"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - How much is too much sponsorship?

Raise your hand if you see this happening in your area:

Some local riders garner a sponsorship deal for their team that rivals a Pro Tour team.
Everything is paid for: bike, travel, entry fees, clothing, etc.

It sounds like a cool thing until you realize that they're all Masters 35+ who make more than >$75,000 per year.
And they don't allow junior riders on their team. In fact, they make no effort to recruit or cultivate any younger riders.

Is it my imagination, or is this trend growing?

Trend? I doubt it. Some companies which has a lot of money to burn. No development program? These guys will jump ship whenever they feel like it. I don't think they care about cycling at all.



Raise your hand if you see this happening in your area:

Some local riders garner a sponsorship deal for their team that rivals a Pro Tour team.
Everything is paid for: bike, travel, entry fees, clothing, etc.

It sounds like a cool thing until you realize that they're all Masters 35+ who make more than >$75,000 per year.
And they don't allow junior riders on their team. In fact, they make no effort to recruit or cultivate any younger riders.

Is it my imagination, or is this trend growing?

There are several "pro" masters teams in Southern California. Some of them even pay the riders with huge bonuses. Those are usually the riders who are really fast (competitive in Pro/1 races) and are not making the $75K a year.