Should you pay to watch the Olympic RoadRace?

[learn to ride]

I voted yes, but I want the money goes to local government not just IOC.
If the road race charge spectators to watch, I hope the money go to the tearm and rider not just the organizer.

 

[Polish]

I would pay more to watch the cycling than I would for badminton or pingpong - and believe you me those tickets are not cheap. Are any of the events free? Why should cycling be free. The Cheap People's Sport.

 

[DominicDecoco]

Definitely wrong, the Olypmpics here are so hyped that whatever the sport, there will be as many people as possible lining the roads.

Really?

I doubt it tbh.

 

[Cancellator]

Really?

I doubt it tbh.

In my Halls, out of 200 or so people, I am the only one that watches cycling on the television , ever. Which means I only get to watch it on streams... Especially the British-born people here would rather watch any event in football, cricket, snooker, boxing ... rather than something like a Giro stage.

 

[Froome19]

In my Halls, out of 200 or so people, I am the only one that watches cycling on the television , ever. Which means I only get to watch it on streams... Especially the British-born people here would rather watch any event in football, cricket, snooker, boxing ... rather than something like a Giro stage.

Me also I do not know anyone else personally who follows cycling properly (besides my brothers).
Yet that is besides the point as it is not just a cycling race, its the Olympics

 

[DominicDecoco]

In my Halls, out of 200 or so people, I am the only one that watches cycling on the television , ever. Which means I only get to watch it on streams... Especially the British-born people here would rather watch any event in football, cricket, snooker, boxing ... rather than something like a Giro stage.

I don't get this reply? This is exactly my point why have doubts about the show up for the race in London.

 

[Caruut]

I don't get this reply? This is exactly my point why have doubts about the show up for the race in London.

Looks like he left a bit out - I know one other person who sort of follows professional cycling, yet I know quite a lot who are thinking of going to the road race. This will no doubt put them off.

 

[Ibanez]

I don't get this reply? This is exactly my point why have doubts about the show up for the race in London.

Remember the Tour coming to London in 07? The prologue was packed and the amount of spectators caused crashes towards the end of the first stage. Watching it in television, there were fans lining the road for almost the entire stage.

And, I watched the warm up race last summer from a fairly innocuous bridge along the route - I still didn't get a spot next to the road.

It will be absolutely JAMMED.

 

[Ibanez]

And for posterity, I too have gone from thinking that the Olympic RR might be a fun day out on the bike where I can find a more obscure spot thanks to my knowledge of the route, to me thinking its best not to bother and I'm better off watching from home and then going out for 10 minutes to watch the peloton fly past.

 

[Frosty]

I would have done a set up something like:
Start in Bristol, then onto Bath, and pretty much follow the A4 to Hyde Park. Would visit several towns/cities enroute.

Sure the last 50 miles are fairly flat, but realistically its about as selective as the current course will be.

Someone i know suggested the route should start at Much Wenlock, where the modern olympics were born, and head to London.

Its a nice idea but something like that would never happen.

 

[Froome19]

Remember the Tour coming to London in 07? The prologue was packed and the amount of spectators caused crashes towards the end of the first stage. Watching it in television, there were fans lining the road for almost the entire stage.

And, I watched the warm up race last summer from a fairly innocuous bridge along the route - I still didn't get a spot next to the road.

It will be absolutely JAMMED.

Yeh there was approximately 1 million fans there that day for just a Tour stage.

I dont think people understand how when it comes to the Olympics there isnt non popular sports and popular sports. They are all popular sports.

To give you an idea every 2nd day there is an article in a leading paper about how Cav and Millar and Wiggins etc are preparing for the road race yet when it comes to other aspects of the sport there is nothing at all.

After the success of track cycling at Beijing and the hype of Cav and Pooley and Cooke thanks to their (the ast 2) succeses in Beijing, cycling when it comes to the Olympics has been so hyped in Britain that is is actually quite ridiculous. Specifically, regardless of the discipline due to the track cycling success, cycling in general has been hugely in demand.

Even the TOB annually in London brings pretty impressive crowds. Also events like Greco Roman Wrestling all were snapped up for prices equivalent to the tickets for the cycling will be, once again not because people follow the sports but because they want to sample the Olympic atmosphere.

Especially now that the tickets are going on sale again and there are many thousands who are desperate to play their part in the games regardless of what sport they are watching they will certainly buy any tickets and of course then come and sample the atmosphere in the free areas. I myself after originally missing out on tickets, decided to go for sports which I knew nothing about just to sample the atmosphere, hockey and handball tickets.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Apart from the fact that I wish we were not hosting the games, I can understand why they want to charge people to watch the road race as in there eyes they will no doubt think well they pay to watch track cycling they can pay to watch the road race.

 

[Frosty]

Since they resurfaced it last week its an easy climb so not much to watch anyway

Is it just the zig-zag road where numbers are controlled or not? Could be worth heading to Box Hill village (?) itself if not as they will be spread out at the stage although going faster. Also a chance on the bumps further along that road or near the bend where they swing onto the road to Headley. They will be going fast but maybe you stand a better chance of seeing what is happening than if you are near the bottom of the zig zag road.

 

[Sum_of_Marc]

You can see the closed off parts of Box Hill here: http://www.london2012.com/mm/Document/Documents/Venue/01/24/20/94/VENUEBXHCycleRoadRace_Neutral.pdf

Dormouse Drive is £10, while its £15 to have a ticket for the combination of Donkey Green and Straw Belle Slope.

I imagine they will stop anybody trying to cycle up it on the day.

