Return the Season Schedule back to Pre 95 style?

[ultimobici]

Is it feasible to do this or perhaps partially?

Perhaps it would be unreasonable to move the Vuelta, but the WC's were better in August as more Tour contenders actually started with a view to winning.

 

[Roland Rat]

I think it's difficult to move the Worlds without damaging the Vuelta, seeing as some riders (eg Gilbert, Cav) ride it as prep. But the Vuelta is in the right slot, IMO. It makes it feasible to go for a Giro-Vuelta double, and it's currently regaining status, whereas the old spring slot would push it back to being the runt of the GTs.

As for moving the Worlds with a view to more TdF contenders starting, I don't think that would happen anyway at the moment. The Tour is consistently biased to the mountains at the moment, so the type of rider who is a Tour contender would not usually be a Worlds contender anway. Balance the Tour out a bit more, and/or finish the Worlds up l'alpe d'Huez and there might be a change.

 

[hfer07]

I think the "World's" should be one moving after the classics. The vuelta is OK to me in September so the 3 GT are apart with enough time to recover & riders/teams can target each one with a good riders, without sacrificing performance.

 

[ttrider]

For me the calendar should have giro in may and tour in august, sorry but i would love to see all the top riders do both, have vuelta another week later and worlds after tour.
Wouldnt you love the epic Giro route to be raced every year by Contador Andy et al, Tour would still be a fantastic spectacle and a fitting grand finale.
Essentially 2 awesome Gts with all the riders who are good not just the one with the riders and one with the route

 

[brianf7]

In 1995 the season was short with cycling starting in March and finishing in october now is goes for 12 months internationaly.
Is this a good thing its hard for the pro pelaton to manage the form and fitness but better for the fans and Cycling in general.

Is Cycling is a summer sport or not

everyone needs a holliday

 

[For The World]

Personally i'd like to see a partial change. The Vuelta works where it is now, because the start of the season doesn't need to be "cluttered" with 3 grand tours and a number of one week tours as well.

I'd like to see the Worlds moved a little, but I do understand that guys are riding the Vuelta as prep for it.

I do think the season needs to be shortened however. March to October is great, and it then gives guys a chance to race on the track if they want to, plus have a month of "junk miles"/time off to actually recover. The off season goes back to being an actual off season.

Other bonuses of a "regular" length season include:

- Slightly smaller budgets required for the teams, beacause they won't have to travel year round. Money saved is a good thing, and in the long term could result in sponsors sticking around longer and getting a better return.
- Riders may not feel that they have to be at peak form for 10 months of the year, and thus may not need to resort to so many artifical stimulii. Perhaps.

This would result in a number of races possibly being dropped or at least moved, but it could work for the better. For example, it's expensive to fly to Australia in January because it's our peak season, whereas prices drop in March because we're transitioning into our Autumn. If you could race the TDU in March, you'd have slightly cooler temperatures and cheaper airfares.

 

[Marcus135]

It would never happen but if u swapped the order of the Grand tours to make the tour last were the vuelta is. Making that the prep for the worlds as well. Also means that top GT riders are in full fitness for the worlds as was suggested before. Also its like a finale for the end of the season with the biggest races last. Also means people could do the Gero/Tour double in a season...

Wont happen but i guess it fits topic in how the season could be better arranged...

 

[Matthijs]

I think the WC at this moment is good for the autumn classics: classic specialists can hold their good form from the worlds on to Tours (sprinters/hilly) and/or Lombardia (hilly/climbers).