McQuaid admitted that the Pro - Tour is dead and talked about a new start.
"The ProTour system as it is today is completely bombed," McQuaid said. "We'd start on a new system with the teams, organisers
and cyclists who wish to respect the regulations of the UCI," the UCI president said. McQuaid added: "What is at stake is
the authority and the autonomy of the UCI."
Giro d'Italia organiser RCS, which also organises Milano - San Remo and other important Italian races, are also involved
int the conflict with the UCI.
Giro director Angelo Zomegnan said: "I understand the ASO position because we are in the last period of a long match between
the UCI and organisers."
Zomegnan added: "We can't accept the abuse from the UCI anymore. It is not my goal to know if Pat McQuaid is unhappy with
us. We are unhappy with him. The teams and riders are against McQuaid."
In a press release today, the UCI announced that the governing body opened disciplinary proceedings against the French
Cycling Federation (FFC), its president Jean Pitallier and Eric Boyer.
The UCI said: "The International Cycling Union (UCI) decided today to initiate disciplinary proceedings against the French
Cycling Federation (FFC) and its President, Mr Jean Pitallier, on the grounds that they colluded in effecting the withdrawal
of Paris-Nice from the regulatory framework of the UCI, when there was no reason why the race should not have been held under
the aegis of the UCI as an event on the international calendar. By so doing, the FFC and Mr J. Pitallier betrayed their obligations
of loyalty towards the UCI and the entire cycling community."
The UCI continued by saying: "Further to the comments recently made about the UCI ProTour by Mr Eric Boyer, President of
the International Association of Professional Cycling Groups (AIGCP), the UCI wrote today to Mr Boyer asking for his resignation
from the UCI ProTour Council."
The UCI concluded by saying: "The UCI has also decided to open disciplinary proceedings against Mr Boyer. The grounds for
the complaint are that he encouraged members of the AIGCP to contravene the UCI rules by asking them to take part in Paris-Nice
when the event is not on the UCI calendar, which means that member teams of the AIGCP are not entitled to take part in the
race."
Meanwhile the teams decided at a meeting this afternoon that they will start on Sunday. Fiftheen teams voted to start at
this years Paris - Nice , eight teams decided to abstain from voring.