Compared to other Olympic tickets, its good value. But of course, compared to every other bike race in the world, it's complete rubbish.

 

[dolophonic]

cockney suckers, not scousers.

yes we all know Scousers are skint..

 

[dolophonic]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/may/07/london-2012-olympics-five-questions
Worth a look..

 

[The Hitch]

I don't get this reply? This is exactly my point why have doubts about the show up for the race in London.

Few people here would even know the nationality of the winners of the London Marathon, yet alone the names of any contender but people still come out in droves to watch it.

Thats a miserable April morning for you.

Try a sunny (hopefully) July day with olympic fever reaching absolute peak as the opening ceremony was just the day before, and most having missed out on tickers and wanting to catch a free event and it being a saturday, and the people will come.

Some excited commentators will even procalaim that there are 5 million people on the course.

 

[The Hitch]

I don't get this reply? This is exactly my point why have doubts about the show up for the race in London.

Few people here would even know the nationality of the winners of the London Marathon, yet alone the names of any contender but people still come out in droves to watch it.

Thats a miserable April morning for you.

Try a sunny (hopefully) July day with olympic fever reaching absolute peak as the opening ceremony was just the day before, and most having missed out on tickers and wanting to catch a free event and it being a saturday, and the people will come.

Some excited commentators will even procalaim that there are 5 million people on the course.

They make nothing compared to what they lose.
Already the Olympic budget has had to raised by some ridiculous fiugre (50 million or something)

I think it was more like 10 billion

In my Halls, out of 200 or so people, I am the only one that watches cycling on the television , ever. Which means I only get to watch it on streams... Especially the British-born people here would rather watch any event in football, cricket, snooker, boxing ... rather than something like a Giro stage.

You in London?

Also obviously those sports are more popular, as people watch what they are told to watch. In S Korea figure skating became one of the most watched sports becasue the news kept talking about that wonderkid they have.

Here the news never ever mentions cycling, but all the above appear all the time.

So people are socialised to believe that those sports are important- as they are in the news, so the watch them,

Looks like he left a bit out - I know one other person who sort of follows professional cycling, yet I know quite a lot who are thinking of going to the road race. This will no doubt put them off.

hey, hang on, the pay thing is only for box hill and the finish (obv) right?

Well were all your friends willing to go all the way down to Box hill, to see it? would they not be content with just any spot on the route?

 

[The Hitch]

In my Halls, out of 200 or so people, I am the only one that watches cycling on the television , ever. Which means I only get to watch it on streams... Especially the British-born people here would rather watch any event in football, cricket, snooker, boxing ... rather than something like a Giro stage.

You in London?

Also obviously those sports are more popular, as people watch what they are told to watch. In S Korea figure skating became one of the most watched sports becasue the news kept talking about that wonderkid they have.

Here the news never ever mentions cycling, but all the above appear all the time.

So people are socialised to believe that those sports are important- as they are in the news, so the watch them,

Looks like he left a bit out - I know one other person who sort of follows professional cycling, yet I know quite a lot who are thinking of going to the road race. This will no doubt put them off.

hey, hang on, the pay thing is only for box hill and the finish (obv) right?

Well were all your friends willing to go all the way down to Box hill, to see it? would they not be content with just any spot on the route?

 

[The Hitch]

Looks like he left a bit out - I know one other person who sort of follows professional cycling, yet I know quite a lot who are thinking of going to the road race. This will no doubt put them off.

hey, hang on, the pay thing is only for box hill and the finish (obv) right?

Well were all your friends willing to go all the way down to Box hill, to see it? would they not be content with just any spot on the route?

 

[karlboss]

Yes, you should pay, you should be willing to pay for anything out of which you get value.
Google "public good" and "freeloader" with reference to it, and if you need further explaination ask.

However it is a kick in the guts to advertise something as free and then later ask for payment.

 

[oaklegs]

Best seat

Spectators at Box Hill, Hampton Court to be charged to watch Olympic road races

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/spe...urt-to-be-charged-to-watch-olympic-road-races

Shock horror?
Rip off Britain?
Or reasonable restriction?

I think the simple fact is that if they did not charge for admission the crowds would become unmanageable and thus present a hazard situation on the hill.
By charging admission this problem will be avoided.
Actually although I am going over there next month I shall have the best seat in the house at my home back in Australia whilst the race is on. On TV you get to see all of the race and not just fleeting glances.

 

[Cancellator]

I don't get this reply? This is exactly my point why have doubts about the show up for the race in London.

I was just supporting your point.

 

[RownhamHill]

The tribune at the finish line has always been for VIP's and the ones who want to pay. Let's stay with that shall we - especially in UK where I think, even with Cav as favorite, the spectator show up will be weak.

Not sure about the spectator show up being weak - my brother in law works on the Olympics, and the men's road race is actually causing a bit of panic - the predicted spectator show-up (based on some polling they've been doing) is set to be massive (first day of the Olympics, it's free, Cav factor), and they're a bit worried the whole city is going to grind to a halt. At least that's what he told me!

To the poll question, I'm pretty new to following cycling, and I often wonder why there is such an opposition from fans to charging to watch - especially when the sport is in such a seemingly precarious financial position. I don't have any strong feelings on this, it all just seems a bit odd from an outsider's perspective.

 

[Catwhoorg]

To me, the advantage of having a linear route, through a lot of towns would be that people would line the streets to see it 'live' then still be (mostly) able to get home and watch the sprint finish on TV.

Best of both worlds.

*sigh* that ship has long sailed though.