Dale
Posts:1767
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| 02/01/2019 01:04 PM |
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I'll spend all fookin' weekend mad about this...
Probably most of next week as well
https://www.cxmagazine.com/2022-cyclocross-world-championships-fayetteville-arkansas-true-rumors?fbclid=IwAR0_RJXI7y_pqMzENSYdIuCd9_uKTznnQWQo3kd57oKCBWxQ8BJgOG9u-TA
Arkansas has awesome off-road trails and a great mbt scene but they completely stink at cross.
I've raced there; they have zero support, the courses blow, and they've never hosted a decent race let alone a UCI CX race at C-1 level. My teammates and I will drive 8 hours to race Madison, 7 hours to race Jingle Cross, 7 hours to race Louisville or Cincy rather than 2 hours to Arkansas to race some recently mowed pasture masquerading as a cross course. I'm sure they'll have a legit course set up for 2022 but they shouldn't be rewarded Worlds based on the pathetic stuff they've done in the past.
This is a total disrespect to Jingle Cross and Trek CXC who have put on awesome races for years.
Yeah, yeah... it's right down the road from me and I'll watch and probably race Masters but it ticks me off that the Waltons can throw money at a project and have the UCI stumble all over themselves to hand over the crown jewel of racing.
rantnotover/ |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 02/01/2019 01:46 PM |
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I'm kinda torn....I completely understand your point (especailly re: Jingle Cross organizers), but having the Waltons behind this has led to some outstanding growth opportunities for cycling in general...and in an area where we are still generally viewed as "fags in lycra".
I'm going to be down in Bentonville in late Feb (25-27) for a Walmart Supplier Summit and I'm hoping to rent a bike and hit some of the trails while I am there. |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 02/01/2019 02:02 PM |
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I should be in town those day and my wife will be visiting her mom out west... let's go hit some trails.
We'll need to meet up in a couple weeks in Greyslake and can work out the logistics. If there isn't a bike rental place I'll call in some favors and find one for you.
PS. NW Arkansas is fantastic for mountain biking and had a good road scene... they should do something in those categories and build up cross rather than take an event from a place with deep cx roots |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 02/01/2019 05:06 PM |
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| Sounds like a plan!!!! |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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longslowdistance
Posts:2881
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| 02/01/2019 09:25 PM |
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| A large group of cachectic people covered in mud. In Arkansas. Sounds just right to me. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 02/02/2019 10:39 AM |
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2022 better not be a polar vortex year.
Other than that this sounds like a positive combined with the 2 US based WC races continuing next year.
Cant holds off 4 orange? Now THAT gets me pissy. |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 02/02/2019 04:09 PM |
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LOL....when I watched her pull away, I thought “uh-oh....OC will NOT be happy!!” 
Good race, though.... |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 02/02/2019 05:11 PM |
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| Yes good race. Brand's dad mucked up the bike change but it won't spoil next Christmas dinner she said. |
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longslowdistance
Posts:2881
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| 02/02/2019 05:38 PM |
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| What happened to Katie Compton? |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 02/03/2019 09:26 AM |
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| Much better. |
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 02/03/2019 06:45 PM |
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| Mathieu was just flawless. He owned that from the second Wout bobbled. |
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79pmooney
Posts:3180
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| 02/03/2019 07:41 PM |
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| Dale, another take - UCI might well be doing more to grow the sport planting seeds in the waste-land of Alabama than in other fertile (and already very well planted) grounds. Plus, those established CX areas are going to do just fine never seeing the worlds. (Might even do better.) I look at Oregon's OBRA whiich has choosen not to cater to US Cycling on the road. It had cost them event money, but to the best ofmy knowledge, OBRA is doing just fine |
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79pmooney
Posts:3180
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| 02/03/2019 07:41 PM |
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| Dale, another take - UCI might well be doing more to grow the sport planting seeds in the waste-land of Alabama than in other fertile (and already very well planted) grounds. Plus, those established CX areas are going to do just fine never seeing the worlds. (Might even do better.) I look at Oregon's OBRA whiich has choosen not to cater to US Cycling on the road. It had cost them event money, but to the best ofmy knowledge, OBRA is doing just fine |
