Has anyone changed their mind about doping?

[DirtyWorks]

...
If anyone thinks that will change now with TV money and all the other investments in cycling you are deluded.

This is the paradigm of professional cycling - get used to it.

What TV money? What did I miss?
What investments? You mean the last dictator in Europe funding a squad? The billionaire hobbyists?

What you are missing is the reputation "get used to it" sports have. They remain minor sports because few are willing to put up with the serial corruption. They might grab a few new viewers, but the stench of corruption in minor sports like cycling is hard to ignore for the casual sports viewer.

 

[robertmooreheadlane]

What TV money? What did I miss?
What investments? You mean the last dictator in Europe funding a squad? The billionaire hobbyists?

What you are missing is the reputation "get used to it" sports have. They remain minor sports because few are willing to put up with the serial corruption. They might grab a few new viewers, but the stench of corruption in minor sports like cycling is hard to ignore for the casual sports viewer.

REALLY are you sure you have any clue what has happened to cycling in the last 15 years !!!!

The reason I included four of the largest spectator sports IN THE WORLD is to make the point that as cycling has grown from a minor sport as you put it to a major global franchise it will have to deal with the corruption and dirt that the money in major sports brings with it.

MLB famous for having huge money , player strikes, racist owners of franchises and serious corruption,
Football, FIFA, Sepp Blatter case closed,
NFL, NHL even college football has its own scandals,
Formula One, Bernie ecclestone and major corruption scandals go hand in hand,
Olympic sport and the IOC - Corrupt to the core.
Billionaire hobbyists - are you describing the football leagues of europe or the major franchises of the USA. Exactly my point Cycling has joined the major league of sports as playthings of the mega wealthy and they dont care about FAIR or RIGHT they care about their egos and success.

The point is that Cycling now has major corporations and money behind it, it is no longer the realm of raleigh and the milk race with its minor funding and small teams, it is BIG BUSINESS and as such it cannot afford to have scandals affect the likes of SKY or Cannondale or OPQ or Kazakhstan, or the other large brands involved, if you think that 30 plus million to run a team for a year is not big money then i would love to know what is.
If you think ASO does not bring in serious revenues from its races around the world and will do whatever it takes to protect it's franchise then you are living in cloud cuckoo land.

There are a group of money men at the top of the sport and as with any major sport they are only interested in protecting the franchise. They know they cannot eradicate doping, no sport can, so they will manage it and ensure a damage limitation process is implemented.

Therefore those of us who know what is going on will be skeptical and cynical but we are the minority and they do not care about us, they care about the ignorant masses that will buy there product and watch on TV and lap up the magnificent spectacle of the races and superhuman achievements.

And if you think sport these days is anything other than that you are sadly stuck in the 18 hundreds i'm afraid.

 

[Tonton]

cycling has grown from a minor sport as you put it to a major global franchise it will have to deal with the corruption and dirt that the money in major sports brings with it.

There are a group of money men at the top of the sport and as with any major sport they are only interested in protecting the franchise. They know they cannot eradicate doping, no sport can, so they will manage it and ensure a damage limitation process is implemented.

Therefore those of us who know what is going on will be skeptical and cynical but we are the minority and they do not care about us, they care about the ignorant masses

Right on. Although it is not a major sport in too many countries, there is a concerted effort to diversify the field, race abroad, generate more and more income. I agree with doing everything to protect the franchise, and it is also true that they cater to the 'ignorant masses' and couldn't care less what we think.

What TV money? What did I miss?
What investments? You mean the last dictator in Europe funding a squad? The billionaire hobbyists?

What you are missing is the reputation "get used to it" sports have. They remain minor sports because few are willing to put up with the serial corruption. They might grab a few new viewers, but the stench of corruption in minor sports like cycling is hard to ignore for the casual sports viewer.

I sooo disagree here. See other sports about the narcissistic billionaire hobbyists: Jerry Jones or the late Al Davis are prime examples. Mark Cuban. And let's not forget the trailblazer, Nanard, who looked like Rommel in his command car while Hinault and LeMond crossed the finish together at l'Alpe D'Huez.

The casual viewer's attention span is limited: it's all about the show. The Phils and Pauls do a great job keeping them ignorant. Give the average Joe a contender from his country, he'll watch and believe that cycling is clean.

 

[robertmooreheadlane]

The casual viewer's attention span is limited: it's all about the show. The Phils and Pauls do a great job keeping them ignorant. Give the average Joe a contender from his country, he'll watch and believe that cycling is clean.


Exactly so watch out for a Chinese or indian contender coming to a race near you soon, US cracked, Europe Sorted - where is the next big market for TV revenues and to sell bikes into and get big corporate sponsors from ???

 

[DirtyWorks]

REALLY are you sure you have any clue what has happened to cycling in the last 15 years !!!!

