More negatives than positives
Plano Dude
elite men an anachronism?
Regardless of the location, participation is poor by the sport’s
stars. There is no significant prize money awarded. The winner of the
event is generally not regarded as the best road racer in the world,
not even the best one day racer. The same goes for the TT. Before
Cancellara, did anyone really think that Michael Rogers was really the
best TT rider in the world? According to his palmares on Wiki, he’s
never even gotten a top three placing in a TT during a Grand Tour. The
Tour de France is by and large considered the pinnacle of road racing.
The alliances during the worlds race are complex between national
teams, current trade teams, and next year’s trade teams. Tennis and
golf have no official world championship, although the Masters in golf
is about as close as it gets I suppose. But like cycling, both have
their signature events as well as many other events throughout the
year. Again like cycling, participation in events is a combination of
invitation and qualification. Of course golf/tennis are hugely
dissimilar to cycling in terms of how money is earned. Would a season
long point cumulative points structure be a better alternative or as
we’ve seen with the leader of UCI points, it too is not a compelling
goal (it is for salary negotiation with teams as riders’ UCI points
help determine which events a team can enter) for public recognition?
In short, does elite men’s cycling truly need world championship road
events or are have they become something akin to a footnote in
history?
An alternative would be to move the elite men's worlds to the week
before the Tour start when road national championships are
traditionally held for European nations. Those nationals are
meaningless as selection races anyway. The worlds would have to stay
in Europe, but that is a small price to pay to improve the field and
stature of the event. Regardless of elite worlds, the U-23, women's
and Juniors' worlds can still rotate intercontinentally. The UCI
should completely de-affiliate itself from master's worlds.
Anton Berlin
one
UCI worlds needs to be in europe where someone gives a shit.
LawBoy01
Tour jersey bestows on its winner. The rainbow jersey is still an
achievement because it's a title and an honor that riders will fight
like hell to win. Not just that, but it's often a once-a-year
opportunity to watch the best of the nations compete for a win. Plus,
the Worlds always displays the drama and treachery that makes
cycling's "All-Star" teams fun to watch.
If you say that the Worlds sucks because of trade team alliances,
don't forget that in the Grand Tours the alliances of the
nationalities often foil the plans of the GC contenders. Don't
believe me? Just ask Robert Millar about the 1985 Vuelta and the 1987
Giro. We've also seen memorable meltdowns within teams at the
Worlds. Remember Maertens vs. Merckx, Lemond vs. Boyer and the
innumerable failures of the Italians before Ballerini started
selecting teams to include riders who were willing to work for the
designated leader(s).
If you don't like cut throat bullshit, infighting and national pride,
just watch MLB, NFL and NBA games. Leave the fun, excitement and
frustration to the cycling fans.
Besides, would it be as much fun on group rides if you never saw some
fat fred wearing a rainbow jersey every now and then?
DISCLAIMER: I own a 2002 Zolder LS jersey that I've been shamed out of
wearing...bought it because it briefly revived Cipollini's career to
its former heights (and also because I didn't know at the time that I
would look like a jackass on a fast paced group ride as I got dropped
from the front group and eventually rolled to the back before arriving
at the rest stop as everybody else was clipping in to continue onward
after a 10-15 minute break).
Frederick the Great
<b428c70e-d9d1-48e7...@l38g2000pro.googlegroups.com>,
Plano Dude <tx.was...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Tennis and
> golf have no official world championship, although the Masters in golf
> is about as close as it gets I suppose.
The Open and the U.S. Open select best for best golfer.
The Masters seems to rank third. Mostly the golfers are in
cruise control around the Augusta National Golf Club course.
The Open courses and the U.S. Open courses are fraught with peril.
One year the head of the USGA was challenged that he
was trying to embarrass the best golfers in the world.
He said he wants to identify the best golfer in the world.
--
Old Fritz
Anton Berlin
>
> DISCLAIMER: I own a 2002 Zolder LS jersey that I've been shamed out of
> wearing...bought it because it briefly revived Cipollini's career to
> its former heights (and also because I didn't know at the time that I
> would look like a jackass on a fast paced group ride as I got dropped
> from the front group and eventually rolled to the back before arriving
> at the rest stop as everybody else was clipping in to continue onward
> after a 10-15 minute break).
nice to see some honesty in here. personally - i never wore any of
the jerseys i've earned or won. i always like(d) to train in a loose
cotton t-shirt and race in a skinsuit
Plano Dude
http://www.uci.ch/templates/BUILTIN-NOFRAMES/Template3/layout.asp?MenuId=MjExMw&LangId=1
23 out of the top 50 riders on the latest UCI world ranking are not
doing the road race.
And all those epic moments and memorable meltdowns you cited? All more
than 20 years ago and also while Worlds was still being held in August.
Frederick the Great
<dcc8d422-f461-43a5...@a15g2000yqm.googlegroups.com>,
Anton Berlin <truth...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> nice to see some honesty in here.
Yeah. Everybody's been lying in this here chatroom.
--
Old Fritz
LawBoy01
>
> 23 out of the top 50 riders on the latest UCI world ranking are not
> doing the road race.
>
> And all those epic moments and memorable meltdowns you cited? All more
>
> - Show quoted
So pretend the Worlds are like straight porn, and don't watch it.
LawBoy01
>
> 23 out of the top 50 riders on the latest UCI world ranking are not
> doing the road race.
>
> And all those epic moments and memorable meltdowns you cited? All more
>
On a serious note, your argument is on both sides of the fence, and
both against the worlds. Don't get me wrong, you have a point. I
like the Prestige Pernod cup (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Super_Prestige_Pernod_International) when the pros were well rounded.
But things change. P.S. Friction shifters suck.