Carmichael and Leadville 100

[Publicus]

Is it fraud and blackmail for guide and tour services to get select permits for L'etape each year that are not available to the general public?

You analogy isn't applicable here. A good example would be the ToC saying that it has only enough space to field 10 teams, but if your team makes a contribution, then they can guarantee your team a spot. If the race is completely booked, then it is completely booked. But clearly they've reserved sufficient space to accommodate the 10+ folks who are going to sign up with Carmichael.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Hey fella, watch it with the "Chris Comical" reference. You need to admit right now that you didn't create that moniker and provide the correct reference to the true author or Chris E. will be all over you like ugly on an ape.

I ain't a'skeert a no ChrisE

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

We need to sneak somebody into that camp then make the cycling equivalent of the movie "Jesus Camp".

 

[eleven]

You analogy isn't applicable here. A good example would be the ToC saying that it has only enough space to field 10 teams, but if your team makes a contribution, then they can guarantee your team a spot. If the race is completely booked, then it is completely booked. But clearly they've reserved sufficient space to accommodate the 10+ folks who are going to sign up with Carmichael.

I think the Leadville 100 is somewhere between my analogy and yours. The Leadville 100 grants automatics to the top flight competition that might actually win - as does the ToC, obviously.

But like L'etape, you can also enter it just by winning a lottery draw.

And L'etape sets aside sufficient space to allow guided groups to be ensured space without participating in the lottery. I'm sure the guide companies pay quite a premium to get these.

 

[Race Radio]

Is it fraud and blackmail for guide and tour services to get select permits for L'etape each year that are not available to the general public?

An Etape entry through a tour company cost 200 Euros, not $1,250....plus hotel, plus an extra trip to Leadville.

 

[eleven]

An Etape entry through a tour company cost 200 Euros, not $1,250....plus hotel, plus an extra trip to Leadville.

So size really does matter?

 

[Race Radio]

So size really does matter?

When you are talking about money coming out of your wallet it does. The Etape tour companies also do not force you to spend the weekend with a dirtbag who gave dope to kids.

 

[Big GMaC]

When you are talking about money coming out of your wallet it does. The Etape tour companies also do not force you to spend the weekend with a dirtbag who gave dope to kids.

Maybe we should ahve a whip around to see if we can raise the money to send Race/TFF/Bro/any real cycling fan on the "camp" to fu2k with Comical?

 

[Race Radio]

Maybe we should ahve a whip around to see if we can raise the money to send Race/TFF/Bro/any real cycling fan on the "camp" to fu2k with Comical?

Last time I saw Comical was in 2003 in Villard Reculas. He was leading a crew of Groupies to go see the Alp d'Huez stage. I had not seen him for years but could not help but bust out laughing because he was so fat he could barely see his feet. Guy was huge. I heard he got his consumption under control since then but at the time he was running neck and neck with Merckx for fattest ex-Pro.

 

[pedaling squares]

Huh, my post was deleted. I guess it was a bit too cheeky, but hey he is alleged to have done exactly what I wrote. It's not like it was libelous!

 

[buckwheat]

Flicker that is the point i was trying to make.

Don't waste your time with him.

The point i am making is that its wrong for Carmichael to have a strangle hold on all of those spots.

Actually, it's wrong for people who aren't scumbags.

It's right for Carmichael because he's a douche.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

We need to sneak somebody into that camp then make the cycling equivalent of the movie "Jesus Camp".

Me too. I nominate "Big Boat".

 

[Ripper]

I think it's pretty sad that the race promotors would allow Comical to profiteer off of their race, on the other hand if anyone is *** enough to pay Comical $1,250 to get into Leadville then I say F 'em.

Dingle dongle!! Yup, anyone willing to shell that for Chris Douchical kinda deserves to be parted with their cash.

 

[flicker]

What about just happening to be riding on the BLM land on that day?

 

[MacRoadie]

What about just happening to be riding on the BLM land on that day?

Don't get caught up in that idea that public land is for public use. It'll get you every time.

We have several races here in So Cal that start/finish/pass through National Forests. With that understanding, you may be surprised to learn that while Yogi Bear can **** (or pee) in the woods, you can't.

