Professional Cycling - If the Tour Was Covered Like Nascar...

Okay, okay, now that I have your attention... what would Tour Coverage be like if Fox rought it to us each and every day? I was talking to my girlfriend about this just last night, as she was baffled as to why we couldn't get a shot of CSC until halfway through the team time trial or why we didn't know exactly how fast riders were going at any given moment. If fox covered the Tour, we'd have all of the following:


On Screen Computers - Each and every rider's computer could be displayed on screen at any time. This would include KM/hr, cadence, etc. Perhaps even gear ratio.
Miced up Riders - We'd get audio snippets from various riders, and perhaps even be able to listen in to team communications.
More Cameras - We certaintly wouldn't hear "No one in the world covered Zabriske's ride today, so we can't show it to you."


I really think these changes would make the tour much more interesting to watch for a mass TV audience while not detracting from the experience at all for the diehards. In fact, who WOULDN't want this information? Perhaps it could be argued that so much public information would make teams nervous, but if everyone had to comply it'd work out just fine...

the oval makes it easy to record everything on camera. imagine if nascar was similar to the TDF - a month long event where they drove hundreds of miles every day through twisty mountains and valleys. coverage would be, well, a bit more like the TDF. ;)

a month long event where they drove hundreds of miles every day through twisty mountains and valleys. coverage would be, well, a bit more like the TDF. ;)

I might actually watch Nascar if it was like that. ;)

First off... it would be a trip hearing Darrell Waltrip pronounce Thor Husvold's name... DW's goofy, but the man knows his sport inside and out and usually knows what's happening before it happens. DW's enthusiasm is like that of Bob Roll, except a bit more professional, and his knowledge of the history is as deep as Phil Liggett's. Too bad it's now time for NBC's half of the racing season....their announcers are slow to react to anything important. (yes, shoot me now.... I am a NASCAR fan.... I let them waste the gas for me...)

The onboard telemetry is an interesting idea. Every car in NASCAR has to have it, so no one is singled out. They feature this on their web-site as a pay service. Never tried it, but supposedly it's a stat-junkie's holy grail. They could mount cameras on the handlebars or on the head-tube. That would be awesome. Think about watching a decsent (or a crash) from on-board camera. Dang.

Also, it would be cool to listen in to the radios as the race goes along on a scanner.... listen to Johann extoll "Venga Venga Venga!!!" to the Spanish riders.

Okay.... I think we need to get SPEED channel involved here.... they are all about racing, right? Fox owns SPEED channel, so that would fit right in....

Ha. It's fun to speculate....

the oval makes it easy to record everything on camera. imagine if nascar was similar to the TDF - a month long event where they drove hundreds of miles every day through twisty mountains and valleys. coverage would be, well, a bit more like the TDF. ;)

That would be FIA World Rally Championship coverage on Speed Channel. They have multiple cameras, telemetry, miked drivers, etc., but they still suffer a lot of the same transmission dropouts due to terrain and coverage.

On-bike cameras would be awesome, but I can't see the teams really going for that.

the biggest problem is all the broadcasters have to broadcast from the french live feed. so for example OLN has no say in whats shown. so for whatever reason the french broadcasters choose to hardly show CSC at all yesterday. maybe they screwed up and didn't have a motorcycle with them? it's also whay the live coverage doesn't start at the begining of the race each day.

It would be nice if we had more onboard info. I hate having to frantically catch a glimpse of a rider's gearing on a climb or on the windy flats. The coverage is still lacking technology-wise.

It would be nice if we had more onboard info. I hate having to frantically catch a glimpse of a rider's gearing on a climb or on the windy flats. The coverage is still lacking technology-wise.

Exactly - that's what I'm saying. It's not like technology for this doesn't already exist! I mean, cameras mounted on the bikes themselves would be cool, but might interfere with operation or aerodynamics of the bike so I could see why you wouldn't do that. But is it that unrealistic to have real-time computer data?

I might actually watch Nascar if it was like that. ;)

LOL- I guess thats why we watch F1.. Well, unitl be got soured by the mess at indy...

If the tour was covered like NASCAR...

1. Thousands of white trash would have to be flown to France for the crowds (eye luv yeww eevan baysso...".
2. The racing would be stopped every 5-10 minutes for no real reason.
3. Riders would gain 60lbs.
4. All post-race interviews would be unintelligable.
5. More riders would be added to induce accidents, or "wrecks".
6. Several of the field would be described as "eyetalians"
7. We would watch 4 hours a day of Lance Armstrong celebrity poker.

I'd like to see the Lance Armstrong Asscam (TM), a rearward facing camera to watch the peloton.

If the tour was covered like NASCAR...

