Now Armstrong Buys ASO?

[rustychisel]

More seriously, cycling as a sport has a lot of its image set by what the pros do, not by a local race. But Armstrong can buy the entire pro tour for all I care, I'll still smile when descending fast, my sweat will burn in the eyes like normal on a hot day and cycling will always be as hard.

It'll just mean I go off pro cycling a bit more and maybe some friends who make a living from cycling will slide a notch or two further towards show business than pure sport.

+1

Best - most succinct - post I've read on the subject. Thanks.

[los318]

I agree with Pez. I've only been into cyling for about 3yrs now and the way its run is just sad. To many fights, petty arguing and blaming going on. I dont think there is a thing in the world that would make me not love cycling but it's just a sad thing when organizers and the ruling party fight and fight and fight.

I'd put doping on that list but that happens in every sport and other sports are doing just fine in the way they are run.

[Sprinter]

I disagree with Pez and the above writer. I've been in cycling 31 years and while I agree that infighting within the cycling bodies at an internaltional level has worsened (a natural state of affairs when you have progressives vs conservatives) Lance would make things far worse.

To suggest that all French are racists who don't want to see an American own the Tour is ridiculous. People who don't want to see Lance running the Tour would be equally aghast if it was Trek launching a bid, Ullrich launching a bid, Oakley launching a bid, Basso launching a bid or Chris Carmichael launching a bid. There are simply people and companies who have quite different views of how cycling ought to be run. Sure they might crush dissent, but at what cost?

I suggest people read this before replying

http://boulderreport.bicycling.com/2008 ... ong-b.html

[CharlesM]

Why do you think you disagree with me (maybe you disagree with someone who agrees with me but...)



I didn't say I was for Lance and I am dead against Hein.

But I am for a more professional organization than what cycling has had for the last several years...



And I didn't say the French are racist, nor did I imply it in any way.

In fact I have a problem with the the whole overly sensitive, overly nationalist mentality... It has no place in honest sport (though the French should have some influence in their home race...).


AND I have read the http://boulderreport.bicycling.com/2008/09/now-armstrong-b.html

To think that two corrupted and poorly run bodies fighting each other are equal to a reasonable check and ballance system, or that teams have been anything more than simple pawns up until now is, to me, so completely stupid as to be dismissed out of hand.

I don't think Lance is a solution, but I think a professional organization including any number of people is worth looking at versus what's been done so far.

To blindly reject the possibility of a better system before the details are in place seems a pretty good example of the ignorance that has taken Cycling to where it is now...

[Danton]

As a Frenchman, I didn't think Pez said anything nationalist.

But remember, the Tour de France is a national icon in France, part of the culture and many people's childhoods. You would not move the world series baseball to Dubai just because they offered more money, you could not move Manchester United to Beijing.

Beyond any other sporting event, the Tour is not held in a stadium but in people's villages, the road they drive to the shops or past the place where they spent last year's holiday. Not to say I want nationalism, just that the Tour is French and I see it unlikely as a some product of a globalised entertainment industry.

[rustychain]

As a Frenchman, I didn't think Pez said anything nationalist.

But remember, the Tour de France is a national icon in France, part of the culture and many people's childhoods. You would not move the world series baseball to Dubai just because they offered more money, you could not move Manchester United to Beijing.

Beyond any other sporting event, the Tour is not held in a stadium but in people's villages, the road they drive to the shops or past the place where they spent last year's holiday. Not to say I want nationalism, just that the Tour is French and I see it unlikely as a some product of a globalised entertainment industry.

Guess you don't know us Americans to well. We would sell anything. It used to be we would buy anything. Not so much anymore. How much would you pay for the baseball world series? Will you pay in Eros?

In this current climate I think Lance would have a hard time buying any significant portion of the TDF. Being a minor stock holder would not change the TDF IMO

[Leviathan]

Not to say I want nationalism, just that the Tour is French.....................

Doesnt that require a French rider to be um, any good at it?
Otherwise its like saying "Football is British, after all we invented it"...

[Danton]

Not so much. Foreign riders have long been very good, the point is to have competitive riders during a stage, remember it is a daily story, the yellow jersey is just one plot. Of course each nation wants its riders to do well but it's not essential.

Someone like Sylvain Chavanel probably earns more than Davide Rebellin or Oscar Pereiro, despite having less results but he gets hours of TV coverage in July, he's a bargain for his sponsors.

[zebragonzo]

People who don't want to see Lance running the Tour would be equally aghast if it was Trek launching a bid, Ullrich launching a bid

I don't know, I think that the tour would be quite cool with the Kaiser running the show!

[scott97]

People who don't want to see Lance running the Tour would be equally aghast if it was Trek launching a bid, Ullrich launching a bid

I don't know, I think that the tour would be quite cool with the Kaiser running the show!

Cocaine and donuts for eveyone!

[DocRay]

You are wearing your naive hat again.

Gary Player, 2007

"I know that there are golfers (taking performance-enhancing drugs), whether it's HGH (human growth hormone), whether it's creatine, or whether it's steroids, I know for a fact that some golfers are doing it,"

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnis ... ayer_N.htm

Actually, according to WADA, as a percent tested postive, golf is much worse than cycling, but in the golfer's defense, most drugs taken are to just stay awake during their "sport".

Nike's new performance cigarette in development by John Daly:

[marko]

All this Lance stuff might cast dark clouds over cycling