furiousferret

With VanGarderen bowing out and conceding so much time, am I the only that thinks USA Cycling is in a terrible spot right now? Maybe that will change with Phinney in the Olympics or Talansky at the Vuelta but imo those are both long shots. I mean, we're sending Brent Bookwalter to the Olympics. Nothing against the guy, he does a fine job passing up water bottles to Porte.

ancker

The NBCSN commentators said that Oval rings were banned by most sponsors. And that Froome was the only rider allowed to use them.
Anyone have any details on that?

I assume "banned by sponsors" is really "We don't make them, so you can't use them." But then why would they let probably the most visible rider in the tour ride them? Who cares if the 6th rider on your team uses them, they're never on TV...

rankin116

Because he's Chris Froome, and if a potential sponsor said he couldn't use the rings, they wouldn't be a potential sponsor any longer.

carpediemracing 

Also keep in mind that what's his name used them for a bit then used round rings.

Wiggins. JFC. My memory.

TheKillerPenguin

Chris Froome rhymes with Chris Vroom, and cars and motorcycles go vroom, sooooo...OH MY GOD HE IS USING A MOTOR

Hermes

I wonder as well about USA and its cycling program. Everyone has an opinion but, IMHO, this mostly comes down to money and opportunity. We do not deploy the money nor have the opportunity to generate competitive UCI pro cyclists. Our athletes have other and possibly better pro athlete career choices than cycling.

As far as the olympics there is this from the WSJ that stated Brazil arrested several in connection with alleged planned terrorism activities...and...

Brazilian officials waited until just five weeks before the start of the Games to award a contract for hiring and training thousands of private security workers to screen for weapons outside Olympic venues.

That $5.3 million contract went to a small Brazilian temp agency that appears to have virtually no experience in providing security for an event as large as the Olympics.

That does not make me feel warm and fuzzy.

Ygduf

Don't worry. More guns = more safer.

Doge

Back-To-Back (it appears) UCI junior Nations Cup champs ... you just have to wait.

Doge

I see this problem with any non-NCAA sport. American kids have too much opportunity to give up if they cycle instead of going to college. Not so with Euro kids that attend college at a much lower rate, and therefore it is less important to being hired. Also as Euro colleges typically don't fund sports, students are free to do what they want, vs the NCAA billions that go into NCAA sports dragging many great athletes where the money is. My daughter went soccer over cycling - that reason was discussed.

This year - USA Blevins wins Peace Race (big deal - same as two recent WC), top 5 in worlds MBX and will be going to Cal State SLO.
Puppy decided on the USAFA. Costa is dabbling with UC Santa Cruz. Several others (17/18 Cat 1 types) are hanging it up after junior racing. Some kids will skip college to cycle, but it is a huge contributor to USA being less competitive.

It is all real depressing to me, but college over trying to be pro and be as happy as TJ appears to be the correct choice and I don't see it changing.

Was going to add that our anti-doping culture may also have had an effect on relative performance.

mattm

Maybe every few decades another LeMond comes along, but besides that I wouldn't hold your breath.. nobody riding now has It, it seems.

Luckily the Tour is still pretty entertaining!

PepeM

People in any other country usually go to university wherever they live, or nearby, and actually have a life outside, as opposed to being interned in a campus where their whole life has to revolve around 'the college experience.' Going to university anywhere else wouldn't get in the way of a professional career in sports. In the US, it makes it pretty much impossible.

As to college being less important to being hired in Europe, I have no idea where you get that but it is complete bollocks. Just look at the youth unemployment rates most countries are having. No young person is getting a job easily and not having a degree just makes it worse.

Cycling is a fringe (and posh) sport in the US. Can't expect a constant influx of world class riders.

furiousferret

That's probably the most tangible explanation. My theory (which may also contribute) is since the US isn't the sports epicenter, riders that show potential just don't get the support; even the Domestic teams aren't really set up to support prospects.

Just like in baseball, why would a scout bother with a kid in the Netherlands that can throw 90, when there are 10 kids in Texas that can do the same.

I think college is the right call too. There just isn't enough money in the sport; most of us probably make more than 95% of the peleton in the Tour.

I used to work with a guy that played in the English Premier League. He didn't really make much and said the worst thing about it was he had to start his career at 27 and wasted 9 years that he could have built his resume.

