Professional Cycling For the Fans - Tour Down Under

Is it me, or did it seem like the whole thing didn't really happen? Cyclingnews barely covered it. None of the papers (British) seemed to get into it.

If the UCI is really hoping to take cycling global, they need to do more to make the TdU into a top flight event.

You'll never see it on the front page of Sports Illustrated (then again in the US sports is really a subset of media, along with news that isn't news, and reality TV that isn't reality!!!).

But if within its own circles the Cycling community can't get geared up for a season-kick-off event like TdU then they should move it to later in schedule. Maybe get the Middle East tours moved up -- they seem to resonate more. Then have those lead into the TdU as the first "biggie" on the calendar?

Just seems like they are trying to lead off the Southern Hemisphere portion of the calendar with a big name event but it is falling flat. No build up in terms of the season, so from a press perspective it is flat (even if the course this year was not!)

I saw some youtube clips, nothing more
What are the rules for riders finishing with the same time?

I also noticed the lack of coverage. No lance this year = less coverage unfortunately. I still tried to follow it as much as possible though, and looking forward to the rest of the season. The news/coverage is there, you just have to look for it, it doesn't jump out in your face like the Tour de France.

? I followed it easily, through the usual channels: cycling news, steep hill. It was a bit harder to get video though. At least they had streaming audio.

I was really annoyed too.

The only coverage was on Sky Sports. I have Sky but can't afford Sky Sports :cry:
I do have Euro Sports however but it wasn't on there.

I listened to every stage live on radio Adelaide ABC. I thought the live Aussie coverage was very good and interesting as well as entertaining. :thumb:

The TV coverage was worse in Australia this year too. In previous years SBS(one of the government backed channels) gave it top coverage and it had prime time TV coverage from 6 to 6.30pm each night but this year the rights were bought by a major commercial channel who mostly put it on LATE at night. Talk about a backward step. The organisers may have gotten a few extra dollars out of it upfront but NO coverage for their sponsors. This was a backward step.

Anthony

There was a half hour show on whatever they are calling Vrs these days, at least for stages 2 and 3 with a replay of the stage 2 show right before the stage 3 show.

But nothing to count on ahead of time as far as I know.

Time Warner in San Diego dropped USN so I'm using online this season for the races not covered by Versus. I missed most of the coverage except for hearing about Andre's win. I'm having some minor withdrawals so I guess I'll have to replace it with my own riding. Maybe I'll get out more. GL

You'll never see it on the front page of Sports Illustrated (then again in the US sports is really a subset of media, along with news that isn't news, and reality TV that isn't reality!!!)

I'm not exactly sure what your rant against American sports is, but I think it's abit unrealistic to think that an American magazine like Sports Illustrated would give coverage to an event that as far as I know, didn't even feature an American rider. Sorry to say that cycling in America is right up there with water polo or bob sledding, unless we're talking the TDF. It's just a minor sport with little history and a small following. That's changing, but don't expect any miracles....

But I was able to follow it on the new NBC Sports Network, although it was in only 30 minute shows...

The TV coverage was worse in Australia this year too. In previous years SBS(one of the government backed channels) gave it top coverage and it had prime time TV coverage from 6 to 6.30pm each night but this year the rights were bought by a major commercial channel who mostly put it on LATE at night. Talk about a backward step. The organisers may have gotten a few extra dollars out of it upfront but NO coverage for their sponsors. This was a backward step.

Yes, this change is a real shame for cycling coverage in Australia. No way in hell Nine shows the same amount of the Grand Tours as SBS did. Sux.

I think a big issue this year - maybe reflected in the lack of decent coverage - is the lack of starpower beyond the Aussies (like McEwan, Goss, O'Grady, Rogers, Gerrans, Haussler,

Sure, there is no paid appearance by Lance this year, but there were also very few of the big tour names.

The GC players were missing because there is no real climbing involved - so no Evans, Schlecks, Horner, Leipheimer, Contador, Voekler, etc.

Yet there were not many power sprinters or classics guys either - no Cavendish, Farrah, Hushovd, Boonen, Gilbert, Cancellara, etc.

I mean, it had Greipel, Petachi, Sanchez, Valverde, Voigt and a bunch of other stage-winners and roleurs. The Aussie contingent included some real world-class riders too. But otherwise, not a lot of the big names you get in other regional 6 or 7 day tours (like the US tours).

And those names drive a lot of the coverage.