Tour de France 2018

[Shebeen]

The Surf-ski paddlers did so for a while, and had a World Series where they controlled their own destiny, and where the management was done by the surfski racers involved in the sport in a daily basis. Then it became bigger and the ICF noticed this. Eventually they took control of the sport and forced all surf-ski paddlers to become members of clubs under control of regional and national Canoe clubs and federations, all falling under the rules and regulations of the ICF.

 

Needless to say, people got upset about being forced to be part of clubs and having to pay fees and all sundries, and the participation numbers decreased, and with it, sponsorships.

 

These days it is almost impossible to make a professional career out of being a surfski paddler, not that it was ever better as K1/K2 paddler.

 

Club participation in road cycling is already thin, and I am afraid, MTBing seems to be following suite. As soon as too much control and regulation is brought into a fun sport, the fun goes away, and with it, the numbers of people participating in the sport in official races etc.

uhm ja. I'm not so sure about surfski being a viable comparison.

It doesn't really make much sense as a viable professional tour. The market for skis is not huge, so manufacturers can only do so much.

 

There is one big race, the molokai but i don't think that even has any sort of tv coverage.

When it was a big world series, it was backed by oil dollars from the gulf. We even ended up getting our biggest multi day race (PE to EL) getting an arabic name. I think the novelty wore off for the sheikhs and there was zero sustainability behind it.

 

I don't really know much about the ICF meddling, and the detriment it could have had, but the underlying issue is that the sport is not big enough for a professional world tour.

[Squier]

Put this in your pipe and smoke it

 

http://www.irishpeloton.com/2018/08/team-sky-biggest-problem/

 

100% spot on.

[Shebeen]

Not sure if this has been shared before, but this does put things into perspective for those of us who were overly critical on the sprinters who didn't make the cutoff during the climbing stages of the Tour.

 

There was talk of the day in the alps were kittel and cav just made the time cut. they would have won the E'tape race on the same route by 11minutes.

 

[Patchelicious]

100% spot on.

What about that article do you agree with specifically? I asked Dale, still hasn’t answered.

 

It’s easy to agree with articles, not so easy to put your own opinion on the line

[Shebeen]

Put this in your pipe and smoke it

 

http://www.irishpeloton.com/2018/08/team-sky-biggest-problem/

"davesplaining" ha ha ha

['Dale]

What about that article do you agree with specifically? I asked Dale, still hasn’t answered.

 

It’s easy to agree with articles, not so easy to put your own opinion on the line

 

Patchelicious, we had a debate about how I view leadership and how Brailsford can do better.

Especially as the head of a leading team that is under the cloud of many allegations.

 

Leaders determine culture. In other words, how things are done.

The racers do not set culture. They are immersed in it.

I like the author stating how cool Froome and Gee is and that is noted.

 

Culture is what is felt and experienced by the public.

For example, look at the culture of EFF-Drapac. And the public's response.

[Patchelicious]

Patchelicious, we had a debate about how I view leadership and how Brailsford can do better.

Especially as the head of a leading team that is under the cloud of many allegations.

 

Leaders determine culture. In other words, how things are done.

The racers do not set culture. They are immersed in it.

I like the author stating how cool Froome and Gee is and that is noted.

 

Culture is what is felt and experienced by the public.

For example, look at the culture of EFF-Drapac. And the public's response.

So Froome earned your label as a Skybot because of Dave’s actions?

['Dale]

So Froome earned your label as a Skybot because of Dave’s actions?

 

Skybot is a comical reference to me for how systematically the team races.

Just watch that train.

Nothing more.

What does it mean to you?

['Dale]

Meanwhile, this talent is wining road races

Now contracted with WorldTour.

Lots of good things coming.

 

[Patchelicious]

Skybot is a comical reference to me for how systematically the team races.

Just watch that train.

Nothing more.

What does it mean to you?

I see their methodical and systematic approach to achieving their goals as something to be admired. Others here seem to see it as negative because it does not provide them with a satisfactory level of entertainment.

[Dirt Tracker]

I see their methodical and systematic approach to achieving their goals as something to be admired. Others here seem to see it as negative because it does not provide them with a satisfactory levels of entertainment.

 

The 'entertainment' Q is always a sticky one. The massive mountain stages that were supposed to be super entertaining in this years tour culled the sprinters as it was predicted when the route was announced. It also meant the finale in Paris was also less entertaining. The Cobbled staged robbed us of having Porte in the race and damage several other GC riders campaigns as well*. The Vuelta seems to have taken the route of steeper, harder is more entertaining when it just nullifies the riding. As with the set up of rights sharing and a more sustainable model for the sport the riders the coverage needs to be more 'entertaining' and the racing more innovative not simply trying to cull team members of Sky until someone else wins. Instead of salary capping teams and making sport poorer rather make a plan to raise everyone up. 

 

*Note: the cobbled classics are my favorite part of the whole year so don't think I'm against having cobbles in Le Tour. April is entertainment due to the racing, a seriously sectored stye in this years event wasn't so much entertaining for the racing but more because of watching 50%+ of the peloton struggle and *** themselves and crash as they haven't a clue. Not sure if that is 'entertainment' they need to persue. 

[lechatnoir]

I see their methodical and systematic approach to achieving their goals as something to be admired. Others here seem to see it as negative because it does not provide them with a satisfactory level of entertainment.

 

or a chance to win, because they can't compete with Sky

[Patchelicious]

or a chance to win, because they can't compete with Sky

While I agree, I think if I called them sore losers, they wouldn’t accept that, and more justifications of why SKY are the devil will be fabricated.

[Shebeen]

The 'entertainment' Q is always a sticky one. The massive mountain stages that were supposed to be super entertaining in this years tour culled the sprinters as it was predicted when the route was announced. It also meant the finale in Paris was also less entertaining. The Cobbled staged robbed us of having Porte in the race and damage several other riders campaigns as well*. The Vuelta seems to have taken the route of steeper, harder is more entertaining when it just nullifies the riding. As with the set up of rights sharing and a more sustainable model for the sport the riders the coverage needs to be more 'entertaining' and the racing more innovative not simply trying to cull team members of Sky until someone else wins. Instead of salary capping teams and making sport poorer rather make a plan to raise everyone up. 

 

*Note: the cobbled classics are my favorite part of the whole year so don't think I'm against having cobbles in Le Tour. April is entertainment due to the racing, a seriously sectored stye in this years event wasn't so much entertaining for the racing but more because of watching 50%+ of the peloton struggle and *** themselves and crash as they haven't a clue. Not sure if that is 'entertainment' they need to persue. 

*point taken but Porte was taken out by the cobbled stage, but on a piece of tarmac before it even got sketchy.

He was missed by all neutrals when the racing got contained later.

Ditto for Uran

[Shebeen]

on the TdF timeline.

 

we're still waiting for*:

a)Moscon to be disciplined

b)Any doping positives

c)the 2019 route

 

 

* not in that particular order

[Dirt Tracker]

*point taken but Porte was taken out by the cobbled stage, but on a piece of tarmac before it even got sketchy.

He was missed by all neutrals when the racing got contained later.

Ditto for Uran

 

For sure but you can be sure that it was the direct pressure of the upcoming cobbled sections that contributed to that crash because everyone is jumping around like cats on hot roofs and are all just rushing as their DS has said they have to keep their leaders safe, everyone has to be at the front and there is limited time / space to achieve that.