End in sight for cycling dispute

Carlos Sastre won this year's Tour de France

World cycling chief Pat McQuaid has unveiled a new international cycling calendar and says the feud that has split the sport will soon be resolved.

The International Cycling Union (UCI) set up the ProTour but organisers of major races such as the Tour de France chose to opt out of it.

The new calendar sees these events return to the UCI fold.

"We've agreed the basics. I hope that can lead to further discussions in the coming weeks," said McQuaid.

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The ProTour was set up as an elite competition to encourage riders to compete all year, but it was opposed by the Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO), who own the rights to the Tour de France and other top events.

The ASO snubbed McQuaid by not inviting him to this year's Tour de France, but the International Olympic Committee has helped the two sides end their dispute.

"After discussions in recent weeks with the Amaury Group, and thanks to the intervention of the IOC and a mediator in the shape of Jean-Claude Killy, we are announcing a new initiative for professional cycling for the coming years," said McQuaid.

Contracts have yet to be signed but McQuaid said informal talks with sponsors, teams and other race organisers who had opted out of the ProTour had left him feeling "very positive".

"I've spoken to the organisers of the Giro d'Italia and the Tour of Spain about the new developments and the response from all the different parties has been very positive," added McQuaid.

"We are looking at the creation of a UCI world calendar as of 2009 which would include the races on the 'historic' calendar and the ProTour.

"It would be accompanied by a rankings system for individual riders, teams and nations. Then, from 2011 onwards the rankings system would be used as criteria for qualification to the Tour de France."