By Stephen Farrand
Verona - Hein Verbruggen, the head of the International Cycling Union (UCI), has reaffirmed that the sport's revolutionary Pro Tour will begin in 2005 as planned.
"The Pro Tour will start with or without the Tour de France but I hope the organisers of the Tour will be part of it," Verbruggen said at a media conference after Saturday's women's world championship road race event.
The Pro Tour aims to create an exclusive elite group of teams to give the best media exposure to their sponsors in a 30-race calendar.
Verbruggen said: "We've already got 17 teams and major sponsors signed up for the Pro Tour and we've agreed to accept three more.
"We've talked to many race organisers and they're becoming more and more enthusiastic about the Pro Tour.
"We're at a point of no return and the Pro Tour will start on January 1. If someone wants to undermine this project because of semantic reasons they're taking on a very big responsibility."
Organisers of the Tour de France, Tour of Italy and Tour of Spain - the three major race organisers in the sport - have threatened not to take part unless several key rules are modified.
They are worried that their powers as historic race organisers could be undermined and that they may eventually lose their grip on lucrative TV rights.
Verbruggen said: "The major Tours and the race organisers have never said they're against the Pro Tour but apparently have five points or worries that I'm happy to answer.
"My office will be open from six in the morning on Monday ready to discuss the Pro Tour with them and it'll never be closed."