1. Thousands of white trash would have to be flown to France for the crowds (eye luv yeww eevan baysso...".
2. The racing would be stopped every 5-10 minutes for no real reason.
3. Riders would gain 60lbs.
4. All post-race interviews would be unintelligable.
5. More riders would be added to induce accidents, or "wrecks".
6. Several of the field would be described as "eyetalians"
7. We would watch 4 hours a day of Lance Armstrong celebrity poker.

I'd like to see the Lance Armstrong Asscam (TM), a rearward facing camera to watch the peloton.

Your reply and replies like it, while quite humorous, are missing the point. Nascar is the fastest growing sport in the US and is the largest spectator sport in the country. Surely they're not all "white trash" as you say. Surely, we'd like to see cycling take off here in North America.

Why does Nascar succeed? It succeeds because they constantly give fans exactly what they want. By simply taking advantage of existing technology, cycling broadcasts could be much more informative for diehards and much more inviting to newbies.

All that said, I can't stand watching Nascar. But every once in a while I watch for 10 minutes just because I feel the sheer volume of information available to viewers is impressive.

Why does Nascar succeed? It succeeds because they constantly give fans exactly what they want.

Quite right, NASCAR and FOX feeds the lowest common denominator, and it is no marketing secret that NASCAR fans are also WWF Wrestling fans, another popular "sport". It's entertainment, its not racing.
Also, the fanbase in NASCAR is now mostly women and in the lowest education bracket. There is little interest in NASCAR outside the US. These are the oldest drivers in racing.

Sorry, no sale, comparing NASCAR to real racing is like comparing Tour De France with Foxy Boxing.
You can't expect me to believe that any sport in which its proponents spend most of their time in celebrity poker and mind numbing round-table discussion TV is worth it.

If FOX covered TDF, they would have flaming hoops on the course and full contact sprints.

I agree with many of the comments about Nascar but they're really useless from the POV of FOX. Nascar makes money. Lots of it. Although cycling is bigger on a world level I'd bet that the Nascar based industry makes tons more money. And money makes the world go round, at least in some places.

Quite right, NASCAR and FOX feeds the lowest common denominator, and it is no marketing secret that NASCAR fans are also WWF Wrestling fans, another popular "sport". It's entertainment, its not racing.
Also, the fanbase in NASCAR is now mostly women and in the lowest education bracket. There is little interest in NASCAR outside the US. These are the oldest drivers in racing.

Sorry, no sale, comparing NASCAR to real racing is like comparing Tour De France with Foxy Boxing.
You can't expect me to believe that any sport in which its proponents spend most of their time in celebrity poker and mind numbing round-table discussion TV is worth it.

If FOX covered TDF, they would have flaming hoops on the course and full contact sprints.

Wow.... I'll say my peace and then let it go. I watch NASCAR. I live in a Northern state. I have a college degree. Many of my co-workers who work in the tech sector follow and attend races. Yeah, you may see a "yah-hoo" factor in the stands, but believe me that NASCAR has the attention of many highly educated fans.

It's not all "South," either. Races take place in New Hampshire (2 times), Michigan (2), Chicago, upstate New York, the Poconos, California (near LA, as well as in Sonoma wine country), and Vegas, to name a few locations.

The drivers range in age from 19 to mid-40's, with the best in their mid-20's to mid-30's, so, yes, there are some older drivers, but they also are cultivating many talented younger drivers, as well. They come from all over the US, so yes, it is US-centric, but they are expanding slowly. They recognize the global appeal of F1 racing (ugh... follow the leader in the highest tech way you can....) and know that the world can enjoy NASCAR.

As for comparisons to cycling (which I follow, as well)..... Aren't they all just traveling billboards for big corporations? :) The domestiques are somewhat like the pit-crew in that they take care of their leader during the race. The crew chief is involved just like a DS in making crucial decisions throughout the race....

Anyway, I won't convert anyone with this, I realize. Just make sure you know that education has little to do with who follows a sport. Following any sport involves intricacies that you won't see on the surface.

I might actually watch Nascar if it was like that. ;)

Yes, It's called World Rallye Championship. There are stages, points, hill climbs, neutral service, Time trials, mechanicals, punctures, etc. Just like bicycle stage racing.

When I was in France a couple of years ago, I would return to my hotel room and flip the channels between Rallye car racing and Bicycle Racing. None of which is shown on this side of the ocean.

WRC racing is awesome. I have watched that before, in the US, on speed channel I think. I'd find it flipping through also. Watching that stuff is really exciting. They're taking muddy tortuous mountain passes at 100mph! Cars roll down the side of mountains but the drivers just keep going. Awesome stuff, I like watching the highlights of it.

Quite right, NASCAR and FOX feeds the lowest common denominator, and it is no marketing secret that NASCAR fans are also WWF Wrestling fans, another popular "sport". It's entertainment, its not racing.
Also, the fanbase in NASCAR is now mostly women and in the lowest education bracket. There is little interest in NASCAR outside the US. These are the oldest drivers in racing.

