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World Pro vs. Continental Pro: Help me understand!!

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World Pro vs. Continental Pro: Help me understand!!

Old 04-20-15, 06:06 PM
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World Pro vs. Continental Pro: Help me understand!!

So I am really starting to follow this stuff on a day to day basis, especially that we are in the prime spring time classics and such. I'm a big Wiggins fan as well as Team Sky. But I am a bit confused.... what is the difference between the World Pro teams and the Continental Pro Teams? Can world pro teams only be invited to the three big tours? And continentals are able to ride the rest? Are continental teams the same as domestic pro teams?

Please enlighten.
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Old 04-20-15, 06:57 PM
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May be this can help.


Pro Team Structure ? What Does It All Mean? | CyclingTips
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Old 04-20-15, 09:52 PM
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Minimum salary: $47,000 - I wonder what the big names pull in?

Also have to wonder what people like Ted King pull in, as they're not big names in the peloton but have a decent social media presence?
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Old 04-20-15, 10:48 PM
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Originally Posted by steve-in-kville
.... what is the difference between the World Pro teams and the Continental Pro Teams? Can world pro teams only be invited to the three big tours? And continentals are able to ride the rest? Are continental teams the same as domestic pro teams?
Who gets an invite to any race has been a source of some friction. Herein lies some of the confusion.

The race promoters (those who basically own the race) maintain that they can invite whomever they want to ride in their races.

The UCI, however, insists that race promoters invite whom they say to invite (at least, for certain races). They want the best teams to be invited to the biggest races.

However, ASO (owners of le Tour de France) launched fireworks a few years back when they refused to invite a World Pro team or two. They considered the teams a risk for doping in their race and didn't want to smudge the race's good name. Also, it is the Tour de France, so ASO wanted more french team participation. There just weren't any more than 1 or 2 french World Pro teams. So they just didn't invite a couple of the low performing World Pro teams. Instead, they invited a couple Pro Continental level french teams. So, all told, of the 21 World Pro teams, ASO only invited 16 or 17 or something. UCI weren't happy.

In the end, ASO & UCI compromised, saying that ASO would invite 19 of the top-21 teams, with discretion to invite others they wished. However, this arrangement doesn't necessarily apply to Il Giro or la Vuelta, as those races are owned by different promoters.

Now, also apply this little situation and its dynamics to all the various classics, and... Well... (Some of the classics and other races are also owned by ASO, so I think they're also under the same agreement, but I could be mistaken on that one.)

Clear as mud.
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Old 04-21-15, 12:26 AM
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Originally Posted by SpeshulEd
Minimum salary: $47,000 - I wonder what the big names pull in?

Also have to wonder what people like Ted King pull in, as they're not big names in the peloton but have a decent social media presence?
I get the impression that the average experienced WT pro who is a domestique rather than a race winner, makes a hundred $K or two hundred, a year? Latest Our Man in the Bunch Articles, Galleries & Videos - Cycling Weekly (See article 6). A pittance compared to what top level pro athletes in some major sports make, but I suppose better than many other minor sports.

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Old 04-21-15, 07:57 AM
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Yeah, it's kind of funny to think pro footballplayers pull in multiple million dollar contracts, play for an hour, and only 15 games or whatever....meanwhile, the guy riding 4+ hours straight every day and working his tail off makes the same as a manager at In-N-Out.

I guess it's all in the advertising.
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Old 04-21-15, 04:08 PM
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Thanks for the link and replies. Sounds like things can get pretty political when it comes to the big dogs.
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Old 04-21-15, 09:16 PM
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Originally Posted by steve-in-kville
Thanks for the link and replies. Sounds like things can get pretty political when it comes to the big dogs.
Pro cycling has a completely different structure and monetization model than any other sport, which leads to a lot of its issues. UCI (the cycling governing body) really has no "pull" over promoters whose events and money, along with team sponsors, fund the sport. That kind of dysfunction is why cycling will always be struggling financially compared to sports where the central governing body has much more control.
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Old 04-21-15, 10:57 PM
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Pro cycling seems no worse, for the "rank and file" riders, than many other sports.

For example, professional tennis.
How The 92nd-Ranked Tennis Player In The World Earns A Comfortable Living - Forbes

Or ski racing.
Like many nowadays, skiers work to make ends meet | Outdoors Featured | KATU.com - Portland News, Sports, Traffic Weather and Breaking News - Portland, Oregon

Or track and field athletes.
Pro track athletes make as little as $5,000

So maybe it is unrealistic to compare bike racer income to NFL, NBA, MBA, FIFA. Compared to those, cycling is a second tier sport, in fan following and revenue.
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