Pro Cycling Graph Of Nationalities

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

still france had thier best year in cycling for quite some time.

5 in tope 15 of tdf. 5th place. white jersey.
Pinot had a very good season.
Voeckler had an outstanding season.
giro 4th Gadret (dupont 12).
Chavanel 2nd @ flanders.
Moncoutie another mountains jersey @ vuelta.
kern etc.

but you make a decent point, so many french races.
But in regards to the bigger races, they did well this year.

 

[boardhanger]

still france had thier best year in cycling for quite some time.

5 in tope 15 of tdu. 5th place. white jersey.
Pinot had a very good season.
Voeckler had an outstanding season.
giro 4th Gadret (dupont 12).
Chavanel 2nd @ flanders.
Moncoutie another mountains jersey @ vuelta.
kern etc.

but you make a decent point, so many french races.
But in regards to the bigger races, they did well this year.

The French have been complaining that other nations have been slow to take up anti-doping measure's over past few years. Compared to them. This is maybe starting to trickle down now as the results show.

 

[El Pistolero]

still france had thier best year in cycling for quite some time.

5 in tope 15 of tdu. 5th place. white jersey.
Pinot had a very good season.
Voeckler had an outstanding season.
giro 4th Gadret (dupont 12).
Chavanel 2nd @ flanders.
Moncoutie another mountains jersey @ vuelta.
kern etc.

but you make a decent point, so many french races.
But in regards to the bigger races, they did well this year.

They definitely deserved the spot they got right now, but this is their best year since a long long time and France is usually high up because of the many small points they earn in their domestic races. Last year seemed like a turning point for France, but it's still too early to tell. Already rooting for Chavanel, Gadret and Demare though, even if the French overall continue to annoy me

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

some of thier riders are pretty likeable.

If i could choose one rider to be dutch it would be chavanel

well to be fair the uci rankings france have struggled a fair in the preceeding years. nother floored system tho.

 

[CobbleStoner]

Great graph. Very close between Italy and ESP but I think it shows Italy deserves its status as biggest cycling country with most riders, most teams, 2 out of 5 monuments, the 2nd gt and the best domestic scene.

first, that isn't a graph, a graph is a chart with a line signifying the results. that is a graphic of the results.

second, if you are lumping Australia/Oceana together, then it makes sense to do the same with Benelux, still smaller in population and land mass than Italy or Spain. It could be argued that Belgium alone deserves the #1 spot, but put them together and there is no doubt that Benelux is the heart of cycling. riders, classics, history, culture, relationship with the common bicycle, cyclocross, zesdaagse (6 days), etc... and if you add in the fact that Benelux riders have no mountains to train in and way less days per year available for outside training, they have consistently produced amazing results over the decades.
just my 2 cents...

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

first, that isn't a graph, a graph is a chart with a line signifying the results. that is a graphic of the results.

second, if you are lumping Australia/Oceana together, then it makes sense to do the same with Benelux, still smaller in population and land mass than Italy or Spain. It could be argued that Belgium alone deserves the #1 spot, but put them together and there is no doubt that Benelux is the heart of cycling. riders, classics, history, culture, relationship with the common bicycle, cyclocross, zesdaagse (6 days), etc... and if you add in the fact that Benelux riders have no mountains to train in and way less days per year available for outside training, they have consistently produced amazing results over the decades.
just my 2 cents...

the benelux, france, spain and italy all together make up the heart of cycling. Not really a matter of one is more important then the other, when collectively they bring so much to the sport.

No one could argue belgium as a main protagonist of devolping cycling.

 

[El Pistolero]

the benelux, france, spain and italy all together make up the heart of cycling. Not really a matter of one is more important then the other, when collectively they bring so much to the sport.

No one could argue belgium as a main protagonist of devolping cycling.

I think France invented the (professional) sport. I swear I heard it somewhere during one of my uni courses, but I wasn't paying attention at all. So, France is probably the most important for cycling as a sport, but it's the biggest in Belgium.

 

[Cam...]

the whole article is silly. The author is claiming that Australia could have a grand tour based on the fact they have roads, hotels and airports.

So does Devon :S

TeamSkyFans, thanks for having an opinion and avoiding personal slander, unlike Timmy-loves-Rabo.

The article is titled "Is Tour of Australia needed for Down Under’s rise?". I provided some base data about rider participation (per nation) across the UCI's divisions, together with some Australia-specific fundamentals (you omitted climate, food standards, cycling culture) to support the notion Australia could host a Grand Tour.

The article was intended to be whimsical and indulgent, and it concluded by asking for the opinion of others.

Anyway, thanks again for basing your opinion on the article itself.

