How badly will American interest drop in a TdF sans Lance?
07-19-05, 07:55 PM
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How badly will American interest drop in a TdF sans Lance?
I know the members of this forum will still avidly watch the TdF, but how bad a hit will overall American interest in the event take? Personally, I think it will spice up the Tour. But, I'm not sure the general population will see it that way.
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07-19-05, 09:04 PM
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Almost totally...
Many people on this board are *****ing about how most of the coverage/advertising is all about Lance...umm that is because that is what the average Joe knows about bicycle racing.
I know there is the Specialized commercials for Levi..but that is totally geared toward cyclists, not the average fan.(Kinda think they missed their mark with them)
Many people on this board are *****ing about how most of the coverage/advertising is all about Lance...umm that is because that is what the average Joe knows about bicycle racing.
I know there is the Specialized commercials for Levi..but that is totally geared toward cyclists, not the average fan.(Kinda think they missed their mark with them)
07-19-05, 09:04 PM
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It doesn't have anything to do with Lance. It has everything to do with Lance winning.
If you have been reading the posts calling Levi and Floyd disappointments and suggesting they are merely secondary "feel good" stories,
the posts calling Zabriskie a quitter and sprinters quitters and losers and denigrating the riders who finish less than first,
it is obvious that the casual American fan is more interested in having a victory to associate themselves with than they are in following bike racing.
Instead of trying to understand the nuances of racing, they have a win at all costs attitiude, anything goes as long as an American wins.
Most of the posters here could not tell you much about John Eustice, Ron Kiefel, Roy Knickman, or other contemporaries of Lemond,
but they know about Lemond because he WON the TDF.
So if another winner comes along, they will continue to follow the TDF. Otherwise, they will be back to their old routine.
If you have been reading the posts calling Levi and Floyd disappointments and suggesting they are merely secondary "feel good" stories,
the posts calling Zabriskie a quitter and sprinters quitters and losers and denigrating the riders who finish less than first,
it is obvious that the casual American fan is more interested in having a victory to associate themselves with than they are in following bike racing.
Instead of trying to understand the nuances of racing, they have a win at all costs attitiude, anything goes as long as an American wins.
Most of the posters here could not tell you much about John Eustice, Ron Kiefel, Roy Knickman, or other contemporaries of Lemond,
but they know about Lemond because he WON the TDF.
So if another winner comes along, they will continue to follow the TDF. Otherwise, they will be back to their old routine.
07-19-05, 09:08 PM
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Cycle Sport covered this a couple of months ago....
There's a small hard core of cycling fans in the US that followed pro racing before Lance began to dominate the Tour. Once he retires, US cycling's fanbase will retreat to the original few.
There's a small hard core of cycling fans in the US that followed pro racing before Lance began to dominate the Tour. Once he retires, US cycling's fanbase will retreat to the original few.
07-19-05, 09:11 PM
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personally i can't wait until next year. think of all the possibilities! it's going to be a great tour and hopefully a very close race.
i think ratings will be way down next year. after we see who is the next big winner, money will start to really flow again and maybe we'll get higher ratings?
i think ratings will be way down next year. after we see who is the next big winner, money will start to really flow again and maybe we'll get higher ratings?
07-19-05, 09:16 PM
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If we assume that current interest is at 100 percent its max with Lance, the tour without Lance will be somewhere around 7.2%. In other words not good.
ps. All you have to do is watch the nightly sports guy try to cover just the A B C's of te Tour. I mean hes the sports guy and he doesnt understand ANYTHING!! Really quite dissapointing.
ps. All you have to do is watch the nightly sports guy try to cover just the A B C's of te Tour. I mean hes the sports guy and he doesnt understand ANYTHING!! Really quite dissapointing.
07-19-05, 09:18 PM
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Originally Posted by ed073
Cycle Sport covered this a couple of months ago....
There's a small hard core of cycling fans in the US that followed pro racing before Lance began to dominate the Tour. Once he retires, US cycling's fanbase will retreat to the original few.
There's a small hard core of cycling fans in the US that followed pro racing before Lance began to dominate the Tour. Once he retires, US cycling's fanbase will retreat to the original few.
07-19-05, 09:26 PM
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Originally Posted by collegeskier
I think that there will be the orginal plus some residuals too. Hopefully OLN will keep showing it.
The Only Lance Network?
sorry....saw that the other day and had to use it before I forgot!!
07-19-05, 09:38 PM
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I believe it will depend on how much "advertising" is done for the Tour and who ever gets LA's job next year. If it is some one from the U.S. then there may still be some intrest because a lot of Americans(U.S.) want to see their "man" beat the rest of the world and prove, in their minds, that we are the best.
If Hincapie gets to be the man it will be a bit easier to keep some interest in the TDF because they will say something along the line of "Lance Armstrong's protégé George Hincapie will try to become the next American to wear the Maillot Jaune in the TDF".
There will definitly not be as much interest as there is now but with another U.S. rider gunning for the top spot they will be able to keep some intrest.
It will also have to be a rider on the U.S. team because the non-cyclists will not care about any other team.
If Hincapie gets to be the man it will be a bit easier to keep some interest in the TDF because they will say something along the line of "Lance Armstrong's protégé George Hincapie will try to become the next American to wear the Maillot Jaune in the TDF".
There will definitly not be as much interest as there is now but with another U.S. rider gunning for the top spot they will be able to keep some intrest.
