It's not just on the continent that times are tough for young pros. One rider finding the veneer of glamour isn't overly thick is 23 year-old Dale Appleby; one of the youngsters signed for Team Raleigh for the 2010 season.
Winning the Welsh National Road Championship and a top ten finish in the UCI Ringerike stage race in Norway against a top line field were not enough for the Welshman to be retained, despite previous indications that this would be the case.
Despite his youth, the man from the Valleys has packed a lot into his career, including the mountains award in the Girvan and best young rider in the FBD Insurance Rás. He recently he took time to talk to VeloNation about being a young pro in the UK, his experience racing with different teams and his plans for 2011.
VeloNation: Where are you from, how old are you and how did you get into cycling?
Dale Appleby: I'm originally from Williamstown, a small place in the Rhondda Valleys. I'm 23 going on 24 in December. My step dad did triathlons; I got a stitch when I ran and got bored with swimming so there was only one left.
VN: I first remember you from the 2006 Girvan, with Recycling. That seemed like a good team and you had a good performance there?
DA: Yes, that all came about because of Julian Winn. I was training for the Commonwealth Games with him that winter and he got me a team. It was great, probably my best year, with John Herety managing. At Girvan I had just come back from the Games in Melbourne and was in good shape; I took the King of the Mountains jersey.
VN: But in 2007 you were off to VC Seano in Italy - how did that go?
DA: l loved it! The whole Italian thing was great, Julian Winn set that up as well. I was there with Rob Partridge but because of a Italian ruling about numbers of foreigners in a team we had to ride alternate races. Rob went home and that meant that I could ride all the races.
I went reasonably well with fifth my best result and I got quite a few top 15 placings. I nearly turned pro at the end of the year with an Italian team. I went for a meal with the team and sorted out the race programme but it didn't came off.
VN: In 2008 you were with Rapha - was that a good season for you?
DA: It was either really good or really bad; a bit of a roller coaster! I got second and sixth on stages and third on GC at the first Premier Calendar. Then at Girvan I managed to get in the race winning move of five; sprinting for the win I crashed and broke my collarbone, had I not crashed I would have been joint leader with Russ Downing.
I came back from having my collarbone plated and won the white jersey at the Ras in Ireland. Then I got food poisoning in Tour de Beauce in Canada and it took me 3 weeks to get back to my normal weight. At the Tour of Ireland I got top 10 on the first stage then had a bad crash the next day...
I'd had enough of my bike for the year after that!
VN: In 2009 you were with Phil Griffiths at Candi - a good experience?
DA: Yes, we were looked after well; always having the best kit, nice training camps, shiny cars and all the rest. I punctured at the first Premier Calendar when away with Andy Tennant, there were only around five kilometres to go. He won it and I got 30th or something like that.
I liked racing with Malcolm Elliott and Russ Downing; I was glad he got his Sky contract. He'd been good all year but at Tour of Ireland he was something else.
VN: How did Raleigh compare to Candi, Rapha and Recycling?
DA: It was right up there at the same level - with the same support, we got good races and it was a nice group of lads.
VN: Were you surprised not to get retained with Raleigh after you won the Welsh Champs and were top ten in the Ringerike?
DA: Yes, it was a real big let down. I received two or three emails from Geoff Giddings, the main man, saying that; 'we need to sort a contract out,' and that he 'hopes I see a future with them' and all that kind of thing. I received one from him just before Tour of Britain so I thought I had secured my future - that meant I didn't approach other teams.
The day before I left for the Delhi Commonwealth Games I got an email saying I wasn't wanted. I had been loyal to the team; in June I was approached by a top UK team but I knocked it back - I guess it's dog eat dog, huh? I asked them to justify the decision and all I got was a load of mutters, so what can you do?
VN: What were the highs and lows of 2010 for you?
DA: I'd hoped to go better early season because I was going well at the training camp; but I was ill when I got back from my second training camp. And the nationals - I was going really well just before them when I was in Norway, but became sick again because I was doing Tour crits, Premiers - too much.
The highs were telling Larry Hickmott at the team presentation that I wanted to go well at the Rás. But we didn't do the Rás, we went to the Ringerike instead, it was on at the same time - I got top 10 on GC and didn't finish outside the top 25 the whole race.
I don't think many people expected that performance but I had targeted it and was going well in training - and I'd won the Welsh champs the week before.
VN: Why do you think you've had so many changes of team?
DA: I'm not really sure to be honest, I guess opportunities arise so you gotta take them.
VN: What's your favourite type of race?
DA: I like quite a tough race where it's a whittling down process; short climbs, one or two kilometres long where the racing is decided at the end in a sprint finish from a small group.
VN: Have you considered Belgium or France?
DA: No, but I've raced in France before and really enjoyed northern France - but the Pyrenees are a no no! The first time I raced in Belgium was last year and just loved the whole atmosphere of rock up and race; hopefully I'll do it again next year.
VN: How did the Commonwealth Games go for you?
DA: It went well, I only found out about seven or ten days before we left, so it was one big rush to get injections and all the other travel stuff. But I did my job and was on Luke Rowe's hip for the first three hours. I went with a break then the next move was the winning one - I was there, got stuck in and did my job and Luke got top 10.
VN: What's the plan for 2011?
DA: I'll be racing for CyclePremier.com Metaltek; they've got a good little team with quite a few new signings. It'll be a British program doing the Premier Calendar, elite crits & hopefully Tour crits - they won one last year but hopefully can make the step up and challenge the top teams.