Breakaway Leagues - Lessons from History

[fmk_RoI]

My recent reading diet has me bogged down in late c19th + early c20th cycling history. Interesting to fnd there a salutary tale of what happens when breakaway leagues neglect cycling's grassroots: http://cyclismas.com/2012/03/breaking-away-american-style/

Do you think today's rebels will have learned a lesson?

 

[Tei6chai]

Do you think today's rebels will have learned a lesson?

Obviously not, since all the recently proposed schemes have been barking mad.

They could only possibly have been drawn up by U.S. businessmen without the faintest idea about European cycling history and culture.

The formats themselves are unappealing to traditional cycling fans and there is no latent audience just waiting for such formats to switch their sporting interests to cycling.

In short, the necessary destruction of the traditional cycling calendar loses you the existing market and gives you nothing to build a new market from.

Just look at Association Footballl in North America ... despite billions spent and the pre-existing interest in immigrant communities, it's still taken decades to get to the pifflingly low profile it has currently acheived.

 

[Ferminal]

Good read that was, thanks fmk.

Do you think today's rebels will have learned a lesson?

That is doubtful, when they are only motivated by short/medium-term profits.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Obviously not, since all the recently proposed schemes have been barking mad.

They could only possibly have been drawn up by U.S. businessmen ...

So true.

But tradition just doesn't matter. This is about using cycling as a way to make more money. The athlete is just the talent. The real money is traded by the people with the rights to this crackpot scheme. I'm assuming a Yank is driving the thing. I don't know, but everything about it sure smells like it.

The Universal Sports network was headed in the right direction, but didn't make it. Using USN as an example, I don't think Americans who watch sports on TV would tune into cycling. There's a niche for sure. But, not even a gymnastics/figure skating sized audience.

For me, part of this gets back to how badly amateur competitive cycling is run in the U.S. and by proxy the UCI. It's about collecting revenue today, growing a fan base is not part of the mission.

 

[karlboss]

So true.

But tradition just doesn't matter. This is about using cycling as a way to make more money. The athlete is just the talent. The real money is traded by the people with the rights to this crackpot scheme. I'm assuming a Yank is driving the thing. I don't know, but everything about it sure smells like it.

The Universal Sports network was headed in the right direction, but didn't make it. Using USN as an example, I don't think Americans who watch sports on TV would tune into cycling. There's a niche for sure. But, not even a gymnastics/figure skating sized audience.

For me, part of this gets back to how badly amateur competitive cycling is run in the U.S. and by proxy the UCI. It's about collecting revenue today, growing a fan base is not part of the mission.

How do you think you collect more revenue? Why do you think the UCI is promoting races outside of Europe?