Who Needs Europe?

It would be possible to make a racing calendar in the USA that would put the
European calendar to shame.

Imagine stages in Florida, Washington State (send a ride past the Dry Falls
which is one of those unsung wonders of the world), Indian land in South
Dakota, the Badlands in the Midwest, around Yosemite and Yellowstone.
Through the Redwood groves in northern California and the mixed forests
around the B Everett Jordan Lake in West Virginia (?).

"Tom Kunich" cyclintom@yahoo. com wrote in message
m...
It would be possible to make a racing calendar in the USA that would put
the European calendar to shame.

Imagine stages in Florida, Washington State (send a ride past the Dry
Falls which is one of those unsung wonders of the world), Indian land in
South Dakota, the Badlands in the Midwest, around Yosemite and
Yellowstone. Through the Redwood groves in northern California and the
mixed forests around the B Everett Jordan Lake in West Virginia (?).

Europeans will often tell you America has much more in the way of beautiful
mountains and scenery then Europe. When I took a grand tour by car, about
9000 miles, Yellowstone was the best, even though it burned to the ground! I
toured Bryce and the Grand Canyon by Helicopter, and Bryce was heaven sent!
I think any tour through Bryce and Zion would be fantastic but also
Yellowstone! Nothing really struck me as deeply as Yellowstone, it has so
much to offer. As far as climbing goes, it's the Sierra and the Rockies, but
these other places are quite grand. Its funny too, that America has the
roads and space for races, as where Europe is more packed in. When Beltman
was here, she talked about vast open spaces of California compared to
Holland. She wasn't used to that kind of space, her first trip to California
I think.



In the past, the NRC calendar had as many as 50 races. I'm counting 34 in
the calendar compared to nearly twice that many in the past. However, what's
remarkable is that there is not one single women's race in America, as where
Europe has dozens in both classics and stage races. I say bring back the HP
in some form or another, so they can at least have one to put them in the
spotlight, along with good prize money. The way the economy is today, that
dream might be a long ways down the pike. The problem with the HP was while
the stages were beautiful and challenging for the riders, there were no fans
out there, except when it was close to the cities. When tours go through the
mountains here, they need to clip towns or cities for the fans, as where in
Europe, the fans go to the mountains!



Anyway, I always thought a Tour of the Sierra would be cool, including
Sonora and Tioga pass! At least the TOC did Mount Hamilton last year. That's
a juicy climb! I used to do that every weekend. I'm not really a fan of
women shadowing the men playing second fiddle with a women's TOC. Instead, I
would much rather see them have their own unique stage race.



Robert

On Sat, 22 Nov 2008 17:56:23 -0800, "Tom Kunich" cyclintom@yahoo.
com wrote:

It would be possible to make a racing calendar in the USA that would put the
European calendar to shame.

Imagine stages in Florida, Washington State (send a ride past the Dry Falls
which is one of those unsung wonders of the world), Indian land in South
Dakota, the Badlands in the Midwest, around Yosemite and Yellowstone.
Through the Redwood groves in northern California and the mixed forests
around the B Everett Jordan Lake in West Virginia (?).


Yeah ... imagine ...

You would also need to achieve similar levels of race organisation and
regulation, local government support and cooperation for road closures
and other infrastructure resources, and media interest ...

Good luck!!!


--

Joe

"JoeChip" schreef in bericht
...
On Sat, 22 Nov 2008 17:56:23 -0800, "Tom Kunich" cyclintom@yahoo.
com wrote:

It would be possible to make a racing calendar in the USA that would put
the
European calendar to shame.

Imagine stages in Florida, Washington State (send a ride past the Dry
Falls
which is one of those unsung wonders of the world), Indian land in South
Dakota, the Badlands in the Midwest, around Yosemite and Yellowstone.
Through the Redwood groves in northern California and the mixed forests
around the B Everett Jordan Lake in West Virginia (?).


Yeah ... imagine ...

You would also need to achieve similar levels of race organisation and
regulation, local government support and cooperation for road closures
and other infrastructure resources, and media interest ...


That's not so difficult. You just have to wait till the important races are
officially accepted as parts of the national heritage. In Europe it took
only 100 years.

Benjo

"JoeChip" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 22 Nov 2008 17:56:23 -0800, "Tom Kunich" cyclintom@yahoo.
com wrote:

It would be possible to make a racing calendar in the USA that would
put the
European calendar to shame.

Imagine stages in Florida, Washington State (send a ride past the Dry
Falls
which is one of those unsung wonders of the world), Indian land in
South
Dakota, the Badlands in the Midwest, around Yosemite and Yellowstone.
Through the Redwood groves in northern California and the mixed
forests
around the B Everett Jordan Lake in West Virginia (?).


