Why the hype?

[Fowsto Cope-E]

Why are people focusing so much on the Veulta when there is a much bigger race starting in only two days: The Third Inagural Tour of America! The race for the $10 million in prize money will be so unpredictable that no one even knows what teams will participate in it! Who do you guys think will win this epic event?

 

[The Hitch]

Why are people focusing so much on the Veulta when there is a much bigger race starting in only two days: The Third Inagural Tour of America! The race for the $10 million in prize money will be so unpredictable that no one even knows what teams will participate in it! Who do you guys think will win this epic event?

GIven the title, i was hoping this would be a thread on one of Peter Sagan, Richie Porte or TGBM.

Since it is about some other race, i ask, why is it called the "Third Innaugural". Isnt that a bit of an oxymoron. It is either the 1st or the 3rd, it cant be both.

 

[theswordsman]

Well, let's see. I just visited the website. It claims it will happen in 2010, but there are no dates, and the course is just a line drawn across a map of the United States. The freshest "press release" was from April 2008. The 200 professional riders on 21 teams don't seem to know the event exists, because nobody is prepared to give up UCI events and do another 21 stage tour.

Basically, the (now) three posts here are about the only hint this fantasy hasn't died. Maybe if the thread gets deleted, it will be the equivalent of not clapping that we believe in Tinkerbell?

 

[Willy_Voet]

Serious lack of humor on this forum. They should hand out bans for that.

 

[drb716]

I thought the Tour of America was what we in the States rode in the few morning hours before sitting down to watch the real races on tv. I'm expecting a check, by the way; I'm assuming I won.

 

[Ferminal]

GIven the title, i was hoping this would be a thread on one of Peter Sagan, Richie Porte or TGBM.

Since it is about some other race, i ask, why is it called the "Third Innaugural". Isnt that a bit of an oxymoron. It is either the 1st or the 3rd, it cant be both.

Maybe it was supposed to be "3rd Annual".

 

[skidmark]

Maybe it was supposed to be "3rd Annual".

No no no, this 'race' is truly having it's 'third inaugural' edition, as it was first announced for 2008, 'postponed', then again in 2009. So it's never happened, but they seem confident. See here, in what is probably my favourite non-April Fool's Day cyclingnews article:

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=features/2007/tourofamerica_sep07

Just... amazing.

 

[CatsNK]

Too bad it isn't happening. I'd actually love to be able to go to a big race without traveling to Europe or California.

 

[sublimit]

Levi will win the 2011 version, beating plenty of Australians, Canadians that no person alive that has ever heard of.

 

[kurtinsc]

Too bad it isn't happening. I'd actually love to be able to go to a big race without traveling to Europe or California.

It's too large an area... and I don't think a 3 week tour will work with the level of cycling interest in the US.

I like the idea of a month or month and a half period in the US where the western races are all lumped together. Perhaps enough to draw european teams to come over for a period of time as opposed to having to make scattered trips to each race like they do now.

If you took existing races along with the planned colorado stage race, you could do something like this:

Tour of Gila (New Mexico) - April 28th - May 2nd
Tour of Colorado - May 5th - May 13th
Tour of California - May 16th - May 23rd
Cascade Classic (Oregon) - May 25th - May 30th
Tour of Utah - June 1st - June 6th

I think if you grouped those 5 races together leading up to the June "prep races" for the Tour de France in some way... riders of note might come over and take part in 2-4 of them. It wouldn't be a GT... but it would be a period that would draw significant interest to US cycling. Many riders not taking part in the Giro who are prepping for the tour might come to the US to build form with a lineup like that.

 

[Arnout]

Why? Do Catalunya, Luxembourg and Dauphiné and you get a higher level and no messing with jetlags and stuff.

What America should do is develop an own circuit (which it seems they're doing a bit, although some of the bigger races are always near a cancellation) and not bother with being a Tour prep to attract a few names. You don't create a solid racing circuit with that.

 

[hrotha]

No no no, this 'race' is truly having it's 'third inaugural' edition, as it was first announced for 2008, 'postponed', then again in 2009. So it's never happened, but they seem confident. See here, in what is probably my favourite non-April Fool's Day cyclingnews article:

http://autobus.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=features/2007/tourofamerica_sep07

Just... amazing.

That's the single most hilarious cycling article I've ever read.

 

[kurtinsc]

Why? Do Catalunya, Luxembourg and Dauphiné and you get a higher level and no messing with jetlags and stuff.