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79pmooney
Posts:3180
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| 02/03/2019 10:31 PM |
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| Dale, another take - UCI might well be doing more to grow the sport planting seeds in the waste-land of Alabama than in other fertile (and already very well planted) grounds. Plus, those established CX areas are going to do just fine never seeing the worlds. (Might even do better.) I look at Oregon's OBRA whiich has choosen not to cater to US Cycling on the road. It had cost them event money, but to the best ofmy knowledge, OBRA is doing just fine |
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79pmooney
Posts:3180
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| 02/03/2019 10:31 PM |
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| Dale, another take - UCI might well be doing more to grow the sport planting seeds in the waste-land of Alabama than in other fertile (and already very well planted) grounds. Plus, those established CX areas are going to do just fine never seeing the worlds. (Might even do better.) I look at Oregon's OBRA whiich has choosen not to cater to US Cycling on the road. It had cost them event money, but to the best ofmy knowledge, OBRA is doing just fine |
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79pmooney
Posts:3180
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| 02/03/2019 10:33 PM |
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| Dale, another take - UCI might well be doing more to grow the sport planting seeds in the waste-land of Alabama than in other fertile (and already very well planted) grounds. Plus, those established CX areas are going to do just fine never seeing the worlds. (Might even do better.) I look at Oregon's OBRA whiich has choosen not to cater to US Cycling on the road. It had cost them event money, but to the best ofmy knowledge, OBRA is doing just fine |
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 02/04/2019 06:17 AM |
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| A USACycling event maybe, but the World Championship? |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 02/04/2019 09:29 AM |
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| Does anyone know if the Jingle Cross organizers (or anyone else in the US) submitted a bid? If not, it is kinda hard to fault the UCI for not awarding them the event. |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 02/04/2019 10:27 AM |
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No idea who else submitted a bit-- Jingle Cross or Trek, but most certainly one of the Euro hotbeds of CX submitted a bid.
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 02/04/2019 06:02 PM |
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More reasons why this is a positive
https://www.velonews.com/2019/02/commentary/commentary-with-waning-interest-in-belgium-cross-must-look-to-u-s_483203
Having your entire worlds dominated by just two colors of jerseys isn't viable (or at least, its pretty boring). I only know one other sport where this is so, "korfbal" (this may also be the only co-ed ballsport in existence). OK, you guys have a world series that seems to be taking part entirely on US soil, that one counts too. |
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longslowdistance
Posts:2881
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| 02/04/2019 06:56 PM |
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| Hi OC,
MLB is the richest and best baseball league, and most players are American born, but many, many are not. The Japanese major league is very good, too. Mostly home grown players there.
But here's an international sport that is hugely dominated by one country:
Basketball. The NBA is the third richest league in the world by revenue, fourth by revenue per team (After NFL, MLB, EPL). Lots of great foreign players are stars in the NBA, but in this sport, the depth and quality of talent is dominated by a single country. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 02/04/2019 09:33 PM |
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LSD I'll disagree. Basketball has a proper format for international competition. Next year's worlds has a 32 country representation. Yes the US may dominate but it won't be a walkover and the format is there to keep growing globally. By some counts in is already the worlds second biggest sport.
Meanwhile baseball's struggle to find a similar global formula continues to sputter. Much like cyclocross. Denmark like Arkansas isn't exactly a hotbed for the sport. But if we keep holding events at these faraway places and with help of Waltons monkeys perhaps slowly it will get there.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/made-by-history/wp/2018/08/16/how-basketball-became-the-worlds-second-biggest-sport/ |
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 02/05/2019 08:22 AM |
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| Not sure if you meant that to write "Waltons monkeys" or Waltons money" but I like the former |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 02/05/2019 11:02 AM |
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Hahaha - Freudian slip Dale.
