Summer Games Paris 2024

[Sciatic]

I think our idea (or what we enjoy) as a good spectator sport does not mean it will be a popular Olympic sport.
Consider swimming, one of the 3 really big Olympic sports in terms of TV time and attention. A great sport to participate in, and a strong following from the many folks who were on swim teams as kids. But what does watching swimming consist of—a tiny amount of time when they’re in the water competing, when we can only see a fraction of what they’re doing. And lots of time zooming in as the enter the pool area, warm up in the start area, and then closeups of their beaming or sad faces after they lift their goggles. All the above is even more true for athletes who are particularly popular or very attractive. It’s all very photogenic and easily packaged for TV.
During the televised event, what are people most engaged with or cheering for? They cheering for the little national flag graphics trailing each swimmer.

 

[ManicJack]

That people do it is exactly what makes it compelling...to me. ... mountain biking is something millions of people do around the world.

Here in Colorado the lift access parks are getting busier and busier every year. They are all adding more terrain. Obviously more and more people are riding mtb, but I would guess on any given day, at any park, 99% of the riders couldn't name anyone that races, but a good portion could name an X Games type "influencer". Our Enduro series is down to 4 events including one in Taos, NM from 7 just 2 years ago. Racing is a dying breed.

 

[RedheadDane]

I think our idea (or what we enjoy) as a good spectator sport does not mean it will be a popular Olympic sport.

For me, the main issue is the fact that the IOC are fundamentally changing the way road cycling are usually done by only allowing 90 riders.
Could you imagine if they suddenly decided to only allow 16 players on the field during a football match?

 

[kingjr]

For me that's a hard disagree. That people do it is exactly what makes it compelling...to me. I'll never ride on the track. I don't know anyone who ever has, except one guy I raced with back in the 90's. Wheras mountain biking is something millions of people do around the world.

Thanks for the responses all. Good to hear about the differences in the sport's popularity in different countries. I suspected my US-centric POV was just that.

Yeah, it's probably still more popular over here in Germany. Tbh, I think it's the kind of sport that's only fun if you're good at it, otherwise you don't reach the speeds needed to make it exciting.

 

[red_flanders]

Here in Colorado the lift access parks are getting busier and busier every year. They are all adding more terrain. Obviously more and more people are riding mtb, but I would guess on any given day, at any park, 99% of the riders couldn't name anyone that races, but a good portion could name an X Games "influencer". Our Enduro series is down to 4 events including one in Taos, NM from 7 just 2 years ago. Racing is a dying breed.

Yeah I've heard about the demise of Enduro, and to be fair I don't watch it either. But I'm glued to the Downhill stuff. Weird that racing viewership and participation in the sport are on such different trajectories.

We had this massive boost in the number of people on the trails during the pandemic, but it's backed way off now. Maybe a bit above the previous norm, but not much.

What's different now is the predominance of eMTB on the trails.

 

[Kaptain Kool]

For me, the main issue is the fact that the IOC are fundamentally changing the way road cycling are usually done by only allowing 90 riders.
Could you imagine if they suddenly decided to only allow 16 players on the field during a football match?

Yeah, I think that's it. Real sports have their own events so they only allow gimmick versions in the Olympics.
I don't care about track and won't watch it in the Olympics, same with the ITTs. But at least those events seem Olympick-y. Esoteric events with timers and stuff that no one would care about otherwise. But you can't have real sports in the Olympics so you got a road race with 1.462 riders per team. At least MTB is watchable and you can do real sports stuff like crash your opponent off balance to win gold or pick up a silver by pretending to need water.

 

[Wyndbrook]

Here in Colorado the lift access parks are getting busier and busier every year. They are all adding more terrain. Obviously more and more people are riding mtb, but I would guess on any given day, at any park, 99% of the riders couldn't name anyone that races, but a good portion could name an X Games type "influencer". Our Enduro series is down to 4 events including one in Taos, NM from 7 just 2 years ago. Racing is a dying breed.

From my European location I see bike racing as dying across all disciplines in the US. Hopefully I am wrong.

 

[ManicJack]

From my European location I see bike racing as dying across all disciplines in the US. Hopefully I am wrong.

You are not wrong when it comes to racing, (gravel is not "racing"). USAC is in full panic mode.

 

[awavey]

3vthings
Track's a big deal in the UK. Hoy, Trott, Kenny, Archibald are pretty much household names.

theres a track culture in cycling in the UK, just like there is time trialling, but outside of the cycle enthusiasts, I dont think Tracks that big a deal in sporting terms for most Brits, the Kennys are the most successful olympians in UK history, but they can walk down most streets and wont be recognised at all.

except at the Olympics, and the only reason for that is they realised way back between 96-00 Olympics, if you spent just a bit of money on track cycling, there were enough events and medals on offer and enough of a gap between the countries who really just make up the numbers and dont care about the sport, and the countries near the top, you then get to win lots of medals, and then the Beeb who like showing medal winners decided cycling started and ended on the track.

and due to the unique way they hand out the money to sport in the UK, the more successful you are the more money you get, which just keeps pushing the whole thing along.

sadly then the downside is sports where theres little chance of a medal, gets less funding, which has resulted in the past quarter of a century BC focussing almost exclusively on track cycling at the expense of road cycling at least, BMX/MTB seems to go in fits and starts, for example Pidcock & Richards have probably guaranted enough funding to back the MTB/XC setup for another 4 years, but Worthington not qualifying for her final regardless if Reilly wins a medal, will result in a less funding for the BMX side,

But any decent UK pro level cyclist at some point will have spent time on the track programme, and the ones that tend to end up in pro road teams at least are the ones who there just wasnt in some cases literally enough slots on the team to fit them in.