NOTE: I have only started posting on the CN forums today, after seeing a reasonable volume of referrals from this thread. I would have had the opportunity to respond to comments, had they been posted below the article itself.

 

[PCutter]

I swear I heard it somewhere during one of my uni courses

What on earth is your degree in?

 

[Cam...]

The author is brainless, clearly lacks the knowedge of cycling culture if he thinks it is even an outside chance.

No way the riders comprimise thier season for the prestigious Tour of Australia !!!

And could you imagine the amount of transfers needed for this race... would be ridicilious.

At best they can probably hope to add another one day race following the tdu imo (melbourne baby), with WT status I suppose.

Timmy-loves-Rabo, I'll try not to be offended. That's the first time I've been labelled "brainless". If you'd like to post a comment about the article at Cyclingiq.com, it will be published, unedited (as stated on the blog), for other readers to see.

I'm pretty comfortable with my level of "knowledge of cycling culture" and also, as I've already explained in my reply to 'TeamSkyFans', with the spirit of the article.

I see we both live in Melbourne. I'm happy to have a discussion with you about any facet of cycling over coffee. Email me at info[at]cyclingiq.com, or at least read a few more of the articles at Cycling iQ before passing judgement.

 

[skidmark]

Yeah, that's it. Italian, Spanish and Anglophone riders just have been more "talented" over the last years.

Pardon my word choice. "results". I didn't realize we were in the clinic.

 

[Cam...]

first, that isn't a graph, a graph is a chart with a line signifying the results. that is a graphic of the results.

second, if you are lumping Australia/Oceana together, then it makes sense to do the same with Benelux, still smaller in population and land mass than Italy or Spain. It could be argued that Belgium alone deserves the #1 spot, but put them together and there is no doubt that Benelux is the heart of cycling. riders, classics, history, culture, relationship with the common bicycle, cyclocross, zesdaagse (6 days), etc... and if you add in the fact that Benelux riders have no mountains to train in and way less days per year available for outside training, they have consistently produced amazing results over the decades.
just my 2 cents...

Thanks CobbleStoner, I personally called it an 'image' - but "graphic" works well.

I tried to establish where/when Australia/Oceania was "lumped together" in my article, or within this thread. Just to clarify: neither the graphic, nor the chart, within the article did this. Australian-based figures are representative of Australia only.

Further to your comments, Belgium leads the way in simple terms of the most (combined) UCI WorldTour, ProContinental and Continental riders in 2012. They are well represented across all divisions, whereas the Netherlands is proportionately heavy on UCI Continental riders.

FYI, all data is pulled straight from individual team listings in the UCI's 2012 teams database, as at 17.01.2012.

 

[skidmark]

still france had thier best year in cycling for quite some time.

5 in tope 15 of tdu. 5th place.

I dunno if you wrote the race you meant to write. I would not call it an accomplishment, the way it reads

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Timmy-loves-Rabo, I'll try not to be offended. That's the first time I've been labelled "brainless". If you'd like to post a comment about the article at Cyclingiq.com, it will be published, unedited (as stated on the blog), for other readers to see.

I'm pretty comfortable with my level of "knowledge of cycling culture" and also, as I've already explained in my reply to 'TeamSkyFans', with the spirit of the article.

I see we both live in Melbourne. I'm happy to have a discussion with you about any facet of cycling over coffee. Email me at info[at]cyclingiq.com, or at least read a few more of the articles at Cycling iQ before passing judgement.

No worries, I will be sure to have a read of a few of the articles.
Don't be offended, I can tend to be an aggresive poster.

But i disagree that Australia is suitable for a GT, the culture of such an event cannot simply spring up. These GTs are 100 years in the making, riders dream of winnign these events, they are history.

You make arguments that riders enjoy the race etc, but could it be harder. It is exactly that relaxed attitude that the riders like, the non-exsistant stage transfers etc. Attempting to expand the race will only harm the race not improve it imo. I don't see a feesible expansion into a GT in this lifetime anyway. The giro, tour and vuelta are the GTs, in an already demaning calander with so many prestigie races and objectives throughout.
Goodluck trying to creating some that big to work.

ps. i liked teh graph.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I dunno if you wrote the race you meant to write. I would not call it an accomplishment, the way it reads

tour down under fever baby.

 

[Cam...]

No worries, I will be sure to have a read of a few of the articles.
Don't be offended, I can tend to be an aggresive poster.

But i disagree that Australia is suitable for a GT, the culture of such an event cannot simply spring up. These GTs are 100 years in the making, riders dream of winnign these events, they are history.

