2015 'PRO' cycling discussion

[xnavalav8r]

Oleg Tinkoff reminds me of Michael Ball from Rock Racing... bigger budget though.

[ico]

What a stupid idea to broadcast only the final of stages.

Umm, it's been like that for years already? Haven't seen a full stage in a long time, only the final 1.5 hrs.

Well, I think we had a chance to watch queens stages of TDF on Eurosport for example. Also this year Tour of Flanders is scheduled to be on air from 12,30 so maybe a good 4 hours.
One big exception are stages of Vuelta Espana, where last few years, we often catch only last 20-30km.

[tymon_tm]

This is how the chain should look ideally:
- income (from television and participation in races) for teams
- race organisers receive MORE from TV channels
- TV channels get more viewers and more demand
- races are an interesting show - this is entertainment
- a cycling star academy should be created and we should work on increasing viewing figures (see experience of Formula 1)
- ALL!!! stars should participate in these races (here we should look to the experience of Tennis)

he has a point but from 'stars' perspective it doesn't make sense to participate in certain races. looking at tennis, no one really expected Pete Sampras to win Rolland Garros, or Thomas Muster to take the Flushing Meadows by storm - even though tennis isn't as 'specialized' as cycling is. the WT partially does what Tinkoff postulates, ensuring all the teams participate in a series of races throughout the season. as for entertainment, I'm not sure what he means - cycling with it's variety of races/stages attracts more people, who seek different emotions. some love mountain stages, some love crits. it's impossible to combine different features into one race - what would we get? a cobbled crit with mountaintop finish at the end?

Of course, you could look at this funnel from the bottom up. People obviously need to watch the races rather than sleeping during siesta time in Continental Europe:-).

AFAIK people watch races during siesta...

We need to find a way to get them interested during long and boring stages. We probably need to make them shorter or start to show them later, when there is a final battle.

not necessarily - just look at MSR. we couldn't watch the whole ~300km of action, but those 200-250 we didn't see contributed greatly to the outcome most of us found helluva entertaining. IMO it works pretty well - let's consider the first half of a race is sort of a warm-up, and show the piece where decisive stuff happens. if it's not convincing enough, try to recall how many races/stages are won in 'first half'? it rarely happens

We need to make races more interesting and think-up new ones. As an idea: GP Monaco on Saturday before the motor racing, and sell seats in rows that are already set up. But it is important that the best sprinters come for this kind of event - the best mountain racers should go to all the grand tours. That is why I proposed the 'Three Grand Tour Challenge' which provoked such a heated discussion - which made me very happy! If you want to have a real show, you need to have the very best competing against the very best. We definitely need to reduce the number of races - noone is interested in these provincial races that get no TV coverage. Here I am talking about World Tour teams - I think that teams with lower status can participate in those more local events and so they do have a place in the sport.

a series of crits that take place in some scenic/prominent/popular locations is actually a good idea. cities may act as sponsors, local business could be involved as well. that could work, just like with the famous NY or London marathons. but linking it to other disciplines is a mistake, because it would make cycling an apperitiff, while it needs to be promoted as the main dish. and as a second-tier entertainment, it wouldn't earn much profit either, which is kinda the point here

But of course if cycling itself doesn't change as I wrote above, then it will be that more difficult. And everything will stay the same as it is now - each man for himself fighting to save his own skin. I call out to all teams to unite to establish new rules of the game, to influence the UCI and race organisers. I realize that this is difficult task, and there needs to be more team-owners rather than former sportsmen who managed to find sponsors and survive, earning their million-a-year.

I believe in my favorite sport and I believe in the dialectic of life too....

well, mr Oleg, start changing the sport by changing your own team. instead of elaborating, call other managers or tv people and work it out - have you actually tried that? you won't accomplish anything through media releases, no matter how splendid they are...

[djm]

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/04/ ... ake_365127

[spdntrxi]

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/04/news/campagnolo-ceo-we-will-never-make-a-disc-brake_365127

they are full of them on this special day

[Calnago]

Ha! If only it weren't April Fools day, I'd be jumping up and down yelling "yes yes yes... Finally, a better corkscrew is in the works!"

[spdntrxi]

wahoo fitness has the best one if you are on their email list

[wingguy]

Which begs the question, what is the equity value in ANY cycling team except for the book value of it's assets... The success of a cycling team is very much a function of it's staff, both riders and support, and unless they have lock in periods in their contracts they can go elsewhere very quickly.

In place sponsorship contracts has to be a massive plus vs starting fresh. And even if those contracts are due to leave it must be a lot easier to attract new money to a proven organisation. OTOH Highroad going bust shows that no amount of success brings any financial guarantees, but that was in the darkest days of the pre-Lance confession catharsis, and pre-Cookson 'new broom' at the UCI.

[seanblurr]

Looks like Cav put on a DA crank again.

[Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez]

Looks great

[ALS]

I posted a pic a few pages back on Cav's bike but everyone seemed more interested in his 'physique!

[Willier]

This Paolini kit I was talking about few pages back...

[Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez]

Is it a OW or a Gabba

[MattSoutherden]

Love it* that the Sky team are all starting to look like the hipsters in the Rapha promos.

Can't wait to see them turn up at Flanders with suicide bars and mismatched tri-spokes.

* don't love it.

[IchDien]

Picks for RVV? Sagan something to prove?