"PRO" Cycling Discussion

[FeitoSpain]

We'll see in July. Looking at the stages, I don't expect nothing until the last week.

[shoopdawoop]

Hey Liggero, I don't see you contending the high mountain stages; so why don't you lay off or at least show some respect! I thought this was a great race, lots of attacks and some spectacular sprints. That's the best part of the grand tours, there are many different races going on at once. Though the pink might have been dominated the other jerseys were very exciting!

[tymon_tm]

yup, Liggero, let's wait for the Tour where natural talent meets dedication and hard work, while the peloton rolls through endless plateaus. and this year's gonna be Alberto Clenbutador vs. the grand royal SKY duo. that sure makes for a first rate bicycle race

[Willier]

The Giro is NEVER boring!

[elviento]

A bit off topic, what worries me is the fact that sponsors are fleeing the sport, with bike manufacturers having to back up teams, like cannondale, bmc, merida, trek, maybe giant next. Meantime chinarellos will keep chipping away their market. You guys will ultimately pay for this. Imagine cycling becoming a thing among a bunch of bike nerds ONLY. I know ppl would like to think manufacturer s are filthy rich. Fact is, they are not. Cycling needs attention and revenue from crowds other than hardcore cyclists to thrive.

[xnavalav8r]

Maybe the grand tours should go back to national teams contesting the races on identical equipment... few sponsors needed.

[de zwarten]

Less money in cycling = less expensive doping used as there will be less at stake.
So I applaud big sponsors leaving cycling: they take out more than they put in, and they do not understand the sport. Just look at Rabobank: fully aware of doping in their pro team, but once it is in the news, they behave like Ostriches putting their heads in the sand. (or look at football, where guys move from one team to another for more than 50 million euros, which is about the budget of 5 to 10 pro teams a year, including staff!).

Without the big sponsors, cycling will go where I want it to be: less money, less expensive doping, more sport, more authentic stories.

[elviento]

Pro team staff like mechanics are already paid peanuts, plus arguably less money forces people to go to extremes.

[Kjetil]

Liggero, you've got it the wrong way round. Ghe giro is exciting, the Tour not so much.

[wingguy]

Don't worry, once Le Tour rolls around Liggero will remember that he hates that too

[fa63]

Met a couple pros today at the US Pro Cycling National Championship in Chattanooga:

[ave]

>A bit off topic, what worries me is the fact that sponsors are fleeing the sport...
Yet we always hear how good ROI sponsoring cycling gives. I never really believed it.
There a number of sugardaddy/government supported teams.
Also a some of the commercial sponsors are led/owned by cycling fans. (Omega Pharma, Lampre, Vini Fantini, must be others)

[mentok]

must be others

OGE is partially funded by Gerry Ryan (owner of Jayco Caravans) who is a big fan - that can be viewed as either a sugar-daddy or a corporate-fan type arrangement...

[Ghost234]

There was nothing really outstanding about Nibali's Giro victory if you think about it.

Wiggins, Hesjedal pulled out.Uran lost significant time in the first week waiting for Wiggins, he essentially started 1:30 behind.
Evans only had 6 weeks of preparation for the Giro, and even still did not make this his big goal for 2013 (never peaked). Not to mention age, his searching for his old form, his bad day in the uphill TT and final mountain stage (mechanical).

In the end, Nibali simply rode intelligently and was consistent. He never had a mechanical. The only real standout performance was the TT, but he has always done well in uphill TT's, and he has been working on his time trialing this last winter.

[MarkGiardini]

Very rarely is it the "outstanding" ride that guarantees the victory.
Strength, form, consistency, adaptability - all those things are what Nibali had for the entire three weeks, and a bit of luck, there's always luck, but you tend to make your own.
I think you summed it up in the last sentence there pretty much spot on!