Really, UCI? Are you serious?

CyclingNews reports that five ProTour teams may not be allowed to start Paris Nice unless they plop 60k Euro into the biological passport coffers by the end of business today. Granted, these teams should have paid up a long time ago, but it still sounds a bit mafioso. I’m picturing Patrick Lefevere walking into the back of some smoky French cafe and dropping a briefcase full of money onto Pat McQuaid’s table. McQuaid counts the money, nods, says, “Thank you, Patrick”, and hands over the teams’ bibs numbers.