BTW - the Belgians are already complaining about next year's course in another one of those faraway places - Switzerland. Apparently laps around an air strip. Totally flat. |
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longslowdistance
Posts:2881
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| 02/05/2019 06:13 PM |
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| OC, If the USA basketball tenth or eleventh team came fresh and ready, rather than after their grueling 82 game NBA regular season and endless playoffs, they would blow through any international field undefeated and hardly winded. If the US had to play an all star team of the best international players, and each had time to train together and were well rested, do you really think the Americans would lose a game, let alone even have a close game? If so, you you don't follow basketball. This is not jingoism, just observing that B-ball is an international sport that is hugely dominated by a single country, apropos to a previous post.
When the US can dominate Holland in soccer, things may be different. Won't happen in my lifetime. |
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longslowdistance
Posts:2881
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| 02/05/2019 07:35 PM |
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| PS: I acknowledge that soccer (football) is by far the most truly international sport, and kudos to Holland for being a major player regardless of population size. The populous and wealthy US is a third tier power with weak aspirations of second tier status. The excellent and tall American and international athletes who go into the NBA mostly would be good goalies (imaging LeBron as a goalie!). The shorter but excellent American great athletes are playing baseball or have bit roles in American football. It's part culture and part amount the money. Soccer gets poor French and German kids off the farm. American football gets poor American kids out of the ghetto or farm. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 02/06/2019 01:45 PM |
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| OK, we're officially on some rail spur in the middle of nowhere. Where's the main trail again? |
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longslowdistance
Posts:2881
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| 02/06/2019 02:15 PM |
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| That no major sport is dominated by just one or two countries. Which isn’t true, as basketball is dominated by a single country.
The soccer post was an attempt to smooth any ruffled feathers. Yes it was off topic. |
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 02/06/2019 02:15 PM |
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Posted By Orange Crush on 02/06/2019 01:45 PM
OK, we're officially on some rail spur in the middle of nowhere. Where's the main trail again?
LOL... it did sort of meander off into the woods |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 02/07/2019 10:26 AM |
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We're in the woods alright; can't see the forest for all the trees.
The trail we were meant to be on, in the context of cyclocross' predicament (and how the Waltons' moneys factor in) was in fact that a sport dominated by 1-2 countries isn't viable (emphasis on those last two words).
In that context, the successful push for globalization of basketball from a sport once played in just one country is in fact interesting. Much more interesting than who can beat up on who. I still don't know how soccer factors in, other than that basketball copied their globalization model. |
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79pmooney
Posts:3180
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| 02/07/2019 12:38 PM |
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Dale, I want to steer this a little more on course (and learn something). I want to hear more (edit: from OC) about the Waltons' monkeys. Is that literal monkeys or just figurative. And if literal, what species? And is consideration given to how these monkeys will interact with the different cultures UCI wants to bring cyclocross to? (I'd be concerned that perhaps said monkeys might get eaten or taken as pets.)
I may have dreams tonight of monkeys bundled up to watch a snowy race in Belgium\.
Ben |
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79pmooney
Posts:3180
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| 02/07/2019 12:39 PM |
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Cursed internet connection.
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Dale
Posts:1767
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| 02/13/2019 09:13 PM |
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Here I am eating crow over this thread.
I was in Iowa City today and popped in on one of the bike shops to chat with the owner and Worlds came up. Seems the Jingle Cross promoter was interested in Worlds but the potential for crapy weather in Iowa made it less appealing.
...um yeah... it was -25*F in Iowa with the Polar Vortex the week Worlds were held in Denmark. Nobody would have raced in that, this week there's a foot and a half of snow that fell in 24 hours in addition to the freezing rain they got that closed the main highway, canceled schools, and made back roads impassable. Not exactly conducive to a bike race.
So Arkansas it is, and I'm less grumpy about it. |
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79pmooney
Posts:3180
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| 02/13/2019 09:35 PM |
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Dale, that would have made for one of the all-time epic World Championships. (For the riders and the three spectators.) No one would ever have dreamed Americans could be that tough.
Ben |
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