Road Cycling - The state of pro cycling

I've been reading in Pro Cycling magazine and in other places that the pro cycling circuit isn't very healthy right now with sponsors pulling out, riders doping, etc. I haven't been following the sport closely for very long, and I hope to have the opportunity to enjoy the professional ranks for many years to come. Cycling isn't in such bad shape that it could fold, is it? Because that would royally suck.

I'm fairly knowledgeable about how professional sports work on the business side when it comes to ice hockey and the other major team sports, but how does cycling function? Do the sponors get their money's worth? How much does it cost to run a pro cycling team? Is there a salary cap? How much money does the average pro rider make a year? I'm a new guy/rookie to the sport, and I have lots of questions! Thanks for your time

Are you talking about American cycling teams or the European circuit..? Can't say I have seen any Internet sites talking about this issue..Can't believe the European response to the big events would cause sponsors to back out..
My impression all the bucks go to the big names and then mostly through endorsements.. The support riders are struggling.. Hope someone responds to this thread, I would like to know more about this issue..

The January issue of Procylcing has a pretty good analysis of the European pro circuit.

Interesting fact. . . the AVERAGE salary of a french pro cyclist is $2,200/month. That means a lot of them are working for less. $15,000/year is a common base salary. Yeah, the young and less talented are riding for love of sport.

In the same issue it was pointed out that some team sponsors have realized great benefit from their involvement, but that once they achieved their business objective they pulled out.

There's no doubt that pro circuit is regrouping. Sponsors are turning over, but that has always happened. Teams are cutting payrolls with sponsor uncertainty and some big races are in trouble.

Probably the biggest problem is the lack of a french and italian superstar. These countries drive the sport. Their fans are rabid and knowledgable, but have had little to cheer for in the past few years. With JaJa retiring, Pantani fading fast and no young superstars positively identified the fans of the biggest cycling countries are less. . . fanatic. Add in Ulrich's injury and suspension, Garzelli's and Simoni's '02 Giro disqualification and Lance Armstrong appears to have no natural rival.

But road cycling isn't suffering alone. The mountainbike racing scene is probably in a greater state of flux. Salaries for the best XC racers plunged this offseason and some big sponsors pulled out leaving many riders without contracts.

Track cycling is also suffering with deteriorating velodromes (especially in the US), a lack of indoor arenas and general interest. The UCI is moving the track worlds to the winter so they won't compete with traditional cycling in northern hemisphere summer. This is controversial, because there aren't a lot of indoor arenas to train and race - worldwide. However, the UCI says that the TV money wants a winter season.

Cycling in general is struggling at the moment, arguably mostly because of a downturn in the economy worldwide. During periods of economic downturn advertising dollars are the first to be cut from corporate budgets. Since the worldwide economy is in a downswing, and since cycling sponsorship is a form of advertising, it will, necessarily be affect.

Even so, pro cycling is still functioning during the time of difficulty, and will not go away. If two world wars couldn't kill it, the current climate won't either.

My two cents:

I agree that the lack of a French or Itialian superstar is hurting. I do not think the doping issue would an issue if Lance had not won the last few tours. Personally I think performance enhancing drugs are a part of all professional sports, maybe not NASCAR but who knows. The European media made a huge deal out Lance and that in turn gave the issue undue attention. The number 1 sport in Europe, football, is probably plaqued with drug problems as well.
To complicate the issue, the strongest rider in the world is American, in a sport that is not very popular in America. Hatred will only drive the fans for so long, after they see that the guy they hate, be it Lemond of Armstrong, is not going away they will go away and wait for someone else. As much as I would hate it the best thing that could happen to procycling is for Lance to come in second this year.

It is just normal. Doping issues have nothing to do with it. Just as we all know many companies are hurting so they have to cut back and these type of programs are th eones that get cut first. It is a world crisis.

Every pro rider saw this coming from years back. It is finally here.

I know many friends are out of the sport because of this. For example Euskaltel just did a clean house with all their older riders and simply choose to put younger guys in. That is the way they function. They are one of the few teams out there that bring in new guys.

Who ever said cycling was a real job? Look at many riders now going and trying to start new businesses (much like myself). George Hincapie with his clothes, Freddy with his coffee, Bettini with his olive oil and there will be many more to come.

US scene? Not as bad simply because there was no money in it to begin with. Mainly bike manufacturers sponsoring teams thus they always get something out of it. But the money sponsors put in US based teams is not as much as European teams thus the cutbacks in spending do not seem to hurt as much. If anything it looks better here on paper but not enough to call it a real career and make a living long term.