 

[awavey]

In Britain track is still pretty serious. Must be ~30 tracks in the UK. Including 6-7 indoor. Most people who have ever ridden and like cycling have been on a track at some point... even if just messing about on an outdoor one.

nope never have done, nearest track to me must be 70-80 miles away, and Id never get the hang of a single speed anyway.

 

[Wyndbrook]

nope never have done, nearest track to me must be 70-80 miles away, and Id never get the hang of a single speed anyway.

You would, I just rocked at the Newport track (Geraint Thomas Velodrome) for a beginner session, looked at the banking' and nearly had to change shorts, but I was soon whizzing around and taking part in beginner races.

 

[Sciatic]

You would, I just rocked at the Newport track (Geraint Thomas Velodrome) for a beginner session, looked at the banking' and nearly had to change shorts, but I was soon whizzing around and taking part in beginner races.

Great point—our county offers fairly inexpensive beginner and advanced-beginner track classes at the local (Marymoor) outdoor velodrome. Even as a non-racer it was great to get a feel for the experience of riding track bikes around the oval with other riders. Also was great for improving bike handling skills like riding in very close proximity holding one’s line and how to ride while leaning on another riders hips or shoulders to stay upright. That track is not nearly as steep as an Olympic level, but worked well enough as the place where Rebecca Twigg started her racing career.

 

[BeachBum]

Having said that, an Evenepoel win seems most likely. He probably attacks when the few domestiques in this race are exhausted. If he gets some separation, who is gonna go after him?

I'm hoping for an in form Lou Lou.

 

[Oldermanish]

From my European location I see bike racing as dying across all disciplines in the US. Hopefully I am wrong.

Nope. Almost every stage race in the Idaho, Oregon, Washington area has been gone for awhile. Mostly victim of USAC lack of support and local jurisdictions wanting legit insurance. Add that use of public roads now almost always has a requirement of paid local police presence. Gone are the days when the community governments thought that tourism boost of 300 folks for a day was worthwhile.

 

[Oldermanish]

Yeah, I think that's it. Real sports have their own events so they only allow gimmick versions in the Olympics.
I don't care about track and won't watch it in the Olympics, same with the ITTs. But at least those events seem Olympick-y. Esoteric events with timers and stuff that no one would care about otherwise. But you can't have real sports in the Olympics so you got a road race with 1.462 riders per team. At least MTB is watchable and you can do real sports stuff like crash your opponent off balance to win gold or pick up a silver by pretending to need water.

Ooooooo. Don't blame the results on anyone but the riders for those two circumstances. Watching the men's race many guys were blasting through the feed zone not picking up a bottle. I guess the Dutch federation didn't have anyone that could benefit from that. The woman's race was fair according to the riders.
As for the Men's Mtb....the silver medal rider hit the rear wheel of the lead rider who managed to keep them both upright. Otherwise the crying would be that an Italian won the race because the Brits and French took each other out.
But the gimmicks abound so we agree on that.

 

[claude cat]

Ben O'Connor comes into the Australian road team for the injured Lucas Plapp.

 

[Leinster]

Watching the women’s tri. It’s basically like watching the Champs stage of the Tour but with a bigger gap between the groups.

Draft-legal triathlons on a flat city course always seem pointless to me. Barring a puncture, everyone’s just going to start the run with whoever they finished the swim with.

One of them has dropped her chain a couple laps back. What competitor with access to a professional mechanic would be riding with a front derailleur on this course?

 

[RedheadDane]

Watching the women’s tri. It’s basically like watching the Champs stage of the Tour but with a bigger gap between the groups.

And a bit more swimming and running.

 

[tobydawq]

Draft-legal triathlons on a flat city course always seem pointless to me. Barring a puncture, everyone’s just going to start the run with whoever they finished the swim with.

I was thinking exactly the same.

Either they should ensure that the course is hilly, or they should swap the order of the bike and the run.

 

[meat puppet]

It's common knowledge that they are road running races with some prefatiguing (edit: forgot to add that there's also a mandatory crashfest)

 

[Leinster]

It's common knowledge that they are road running races with some prefatiguing.

Yup. On the final lap of the run now, and the group of 10 from the bike ride is now down to 4.

 

[Coffeeplanter]

The men's triathlon is on now, with an interesting figure: Kristian Blummenfelt. He is said to be world class here, which is true judging he is the defending Olympic champion. Allegedly he will make the switch to cycling next year with Jayco and has set his sights on winning the Tour de France by 2030. It would appear this man is a physiological monster, with rumours of having the highest VO2max ever recorded.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

The men's triathlon is on now, with an interesting figure: Kristian Blummenfelt. He is said to be world class here, which is true judging he is the defending Olympic champion. Allegedly he will make the switch to cycling next year with Jayco and has set his sights on winning the Tour de France by 2030. It would appear this man is a physiological monster, with rumours of having the highest VO2max ever recorded.

Kristian Blummenfelt. Country: Norway. Date of birth: 14 February 1994. Place of birth: Bergen. Height: 1.76 m. Weight: 75 kg.

He'd need to re-shape somewhat.

 

[Monte Serra]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1818583364095369677

View: https://x.com/ImCalledPikachu/status/1818583364095369677

 

[Squire]

Kristian Blummenfelt. Country: Norway. Date of birth: 14 February 1994. Place of birth: Bergen. Height: 1.76 m. Weight: 75 kg.

He'd need to re-shape somewhat.

Watching a triathlon for the first time in my life now. I don't know much about Blummenfelt other than having read about him briefly, but looking at the Olympic triathlon, he looks chubby even compared to the other competitors. Doesn't have a body type which screams GC potential.