Cycling has jumped the shark - i'm calling

[Warhawk]

I separate the sport and cycling into 2 pretty distinct categories although naturally as ridership grows the number who will begin spectating (odd construct) will grow. But I ride with tons of people who do not have the foggiest idea about the sport.

Although I know of no one (where I am, maybe in europe it's different) that does NOT ride who watches the sport very closely.

If cycling was big enough and even if it considered ITSELF mainstream enough to run ads during baseball games that would be enormous in my opinion. I consider the sport to be very much a very small niche at least in America.

*raises hand*

 

[UpTheRoad]

The original

EDIT: Edited link for higher quality Fonzie action.

Aaaayyyyy!

 

[SafeBet]

Although I know of no one (where I am, maybe in europe it's different) that does NOT ride who watches the sport very closely.

There are plenty in Italy.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

For me, cycling jumped the shark during the 2005 Tour Prologue. But that's the great thing about the sport, there's always another race.

I find this year's Tour boring, predictable. But there's always another race.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Whether you like Sky or not this Tour De France has been anything but terrible. What a laughable conclusion.

It hasn't been terrible, but it hasn't been that great either. It has been rather predictable in most instances. Lets all hope we have a few surprises in the Pyrenees and in the final tt. Hopefully something will happen in a stage we expect to be boring.

 

[hiero2]

I am anything but a non conformist - its just my opinion. I have been involved in cycling at both a riding and an administrative level since the 80's. I think that lots of hard won gains are being lost. My opinion. I will remain involved in cycling.

fyi, I agree with you. I haven't quite given up yet. I love bicycling, and I love bicycle racing. But watching these events has grown too similar to "professional" wrestling. I hope we can control that trend.

 

[cody_57]

Niche sport?
Is not the tour the 3 biggest sports happening after Football WC and the summer Olympics?

Nah, Rugby WC beats TdeF hands down~

 

[fatsprintking]

OK – I was half cut last night when I wrote the original post and it perhaps did not make much sense, so I will provide some clarification.

My contention is that professional cycling in English speaking countries at least, has potentially reached a point where the things that made it interesting and compelling for “new” fans are being lost and replaced with something that makes the sport pretty similar to every other “big” sport.

Marginal Gains, Public Relations, Brand Management, Training Innovations, Sports Psychologists, Nutrition Strategies etc. are robbing the sport of the “art” which was what I think was at the heart of its appeal. In the race to be bigger, better, more professional and more global - I think the sport is losing its soul and I wonder if it has the foundation in English speaking countries to maintain its increased interest from the mainstream media. Jumping the shark may not be the right concept but I am of the belief that we may have reached some sort of tipping point based on:

Lance being done.
Sky Suspicions
Fat blokes on 10k bikes
Bucket list travelers running besides riders
Scripted interviews
Power and weight number obsession
More training camps/less actual racing
Dumbed down commentary

Anyway there will not be much change for club level racing cyclist whatever happens (clubs have remained about the same size for the 30 years I have been racing), but I was thinking that the Bling side of the sport might be about to nose dive.

 

[diorgen]

OK – I was half cut last night when I wrote the original post and it perhaps did not make much sense, so I will provide some clarification.

My contention is that professional cycling in English speaking countries at least, has potentially reached a point where the things that made it interesting and compelling for “new” fans are being lost and replaced with something that makes the sport pretty similar to every other “big” sport.

Marginal Gains, Public Relations, Brand Management, Training Innovations, Sports Psychologists, Nutrition Strategies etc. are robbing the sport of the “art” which was what I think was at the heart of its appeal. In the race to be bigger, better, more professional and more global - I think the sport is losing its soul and I wonder if it has the foundation in English speaking countries to maintain its increased interest from the mainstream media. Jumping the shark may not be the right concept but I am of the belief that we may have reached some sort of tipping point based on:

Lance being done.
Sky Suspicions
Fat blokes on 10k bikes
Bucket list travelers running besides riders
Scripted interviews
Power and weight number obsession
More training camps/less actual racing
Dumbed down commentary

Anyway there will not be much change for club level racing cyclist whatever happens (clubs have remained about the same size for the 30 years I have been racing), but I was thinking that the Bling side of the sport might be about to nose dive.

I see where you are coming from, and I agree with you mostly, it is becoming too methodical and boring, and ruled by big money teams. This Tour is really Killing my enjoyment of the sport as a whole.

 

[Dutchsmurf]

The great thing about cycling is that there is always another race. If yesterday's stage was boring, maybe something will happen today. And if not in the Tour, maybe Poland will cause some excitement. And else there is always the Olympics, or the WC or the Vuelta. This Tour isn't that much more boring than the previous 25 have been. And I can tell you right now that next year's Tour will be about the same too. But that doesn't mean cycling as a whole is going downhill. Cycling consists of 2 parts, the Tour and everything else. As long as everything else still causes excitement, I won't complain.