Grumpy McTrumpy

Culture difference. The last time Americans showed true international level dominance resulted in pretty much all of them being thrown under the bus as cheaters by the press, and the fans, and the public. In contrast, look at the level of support given to Pantani or Boonen in their countries. This, combined with the fact that domestic pros generally are paid badly and live a lifestyle analogous to B level ball players. Not much incentive to rise to the top. It's rare these days that you even see the Stars and Stripes jersey in a European race. In contrast, you see the champ of most European countries in many races.

TheKillerPenguin

This is bonkers! What a stage!

PepeM

Some great racing out there.

I hope Bardet can hold on to that second spot.

Flatballer

This got me looking. Minimum is around $40k. Looks like a good domestique is normally around $100k, a really good one maybe $400k, a classics specialist with a really good chance at a win maybe $500k. The top group of GC contenders and green jersey favorites are around $1-2 million. So yeah, the average is probably somewhere around $120k maybe, and the median is maybe $75k or something.

More than I thought actually. But that's the tippy top of the sport already if you're in a grand tour. 99% of pro cyclists are making basically nothing.

Compare that to the NFL where the minimum salary is $435k, and even a practice squad guy makes $100k a year at least. And there's something like 1600 active players in the NFL, compared to 220 riders in the Tour.

PepeM

I would take $40k to ride a bicycle professionally over $100k to do the engineering job I should be doing at this point in a heartbeat.

Also, most kids that take football seriously don't come from backgrounds where a $100k a year salary is pretty much a given. I would venture to say that most kids that take cycling seriously (in the US) do. That, together with a not very clear development path, makes attempting to succeed at cycling a risky proposition.

aaronmcd

If anyone thinks 100 grand is a given or normal, they are in desperate need of a reality check.

PepeM

Just like the premise that college is a given. It is, for a small section of the population. A section where most cyclists come from.

TheKillerPenguin

Mannnnn regional pros basically get paid in ramen and gear. It's unsustainable unless you've gotten yourself into a pretty narrow spectrum of support (very flexible real job which for most is a unicorn, independently wealthy, the world's most understanding spouse, young enough to still live with your parents, stubborn enough to be too old to live with your parents but do it anyway).

PepeM

Does anyone know if it is any more sustainable in Europe? They're probably still on not much, but at least there's free healthcare and stuff I guess.

EDIT: At least there is a clearer progression path. In the US there really aren't many paths up.

TheKillerPenguin

I spent a few months over in Belgium crashing at my sister's place in Kortrijk. My impression was there is a TON more support. People hear you are a cyclist with aspirations and want to help out in any way they can. Lots of people willing to pull strings, some actually offered drugs... just because they know you race. EVERYBODY loves a racing cyclist there. It's crazy. Like I was interviewed and put in the paper simply because I was an American chillin there that raced bikes. I was a bad Cat 3! I told them I wasn't that good and they didn't care!

Racing basically every day is a possibility, it's much cheaper, less stigma against it from employers, etc...

Like, I injured my knee and went to a pharmacy to get some inflammatory meds and they refused to give it to me because they could tell I was a cyclist. I didn't even say I was a cyclist, it's just so ingrained in their culture that they see a skinny looking bobble head and they're like naw dawg, no painkillers for you.

The above is all anecdotal so take it for what it is and not gospel truth. Compare the above to an experience I had in college; a friend tried to wing for me by telling a girl at a party I raced bikes. She comes up to me and asks what kind of motorcycle I have. I tell her I race bikes like Lance Armstrong (who was only known for winning at that point), she doesn't even pretend to be interested, she turns on her heel a full 180 and walks away without saying a word!

furiousferret

A few of our Domestic Pro's don't make squat but have jobs or rooms gifted by some of our other riders who are essentially poorer Oleg Tinkoffs. Those guys are the unsung heroes of the sport.

echappist

maybe for those with a degree in EE and software engineers or have a career in management consulting or i-banking (read, small population of those with degrees).
once you get down to the daily grind, i doubt you'd make the same decision. Pasture always look greener on the other side.

PepeM

Well, I am on $20k a year at 31 years of age, with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in my back pocket. I would gladly double my salary to ride bikes.