What America should do is develop an own circuit (which it seems they're doing a bit, although some of the bigger races are always near a cancellation) and not bother with being a Tour prep to attract a few names. You don't create a solid racing circuit with that.

Catalunya is in late march now.


This year Romandie ended May 2nd. The Dauphine Libere started June 6th, the Tour de Suisse started June 12th.

In between those, the big race is of course the Giro. Other then that, there are races like 4 Jours de Dunkerque, Flèche du Sud, Tour de Picardie, Circuit de Lorraine, Bayern Rundfahrt, Tour of Belgium, and the Tour of Luxembourg... and other smaller races and assorted 1-day events.

As prep... I don't think those are exactly dominating. Many seem quite light on climbs. A few teams/riders already were willing with that schedule to come to the US for the Tour of California alone. Would some come a bit early and race something like Cascade or Gila a week before on the same trip? Maybe stay late and forego Luxembourg leading into the Tour of Switzerland, instead chosing to race Colorado or Utah?

I think they would. It's a big expense for riders who ride the big races (all of which are in europe) to come to the US. California does get some to make the trip... but few if any want to spend that money a SECOND time at a different point in the year to do another race. Why not take a group of existing races that are somewhat close geographically and put them on successive weeks? It would help domestic teams travel expenses too... so it's not like there is a downside if the bigger teams don't show.

 

[Dutchsmurf]

As prep... I don't think those are exactly dominating. Many seem quite light on climbs. A few teams/riders already were willing with that schedule to come to the US for the Tour of California alone. Would some come a bit early and race something like Cascade or Gila a week before on the same trip? Maybe stay late and forego Luxembourg leading into the Tour of Switzerland, instead chosing to race Colorado or Utah?

ToC isn't done as preparation for the Tour tho, it is a paid holiday. Just look at how Andy and Cancellara rode it. Instead of training at home they got people cheering for them, nice weather and a change of scenery. Kinda like that 'race' on Curaçao as season ender.
Not that the races in America will ever be a Tour preparation. You don't go to the other side of the ocean in the middle of your preparation for the most important race of the year.

If the American (and Mexico/Canada) will want to grow, they need to focus on their own strength instead of trying to ride on the power of the Tour. That means building up their own circuit and not leech on the European races. South America is doing fine with its own races, why can't North America do the same?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

If Germany come out with a good climber again then Bayern will utilise more of the climbs - there are some good ones down there.

 

[Arnout]

As prep... I don't think those are exactly dominating. Many seem quite light on climbs. A few teams/riders already were willing with that schedule to come to the US for the Tour of California alone. Would some come a bit early and race something like Cascade or Gila a week before on the same trip? Maybe stay late and forego Luxembourg leading into the Tour of Switzerland, instead chosing to race Colorado or Utah?

Racing in high mountains when in early buid up is not always a good thing to do. What is more, most top riders want to check out the stages of the Tour in between the different prep races.

ToC is, as said before, more an exotic holiday and a must do for the sponsors.

 

[kurtinsc]

ToC isn't done as preparation for the Tour tho, it is a paid holiday. Just look at how Andy and Cancellara rode it. Instead of training at home they got people cheering for them, nice weather and a change of scenery. Kinda like that 'race' on Curaçao as season ender.
Not that the races in America will ever be a Tour preparation. You don't go to the other side of the ocean in the middle of your preparation for the most important race of the year.

If the American (and Mexico/Canada) will want to grow, they need to focus on their own strength instead of trying to ride on the power of the Tour. That means building up their own circuit and not leech on the European races. South America is doing fine with its own races, why can't North America do the same?

Unfortunately... that just isn't going to happen.

The level of sporting fandom for cycling (and other sports that are not major at the moment) is dependent on star power. People don't care about swimming... but they'll watch swimming with Michael Phelps in it. Golf has a higher level of base interest... but only does well with Tiger. Soccer drew better when Beckham played.

The only way to build the sport here with the sporting fans in the US is to get stars here. Maybe tour prep isn't the best way to do that... maybe early or late season focus would be... but without the stars, it just isn't going to happen.

 

[Fowsto Cope-E]

I would like to see a GT in America in which only domestic riders participated in. I think it would interesting and completely different from anythin go on the NRC right now. So, I was kind of hoping that the Tour of America did happen this year. No ProTour riders would take it seriously and leave all of the money to the domestic riders. The organizers wouldn't like it very much, because they would be broke afterward, but I would love it!