The GTs should get with it (minor spoiler)
Last Post 07/10/2014 09:54 PM by Michael Carbajal. 6 Replies.
Author Messages
79pmooney

Posts:3178

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07/10/2014 10:42 AM
Grand Tours are big business.  There is real investment in the riders.  Those Tours should look at the pro sports that have succeeded.  We will leave football in both its forms out of this.  One makes hamburger out of the athletes, the other attracts hooligans, both on and off the playing surface.  Ice hockey for the same reason.  No, lets look at baseball, basketball, tennis and golf.  All four work well from a $$ standpoint.  Rather well in fact.  And what so they have in common?  THEY DON"T PLAY IN THE RAIN!

The players are too valuable.  Greens get messed up.  (You say cycling doesn't have greens?  I beg to differ.  There is a certain rider today wearing a ripped up green kit.)  Cobbles aren't the problem.  It's those wet roads.  Yesterday: one retirement; from two crashes on wet roads.  I saw one crash total on cobbles and he wasn't hurt.  Today more crashes, more retirements.  The Tours need to institute rain delays and rain days.  (Take a hint from track racing.  They have been doing that forever.)



Ben
6ix

Posts:485

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07/10/2014 11:01 AM
I disagree. If you start post-poning or cancelling races because of rain, it opens a huge can of worms. Before you know it, they cancel if someone spits on the ground! Or it's too hot, too cold, too windy, etc. Pro cycling has always been super hardcore and attracts extremely tough riders. Delaying the start of a race would create massive logistics issues as the timed road closures along the course would all have to be changed.

Look at F1. They don't stop for the rain. They change tires, slow down, and get on with it. The weather is part of the event.
79pmooney

Posts:3178

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07/10/2014 11:21 AM
6, my tongue and cheek are both quite sore.

Ben
Oldfart

Posts:511

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07/10/2014 03:26 PM
One thing they should do is have five podium places like they do in World Cup DH mountain bike races. More sponsor promo.
Orange Crush

Posts:4499

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07/10/2014 03:43 PM
Ben - I am proud of you; still not posting pictures but you found the smiley face!
Ride On

Posts:537

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07/10/2014 05:49 PM
All pro sports are bad for an athletes health. To much stress, done to often.
jookey

Posts:197

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07/10/2014 09:54 PM
Phooey. Some of the best races are in the rain. That stage five was epic. Great tv. Paris Roubaix is best wet. Make it good for tv. That is what the nfl did.


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