It will also have to be a rider on the U.S. team because the non-cyclists will not care about any other team.
07-19-05, 10:05 PM
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Come on people think positive thoughts. I couldn't handle OLN dropping cycling due to lack of interest.
07-19-05, 10:15 PM
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Originally Posted by waltergodefroot
It doesn't have anything to do with Lance. It has everything to do with Lance winning.
If you have been reading the posts calling Levi and Floyd disappointments and suggesting they are merely secondary "feel good" stories,
the posts calling Zabriskie a quitter and sprinters quitters and losers and denigrating the riders who finish less than first,
it is obvious that the casual American fan is more interested in having a victory to associate themselves with than they are in following bike racing.
Instead of trying to understand the nuances of racing, they have a win at all costs attitiude, anything goes as long as an American wins.
Most of the posters here could not tell you much about John Eustice, Ron Kiefel, Roy Knickman, or other contemporaries of Lemond,
but they know about Lemond because he WON the TDF.
So if another winner comes along, they will continue to follow the TDF. Otherwise, they will be back to their old routine.
If you have been reading the posts calling Levi and Floyd disappointments and suggesting they are merely secondary "feel good" stories,
the posts calling Zabriskie a quitter and sprinters quitters and losers and denigrating the riders who finish less than first,
it is obvious that the casual American fan is more interested in having a victory to associate themselves with than they are in following bike racing.
Instead of trying to understand the nuances of racing, they have a win at all costs attitiude, anything goes as long as an American wins.
Most of the posters here could not tell you much about John Eustice, Ron Kiefel, Roy Knickman, or other contemporaries of Lemond,
but they know about Lemond because he WON the TDF.
So if another winner comes along, they will continue to follow the TDF. Otherwise, they will be back to their old routine.
Wow, I couldn't have said it better myself. There are way more Lance fans than cycling fans, and yes there is a difference.
07-19-05, 10:34 PM
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I agree with what is being said but as a cyclist I have been getting all sorts of questions at work about the tdf .. rules why dose this happen ect. I guess they are watching to see lance but it is also makeing them aware of cycling as a hobby / sport. further more I have had a few ask to barrow my extra bike and go for a ride so win lose or draw I think cycling is winning.
07-19-05, 10:35 PM
#14
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Originally Posted by waltergodefroot
If you have been reading the posts calling Levi and Floyd disappointments and suggesting they are merely secondary "feel good" stories,
This is comming from someone who took the time to look up the name of a great cycling hero and not take the time to learn race tactics as to why Lance would not want to defend the Yellow jersey at all costs and calling other people who did know wrong for suggesting it. When you are done getting schooled on race tactics, please read move on to improving your reading comprehension skills.
07-19-05, 10:38 PM
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grabs popcorn.....munch....
07-19-05, 10:41 PM
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Originally Posted by jitteringjr
Hold on now. Saying that I was disappointed that Levi and Floyd weren't doing as well as I thought they could be is a far cry from calling them "disappointments"
This is comming from someone who took the time to look up the name of a great cycling hero and not take the time to learn race tactics as to why Lance would not want to defend the Yellow jersey at all costs and calling other people who did know wrong for suggesting it. When you are done getting schooled on race tactics, please read move on to improving your reading comprehension skills.
This is comming from someone who took the time to look up the name of a great cycling hero and not take the time to learn race tactics as to why Lance would not want to defend the Yellow jersey at all costs and calling other people who did know wrong for suggesting it. When you are done getting schooled on race tactics, please read move on to improving your reading comprehension skills.
Whatever. Enjoy the race. 
07-19-05, 10:50 PM
#17
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Originally Posted by waltergodefroot
If you only knew. Whatever. Enjoy the race.
Whatever. Enjoy the race.
07-19-05, 11:00 PM
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The Socratic Method:
The method which Socrates employed in his philosophical analyses has five readily distinguishable characteristics:
1. The method is skeptical. It begins with Socrates' real or professed ignorance of the truth of the matter under discussion.
The method which Socrates employed in his philosophical analyses has five readily distinguishable characteristics:
1. The method is skeptical. It begins with Socrates' real or professed ignorance of the truth of the matter under discussion.
07-19-05, 11:02 PM
#19
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You forget to look up the other 4?
07-19-05, 11:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Marge
A lot of Americans although aware of Lance really do not watch the Tour.
So I don't think it will change one whit
So I don't think it will change one whit
07-20-05, 11:52 AM
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OK, maybe I'm a tad optimistic, but I don't see American interest in the TdF dropping to pre-Lance numbers. Surely, the 'Lance' phenom has drawn so many people to the sport, that even when the fair-weather fans drop off, there will remain a substantial number of folks who got into the sport as a result of the increased media spotlight on Lance, and who are now die-hard cycling fans.
07-20-05, 12:00 PM
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i've been seeing some general media coverage about "upcoming" american riders like Levi, Floyd, Craig Lewis, Dave Z, etc. the truth is that americans are doing quite well in cycling, more so than ever before. given this, and the lance effect, i don't doubt for a minute that americans will be more interested in the tour than they were before lance. but not nearly as much as when lance was winning.
we'll be going through a phase of a couple of years where if any american does really well, they will be labeled "the next lance".
we'll be going through a phase of a couple of years where if any american does really well, they will be labeled "the next lance".
