2015 'PRO' cycling discussion

[H0RSE]

It's not simply a question of terrain. Flat races or what, you won't find the Alps or Pyrennes elsewhere in Europe other than their respective places. Even then there are very few picked from the Belgie race scene whch is fiercely competitve.

There was a recent topic here if Cycling is a Fashion Show. You damn right it is. Not only to add to that, riders picked is very much a game of chance, being in the right place at the right time. Forget talent for one second. Plenty of people have that.

Once you sign up, the challenge is keeping up with the schedule of racing, which tapers upwards in "hecticness" through the season. Living up to some predefined prescriptions and putting up a show all the time. Do you want all that? This is all a world away from a quiet Sunday bicycle ride meandering through rolling hills and valleys of the country side, in 20C sunshine.

[Tinea Pedis]

The criticisms of British Cycling are fair. Similar could be levelled at Cycling Australia.

Only none of it explains the situation with House. He races on the continent and has beaten known talent on more than one occasion.

[petal666]

Maybe he doesn't want to race ProTour, for whatever reason.

[KWalker]

Or he simply isn't as good as people are saying. Like Phil Gaimon in the U.S.

[boysa]

Good point about Gaimon. Going into this year's ToC, I had him as a pick for the overall. Holy cow was I wrong.

[ico]

I think one of the problems with coming through from the UK scene is the lack of an obvious route. There are no domestic Pro-Conti teams and SKY just haven't been interested in developing home talent that much.

that hasn't stopped eastern guys, like Sagan (Slovak road cycling... please), Kwiatkowski and Majka (Poland has one decent team - CCC - and they weren't on it), Kreuziger (like many eastern cyclists 'grew up' in Italian teams) or Taaramae..

Could you please elaborate this? "Slovak road cycling...please" If you are suggesting that cycling scene in these countries is somehow undeveloped, then please first google history of cycling in former Czechoslovakia and or in Czech and Slovak republic, not to mention Poland.

[Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez]

Or he simply isn't as good as people are saying. Like Phil Gaimon in the U.S.

In semi-pro level he was able to target a selection of races per year, it's not the same as being on the rivet 9 months in World-Tour just to keep up with gregario duties.

[ave]

History is one thing. Even Hungary have a nice cycling history, we even had a world championships held in 1928 in Budapest.
Today there is maybe three real races all year, only one conti team (Utensilnord), which is half italian anyway and hardly functioning well. If only we had a Sagan or a Kwiatkowski.

[micky]

Just new paintjob for MTN?

[maquisard]

Farrar's hair... discuss

[DanW]

It is getting dangerously close to becoming a "skullet"... give it a few years

[tymon_tm]

I think one of the problems with coming through from the UK scene is the lack of an obvious route. There are no domestic Pro-Conti teams and SKY just haven't been interested in developing home talent that much.

that hasn't stopped eastern guys, like Sagan (Slovak road cycling... please), Kwiatkowski and Majka (Poland has one decent team - CCC - and they weren't on it), Kreuziger (like many eastern cyclists 'grew up' in Italian teams) or Taaramae..

Could you please elaborate this? "Slovak road cycling...please" If you are suggesting that cycling scene in these countries is somehow undeveloped, then please first google history of cycling in former Czechoslovakia and or in Czech and Slovak republic, not to mention Poland.

well, isn't it? yes, there are traditions, but tradition doesn't win races, train athletes, pay bills (not to mention paying wages), attract sponsors, etc. of course, there are few good races, even better amateur events (like the race around the Tatras), lots of people riding and stuff, but apart from the few individuals who made a break through there's nothing really. bunch of low cat teams competing in races no one cares about, because national or local tv don't broadcast them. cyclingnews doesn't even write sum-ups of national championships. those who made it, had to go west early on, because a) there's no chance to develop riding those $hitty races without a quality competition, and b) the local clubs, hardly any have means to sponsor their athletes any gear, most of them are run by one person who is a coach, a trainer, a manager, a doc, and often a mechanic - all in one.

I've been there, seen that. I've trained with Polish U23 and experienced the mediocrity myself. AFAIK it was one of THE reasons why I didn't push it to become a pro - on a camp I went once I felt like a beggar on railway station rather than an athlete. pal of mine who signed with a pretty succesfull back then Author DHL team got.. a team bike! he didn't have to ride his own! yuppy!

after 10-15 years, nothing's really THAT much different. people are getting richer on their own, they can afford good quality gear no problem - in this regard we've met the western countries. but the majority of clubs are still shitty, the cycling scene's underfinanced and underregarded, the fat guys who run things in sport didn't change, and the potential sponsors' only interest in sport lays in football - same case with TV. yes, there are good things happening - like Kwiatkowski's talent academy. CCC (the company) sky rockets and we might expect them to hit PT level very soon. there's a ton of amateur roadies all over the roads, lots of young talents.. but it all happens by itself, there's no masterplan behind it, no strategy, no organized effort to boost cycling.

so, when someone says UK cycling has issues..

[H0RSE]

Or he simply isn't as good as people are saying. Like Phil Gaimon in the U.S.

KH is a British man with an American accent. He is considered one of the good guys. Both in terms of moral stature as well as on the bicycle. Him along with AD [Dowsett] belong that class of people known as 'goodboys.'

No, seriously!

Although there is identical rhyming of the names, I don't know if he's a Christian but it doesn't really matter does it? Goodness speaks for itself to those willing to look.

[wingguy]

Only none of it explains the situation with House. He races on the continent and has beaten known talent on more than one occasion.

Maybe he discovered his motivation and consistency too late to get a second chance in Europe. Maybe (given when he was racing on the continent) he was unwilling to get involved with certain chemical enhancements that would have helped him fit into a pro-conti or wt level team. Maybe he just didn't want the pressure.

Pro sport careers are brief, and almost everybody loses!

[nathanong87]

im not saying this is the case at all, but maybe house has things sorted well enough to not have to 'live on 10$ a day' and would rather be the leader on JLT than to be a peasant on a world tour team, for his own racing sake (not saying he's a bad rider, just saying he'd most likely not be a leader on WT team)

ebh lookin' lean


also good style.