Sorry, no sale, comparing NASCAR to real racing is like comparing Tour De France with Foxy Boxing.
You can't expect me to believe that any sport in which its proponents spend most of their time in celebrity poker and mind numbing round-table discussion TV is worth it.

If FOX covered TDF, they would have flaming hoops on the course and full contact sprints.

You may not enjoy the sport, but I fail to see how its not "real" racing. Do you think the outcomes are fixed?

In fact, I see many things about NASCAR that are similar to the Tour. They both race in teams, and draft to help each other over the course of a grueling, extremely long race. Winning the day's race is important, but racers with a chance of winning the whole thing (Nextel Champoinship or Tour de France) often decide not to push win individual stages, concentrating on the big picture. NASCAR is more like the Tour than other forms of motor sports, as the giant oval allows for more passing than follow-the-leader road course races. This is very similar to a sprint finish. And there already are full contact sprint finishes, as Robby McEwan demonstrated in stage three. And he got penalized just like Tony Stewart would if he tried something similar.

I posted a question in another thread as to why they don't mention the bicycle makes more. Americans like to identify with a product that they know. ie Ford, Chevy in NASCAR or Ferrari or BMW in F1. The only team that I can identify is the Fatso Bordello one. I think I went there once by mistake when I was in France.

I feel like everyone is caught up with telemetry and onboard cameras. Well there is one very good reason it is not done in a bike race and it seems you are all forgetting it. A bike weights 14.4 lbs the "engine" weighs less then 200 lbs (Except Magnus). Now you start adding all that tech to the bike you are talking about adding a considerable percentage of weight and drag, with a car that stuff is nothing. On top of that in the end of the story Nascar/Fox does not tell you anything useful that Cycling does not. I mean I can see what their cadence is and figure out their speeds and the give me gaps. What more does Fox really give you. And what is nascar was more like cycling, taking fuel on the fly and not changing tires except for flats at the back. I mean real racing does not take breaks.

Why does Nascar succeed? It succeeds because they constantly give fans exactly what they want..

NASCAR succeeds because as Americans we are genetically programmed to have an odd satisfaction at watching and listening to our natural resources being consumed at gallons upon gallons per minute for the sole purpose of going in circles for 3 hours.

two words.... helmet cams :D and mics so you can listen to Dave Z's one question interviews

Three Words:

High

Freaking

Def

*nuff Said*

Okay, okay, now that I have your attention... what would Tour Coverage be like if Fox rought it to us each and every day? I was talking to my girlfriend about this just last night, as she was baffled as to why we couldn't get a shot of CSC until halfway through the team time trial or why we didn't know exactly how fast riders were going at any given moment. If fox covered the Tour, we'd have all of the following:


On Screen Computers - Each and every rider's computer could be displayed on screen at any time. This would include KM/hr, cadence, etc. Perhaps even gear ratio.
Miced up Riders - We'd get audio snippets from various riders, and perhaps even be able to listen in to team communications.
More Cameras - We certaintly wouldn't hear "No one in the world covered Zabriske's ride today, so we can't show it to you."


I really think these changes would make the tour much more interesting to watch for a mass TV audience while not detracting from the experience at all for the diehards. In fact, who WOULDN't want this information? Perhaps it could be argued that so much public information would make teams nervous, but if everyone had to comply it'd work out just fine...

Streaming boogety-boogety-boogety.
Lance competing on faster stages with a restrictor plate over his mouth.
Debates on the spoiler position for differing makes.
The top 10 competitors after the 2nd week advancing to the chase!

If the tour was covered like NASCAR...

1. Thousands of white trash would have to be flown to France for the crowds (eye luv yeww eevan baysso...".
2. The racing would be stopped every 5-10 minutes for no real reason.
3. Riders would gain 60lbs.
4. All post-race interviews would be unintelligable.
5. More riders would be added to induce accidents, or "wrecks".
6. Several of the field would be described as "eyetalians"
7. We would watch 4 hours a day of Lance Armstrong celebrity poker.

I'd like to see the Lance Armstrong Asscam (TM), a rearward facing camera to watch the peloton.

1. Earnhardt’s Realtree business was setup for Bass fishing.
2. Gotta get the lucky dawg back on the Peloton’s lead lap.
3. Nascar uses a min weight combined vehicle and driver.
4. Well I was bump drafn’ the nummer 39 bayk and his chainwill disngaged causing me to inch foward jamming his pedl till the front tire blowed up. Was bringn it bawk to the pits when the inner liner let go. I unnerstan the 39 bawk is bawk in the garage changn’ the boddum brakkit.
5. More lucky dawgs.
6.Eyetallyuns see good.
7.Texas Holdem?