here. At virtually no cost, and without having to defend their actions in court, the UCI and NBL have managed to steal riders from the ABA Worlds and bully them into riding Evansville - and it might all be legal!
As an ABA and NBL member, I don't want the sanctioning bodies suing each other for my money - but I have to think that, legally speaking, the UCI's recent actions are the equivalent of walking into a theater, yelling "FIRE!", and then whispering "I was only kidding" as hundreds of people crush each other trying to run out the front door.
The sad part is that anyone with an IQ above room temperature can tell you what BMX needs to prevent another 1989-style collapse:
In the meantime, the UCI can rest easy, knowing that it has helped to deal another crippling blow to BMX in this country. After all, the UCI doesn't need BMX, and the wealthy "founders" of our sport don't really need BMX. BMX - who needs it? I do. What about you?