CyclingNews Articles & Overstatements of the Obvious

[basque1]

From today's article about LA leading RS at the TdF this year: "Armstrong, 38, won the Tour de France seven consecutive times between 1999 and 2005. After a three-year retirement, he returned to racing in 2009 and finished third overall in the Tour last year."

I think this is pretty amusing--I mean, really, is there anyone reading CyclingNews.com, or even aware of its existence, who doesn't know these basic facts? Gee, he won 7 Tours? I had no idea! Such facts are invariably included in any article though. I'm not bashing anyone. I love CyclingNews. I've just found myself chuckling over the years when reading these things.

BTW, unrelated but hilarious: a friend of mine had a work meeting wherein the employees were chastised for personal internet activity during work hours, and the boss read a list of the top websites visited, essentially calling out the employees without naming names. CyclingNews was the number one offender/website visited! Hahaha! All basically from my friend, which of course everyone knew as he is a huge cycling fan.

 

[Andrichuk]

I can't believe your making an issue over this.

 

[krebs303]

F
I think this is pretty amusing--I mean, really, is there anyone reading CyclingNews.com, or even aware of its existence, who doesn't know these basic facts? Gee, he won 7 Tours? I had no idea! Such facts are invariably included in any article though. I'm not bashing anyone. I love CyclingNews. I've just found myself chuckling over the years when reading these things.

Yes there are new people that come to the sport and this website everyday.
Who?
What?
Why?
Where?
When?
It's just basic journalism

 

[boardhanger]

Yeah stating the same old mantra over and over has become cyclo-journalism. It seems whether it's TV or print the core of the subject is to entice new viewers/readers gauging by the standard of reporting. How many times are we going to have the word 'peleton' explained.........or 'bonk' or 'drafting'. Cycling is a niche sport it has its followers. Well educated on the sport followers.....yet the networks and prints pan to newbies constantly especially since the Armstrong era has come about............

 

[Murray]

Cycling is a niche sport it has its followers. Well educated on the sport followers.....yet the networks and prints pan to newbies constantly especially since the Armstrong era has come about............

This is a great attitude if you would like cycling to remain a niche sport. Anyone with knowledge was a newbie at some point and had to learn, how quickly we forget that.

If we want the sport to grow and have more sponsorship dollars (or Euros as the case may be) to support teams and races appealing to newbies is the way to get more people in the sport.

Murray

P.S. The word you were looking for was pander not pan.(verb (pander to) gratify or indulge (an immoral or distasteful desire or habit)

 

[Greg Johnson]

I think the question has been answered above. It's not only done with Lance Armstrong, people just notice it more with Lance because, well, everything that has anything to do with him is under crazy scrutiny.

We do have an informed audience, that is true, however we don't want to marginalize any new visitors - which are at their height in volume around July - as any new convert we can get to the sport benefits us all. It's why we try to put in the effort to spell out International Cycling Union in each instance, despite the massive urge to just write UCI.

As for your friend, perhaps we should be sending him some Cyclingnews socks? Actually it's not uncommon. I remember in 2007 we received an e-mail from a reader whose company was treating the matter very, very seriously and needless to say that wasn't a hilarious situation.

It can be ironic at times though, I know of people who work in the online media industry who have been reprimanded for it. Seems like a double standard to run a businesses that depends on people spending their working hours cruising websites, and not expect your own employees to do a little of the same.

Cheers
Greg Johnson

 

[boardhanger]

This is a great attitude if you would like cycling to remain a niche sport. Anyone with knowledge was a newbie at some point and had to learn, how quickly we forget that.

If we want the sport to grow and have more sponsorship dollars (or Euros as the case may be) to support teams and races appealing to newbies is the way to get more people in the sport.

Murray

P.S. The word you were looking for was pander not pan.(verb (pander to) gratify or indulge (an immoral or distasteful desire or habit)

Ignoring your satire........I agree we all want cycling to become more popular. New markets are opening up in Austraila/US/Canada etc. Yet if we are to continually state the same diretripe over and over like a broken record it's becoming like a marketing infomercial. I've been brought up watching European cycling on European TV, now I live in the US. I see the difference. It's appauling. Should rugby commentators explain a 'try' or offside every game 5 times a game. Or football commentators do the same???? I think after 120 or so years of existence cycling has a fair idea who watches and reads about it mainly. i.e Europeans. That is where the sport is at. No disrepect to anyone. To have the reporting of it like an infomerical more and more explaining the polkadot jersey everytime its on screen......is annoying. Cycling is watch by its fans. Thats a 'marketing fact'. Versus TV has about 100,000 core cycling viewers. European TV 3-4 million for mid-week races or smaller stage like 'Tour of Basque, Critierum International, EP3 etc. (not talking about the grand tours or classics) This is the market period. So why 'pander' to newbies explaing over and over again what is what. Let market forces dictate. The core will always watch. History shows that. People who are interested and new to cycling will spend the time to learn about even they, i bet get bored of the same speel over an over by commentators who are now given agendas on what to say and when by the TV powers that be. Just like Nike when they, and I remember it well came into cycling a jersey went from $25 to $80 overnight literally. Thats one bad side effect of cyclings so called new popularity. Crap commentating another !

 

[auscyclefan94]

I agree with the poster above. If cycling is to become more popular in english speaking countries then it needs to get past Lance Armstrong and find new heroes who are going to inspire the young to get involved. It starts with the sport becoming cleaner and the media outlets to give more coverage to other riders not just Lance.

 

[Murray]

I've been brought up watching European cycling on European TV, now I live in the US. I see the difference. It's appauling. Should rugby commentators explain a 'try' or offside every game 5 times a game. Or football commentators do the same????

I totally agree with you on this point. It reminds me of when, years ago the American hockey broadcasts highlighted the puck with a huge glowing blue orb because American fans couldn't follow the play otherwise. We in Canada thought this was the dumbest thing ever.

In the end though, you can't turn the USA into Europe.

 

[boardhanger]

In the end though, you can't turn the USA into Europe.[/QUOTE]

True, very true. Reminds me when there was talk of changing soccer to four quaters so as to draw the American commerical driven market.....it was never going to happen. As a life time cycling viewer as many fans are, comentating focused soley in bringing so called new fans with repeated mantra is annoying. Its like going to A...B...C for cycling day after day!! Highlighted puck W.T.F!! Go Bruins !!

 

[basque1]

I wasn't making it an issue as much as just having a digital chuckle, but I appreciate the editor's response. I do want to grow interest in cycling, and yes, it is standard journalism. As I said, I wasn't trying to be negative at all. Keep up the good work.