From the Race Bible, San Dimas Stage Race:

 

[Oldman]

Don't get caught up in that idea that public land is for public use. It'll get you every time.

We have several races here in So Cal that start/finish/pass through National Forests. With that understanding, you may be surprised to learn that while Yogi Bear can **** (or pee) in the woods, you can't.

From the Race Bible, San Dimas Stage Race:

In the Northwest we call getting caught the Dinky DQ. Only in Baker Oregon at the Elkhorn Race can you pee en masse. The locals aren't wrapped so tight and their cows do it all the time.

 

[flicker]

what is the prize list with a 275$ entry fee. Whats more what kind of training/fitness does it require to achieve say a top 20 placing with a respectable time. I know nothing about these toughman-climbing endurance events.

 

[karlboss]

I prefer the idea of a auction, silent or otherwise.

Top places go to some sort of qualification maybe the best 100 riders you can find and then auction all the other spots to maximise your cash. If you are going to auction spots you might as well be open about it.

 

[frenchfry]

Don't get caught up in that idea that public land is for public use. It'll get you every time.

We have several races here in So Cal that start/finish/pass through National Forests. With that understanding, you may be surprised to learn that while Yogi Bear can **** (or pee) in the woods, you can't.

From the Race Bible, San Dimas Stage Race:

This is a cultural thing. For the French, the whole world is a toilet.

(eco hint: if you pee on the compost it is an activating agent and adds enriching minerals)

 

[flicker]

why would anyone pay such a large entry fee. Actually I think it would be beneficial to pay for the Chris Carmicheal training. I would pay the 1275$ to train with him. Chris is awesome.

 

[dolophonic]

I saw the original threat in MTB forum, i agree its so wrong.

Also this is not L'etape as this is the race not a replica stage.
Perhaps the Comical group should ride the route the week before Leadville,then it would be a similar analogy.

 

[BroDeal]

I prefer the idea of a auction, silent or otherwise.

Top places go to some sort of qualification maybe the best 100 riders you can find and then auction all the other spots to maximise your cash. If you are going to auction spots you might as well be open about it.

Pretty much all endurance events that run into capacity problems use lotteries. The problem with an auction is that you will quickly price out the people whose lifestyle the event supposedly reflects. A Colorado race made up of a bunch of suits from New York does not have the same street cred as one that is mostly made up of hardcore granola types.

 

[Martin318is]

agreed.

An example here in Australia is a swimming race called the "Pier to pub". Its essentially a 1km open water swim that runs from a pier on a headland directly up the centre of the bay to finish in front of the town's pub. Its a massively popular event and the biggest on the summer calendar.

These days they have an entry group for qualified swimmers: Competetive racers with recent palmares.
An entry group for the regulars: People who have already done it 10 or more times.
And age category groups for everyone else.

To get in you enter a lottery and if you don't get an offer in the first round you wait two weeks until they find out how many are left and then they do the draw again. THis happens 3 times until all places are full.

The key point? Other than children and senior citizens, EVERYONE pays the same and there is no 'penalty' payment for getting in if you missed out on the first drawing.

I will happily admit to being trained by CTS for a season a while ago and getting a lot from it taht improved me both as a rider and as a general healthy person (and for the record the coach was totally anti PEDs) but this scam just makes Chris look like a money grabbing douche.

 

[Oldman]

why would anyone pay such a large entry fee. Actually I think it would be beneficial to pay for the Chris Carmicheal training. I would pay the 1275$ to train with him. Chris is awesome.

Really? You need to talk to some of the former CTS coaches that have started their own regimes. They got tired of doing the work and getting a minor cut for dispensing common sense routines and advice. Pay me $1,275 and I'll give you this advice: ride alot, then ride faster, then rest and start again. If you don't get faster or stronger doing this you probably never will. Now, was that worth $1,275? Oh, I forgot to forward you the gratuitous computer printout of your wattage/heartrate. Sorry.
You're better off with a local guy that knows something about you and what you intend to achieve.

 

[flicker]

Old style. Ride the bike slow many many miles. When I see pros and cat 1+2 they ride slow a lot. When they ride fast they ride very fast.

What I like about Carmicheal is the speed at which ball- could go uphill.

I do want to try his 7 hour per week training book. Its only 19.99.