You make arguments that riders enjoy the race etc, but could it be harder. It is exactly that relaxed attitude that the riders like, the non-exsistant stage transfers etc. Attempting to expand the race will only harm the race not improve it imo. I don't see a feesible expansion into a GT in this lifetime anyway. The giro, tour and vuelta are the GTs, in an already demaning calander with so many prestigie races and objectives throughout.
Goodluck trying to creating some that big to work.

ps. i liked teh graph.

I read through your previous posts beforehand, so I could try to understand your tone/style better. No offence taken.

I think the culture for cycling (generally) exists in Australia, it's just suppressed and underdeveloped. For example, the Melbourne to Warrnambool Classic was first held over 115 years ago - 8 years before the first Tour de France - but look at it today by comparison to one-day "monuments" in the EU. It's still an obscure race, relatively speaking, in the eyes of the public. The Tour Down Under is the closest thing we have to a Grand Tour, which is why it is the most likely target for expansion (if that was ever to happen).

Your comments would be most welcome under the article at Cycling iQ; the comments section exists solely for readers to express their opinion; you have a strong one that others would no doubt agree with.

 

[Captain_Cavman]

the benelux, france, spain and italy all together make up the heart of cycling. Not really a matter of one is more important then the other, when collectively they bring so much to the sport.

No one could argue belgium as a main protagonist of devolping cycling.

One could argue whether Switzerland should be included in that list, but I was surprised that it didn't get a stat in a bubble at all.

 

[Cam...]

one could argue whether switzerland should be included in that list, but i was surprised that it didn't get a stat in a bubble at all.

Here are the actual stat's, per nation, per division.

The bubbles within the article's graphic represented the top 12 nations by number of WorldTour riders in the 2012 UCI teams database - so I've filtered the below table by that criteria, in descending order.

Switzerland just misses out on the top 12 by one WT rider!

 

[El Pistolero]

What on earth is your degree in?

History.

......

 

[theyoungest]

Its about quality, not quantity.

Not dissing Australia, just the article.

CQ Rank
. (1) Spain Europe Riders 11527
2. (2) Italy Europe Riders 10403
3. (3) Belgium Europe Riders 9354
4. (5) France Europe Riders 8004
5. (6) Germany Europe Riders 7427
6. (4) Australia Oceania Riders 7083
7. (9) Great Britain Europe Riders 6707
8. (8) Netherlands Europe Riders 6389
9. (7) United States America Riders 5293
10. (10) Switzerland Europe Riders 3874

6th in number of riders, and 6th in the world rankings. So just performing as per their numbers.
Based on that you could say that the British are overperforming wildly, and the dutch are underperforming.

Those stats from the OP are based on the number of WT riders each country has this year... and the CQranking is based on last season, the best 10 riders, in all races (WT and otherwise). Not a very useful comparison.

Holland would definitely have underperformed if they had that many WT-riders last year. However, they didn't.

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

I only just realised that there are 8 (eight!) CT teams from Norway this year. Only ten years ago, there was only one (the first ever, Krone).

Unbelievable.

However, the figures in the above-mentioned table are quite suspicious. Italy only three CT riders? They have at least three CT teams!

 

[will10]

I only just realised that there are 8 (eight!) CT teams from Norway this year. Only ten years ago, there was only one (the first ever, Krone).

Unbelievable.

However, the figures in the above-mentioned table are quite suspicious. Italy only three CT riders? They have at least three CT teams!

The Continental column has got a lot of riders missing

 

[The Hitch]

(you omitted climate, food standards, cycling culture) to support the notion Australia could host a Grand Tour.

Cycling culture is definately not an argument for Australia. There are many many countries way ahead of Australia in that regard.

Colombia is in every concievable way infinately superior to Australia when it comes to hosting a Grand Tour.

Way more mountains, way closer together (transfers) way way way greater cycling culture, significantly greater fanbase, experience of hosting races.

Portugal likewise.

 

[Cam...]

I only just realised that there are 8 (eight!) CT teams from Norway this year. Only ten years ago, there was only one (the first ever, Krone).

Unbelievable.

However, the figures in the above-mentioned table are quite suspicious. Italy only three CT riders? They have at least three CT teams!

Good spotting. The table is being updated as the UCI updates its teams database.

The WorldTour and ProConti teams for 2012 were finalised on Dec 5, 2011 and Dec 12, 2011, respectively.

However, Continental teams are still being added to the database. The three Italian teams were only uploaded on 19.01.2011 (yesterday); there were also three Korean CT teams added!

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Lot of Dutchies in the WT this year. Imagine if Skil gets WT status next year, it would become a bit ridiculous.

yet most of them are mediocre appearently because we're not even near the wt ranking top 5 most iof the time