Please tell me in your own words. I'm very interested to know.

The point is that Cycling now has major corporations and money behind it, it is no longer the realm of raleigh and the milk race with its minor funding and small teams

Please, tell me some more about this. How big were the teams at the Milk Race? How much were riders being paid then? How often did elites race? I'd especially like to see the list of major corporations sponsoring cycling.

If you think ASO does not bring in serious revenues from its races around the world

Do you have some numbers as proof? Inrng suggests most of ASO's properties lose some money outside of the TdF.

They know they cannot eradicate doping

What they know is anti-doping is not profitable and the belief is it does not attract an audience.

.. lap up the magnificent spectacle of the races and superhuman achievements.

Thanks to Inrng, we know most people watch for the scenery, not the bike racing. There are one or two exceptions in Belgium, but that's about it at the moment.

 

[Tonton]

The casual viewer's attention span is limited: it's all about the show. The Phils and Pauls do a great job keeping them ignorant. Give the average Joe a contender from his country, he'll watch and believe that cycling is clean.


Exactly so watch out for a Chinese or indian contender coming to a race near you soon, US cracked, Europe Sorted - where is the next big market for TV revenues and to sell bikes into and get big corporate sponsors from ???

China is my bet, The whole ASO-L'Equipe was putting so much propaganda into the "first Chinese racer", finisher, lapped on the Champs Elysees , yet it was as big as some more relevant stories. China owns the US debt, its middle class is growing, they can afford a Madone now. And talk about bike culture.

 

[Tonton]

Dirty Works, the big sponsors were coming in, if it was not for the meddling kids who tested B samples, Floyd, and the "Big Rock N' Rolle swindle" being exposed. LA went down at the worst possible time. Cycling bounced back somewhat. Back in the '70s or 80's, the jerseys at the TdF were sponsored by the likes of Miko and Poulain. Big changes since, and it's only beginning.

if you follow the Ray Rice scandal these days in the US and the NFL cover up, it must sound familiar, like back dated prescriptions for example Or what we see this year, Nibs the mutant, Berto and Froome, the Valverde joke, but the system cannot afford another scandal. So yes, cycling is being run like a major sport. And it's not pretty.

 

[Granville57]

Exactly so watch out for a Chinese or indian contender coming to a race near you soon, US cracked, Europe Sorted - where is the next big market for TV revenues and to sell bikes into and get big corporate sponsors from ???

Um, I think it's already arrived.

Coming from America I understand how important it is to globalise the sport of cycling. The African continent is a huge untapped area when it comes to cycling, you just need to look at what Africa is doing in track and field to realise the potential.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/farrar-signs-for-mtn-qhubeka

 

[Tonton]

Um, I think it's already arrived.

Yes. +1. Except the many Kenyans who run marathons, who have the intangibles, are...black. Sponsorship opportunities in Africa? Zero. There are probably 10,000 people with better genetics, VO2Max than Froome in Kenya. But like in Marathon, who wants to tune up and watch them win. It was so much better with Bill Rogers or Alberto Salazar (US). Back to the masses and giving them the local hero, someone they can identify with. A cocky Texan, a flashy Italian, an humble English sportsman.

 

[DirtyWorks]

.....but the system cannot afford another scandal. So yes, cycling is being run like a major sport. And it's not pretty.

No such thing. This sport goes from one scandal to the next, always 'moving forward' and answers to no one.

I think I'm arguing semantics regarding being run like a major sport. On viewership, it is far from a major sport. Otherwise, sure it's being run like a major sport.

Chinese riders are most likely there thanks to giant, merida funding his contract. It wouldn't be the first time.

Africa. The UCI has been developing African States for years. MTN QhuBeka ??? As much the success as riders. More to come.

 

[FoxxyBrown1111]

On viewership, it is far from a major sport.

Well, cracking the Top-11 worldwide, I´d guess cycling is a major sport...
Now different sources sure would lead to different results. But even if cycling is number 17 or something like that, it´s still major.
Add in the TdF as one of the biggest sports events each year, cycling is an absolutely no doubt major sport...

A sport that is able to pay its top stars multi million dollars per year is per definition major. Not many sports accumulate enough money to pay its stars those amounts...

http://www.11points.com/Sports/11_Most_Popular_Sports_in_the_World

 

[Archibald]

Please, tell me some more about this. How big were the teams at the Milk Race? How much were riders being paid then? How often did elites race? I'd especially like to see the list of major corporations sponsoring cycling.

I'm curious on this one too. After Sky (News Ltd), I'm struggling for a 'major corporation' that's funding a team...
We've got Tinkov, Riihs and soon Alonso as those b/millionaires playing PCM for real

 

[Deagol]

this says it for me....