Yeah ... imagine ...

You would also need to achieve similar levels of race organisation and
regulation, local government support and cooperation for road closures
and other infrastructure resources, and media interest ...

You missed the most important category......a population base (fans) who
are interested in cycling. Good luck with that.

Phil H

On Nov 23, 8:55*am, "Benjo Maso" wrote:
"JoeChip" schreef in berichtnews:r1tii4lodokiquukoqqs8tiqbru1frfmkf@4ax .com...





On Sat, 22 Nov 2008 17:56:23 -0800, "Tom Kunich" cyclintom@yahoo.
com wrote:

It would be possible to make a racing calendar in the USA that would put
the
European calendar to shame.

Imagine stages in Florida, Washington State (send a ride past the Dry
Falls
which is one of those unsung wonders of the world), Indian land in South
Dakota, the Badlands in the Midwest, around Yosemite and Yellowstone.
Through the Redwood groves in northern California and the mixed forests
around the B Everett Jordan Lake in West Virginia (?).

Yeah ... imagine ...

You would also need to achieve similar levels of race organisation and
regulation, local government support and cooperation for road closures
and other infrastructure resources, and media interest ...

That's not so difficult. You just have to wait till the important races are
officially accepted as parts of the national heritage. In Europe it took
only 100 years.



Dumbass -


lol!


thanks Benjo.

On Nov 24, 12:38 am, Kurgan Gringioni wrote:
On Nov 23, 8:55 am, "Benjo Maso" wrote:
"JoeChip" schreef in berichtnews:r1tii4lodokiquukoqqs8tiqbru1frfmkf@4ax .com...
On Sat, 22 Nov 2008 17:56:23 -0800, "Tom Kunich" cyclintom@yahoo.
com wrote:

It would be possible to make a racing calendar in the USA that would put
the
European calendar to shame.

Imagine stages in Florida, Washington State (send a ride past the Dry
Falls
which is one of those unsung wonders of the world), Indian land in South
Dakota, the Badlands in the Midwest, around Yosemite and Yellowstone.
Through the Redwood groves in northern California and the mixed forests
around the B Everett Jordan Lake in West Virginia (?).

Yeah ... imagine ...

You would also need to achieve similar levels of race organisation and
regulation, local government support and cooperation for road closures
and other infrastructure resources, and media interest ...

That's not so difficult. You just have to wait till the important races are
officially accepted as parts of the national heritage. In Europe it took
only 100 years.

Dumbass -

lol!

thanks Benjo.

Dumbass,

Wait until 100 years from now when Dr. Frank Whatsisname,
founder of the Tour of America, is celebrated as a visionary
who didn't listen to the naysaying retards of rbr.

Bicycle racing in Europe has benefited from becoming
well-established in the pre-war period (and even the 40s,
etc) before the private automobile really took over the roads.
Both because of the difficulty of establishing a race now
due to the need for road closures, and because back
when the monuments became established, racing 200 miles
really was epic. Now that Joe TVwatcher is used to
knocking 200 miles off in an afternoon in his Opel or Chevy,
the distance seems more everyday (even if Joe can't
imagine riding that far).

Ben

On Nov 24, 12:29*am, "
wrote:
On Nov 24, 12:38 am, Kurgan Gringioni wrote:





On Nov 23, 8:55 am, "Benjo Maso" wrote:
"JoeChip" schreef in berichtnews:r1tii4lodokiquukoqqs8tiqbru1frfmkf@4ax .com...
On Sat, 22 Nov 2008 17:56:23 -0800, "Tom Kunich" cyclintom@yahoo.
com wrote:

It would be possible to make a racing calendar in the USA that would put
the
European calendar to shame.

Imagine stages in Florida, Washington State (send a ride past the Dry
Falls
which is one of those unsung wonders of the world), Indian land in South
Dakota, the Badlands in the Midwest, around Yosemite and Yellowstone.
Through the Redwood groves in northern California and the mixed forests
around the B Everett Jordan Lake in West Virginia (?).

Yeah ... imagine ...

You would also need to achieve similar levels of race organisation and
regulation, local government support and cooperation for road closures
and other infrastructure resources, and media interest ...

That's not so difficult. You just have to wait till the important races are
officially accepted as parts of the national heritage. In Europe it took
only 100 years.

Dumbass -

lol!

thanks Benjo.

Dumbass,

Wait until 100 years from now when Dr. Frank Whatsisname,
founder of the Tour of America, is celebrated as a visionary
who didn't listen to the naysaying retards of rbr.

Bicycle racing in Europe has benefited from becoming
well-established in the pre-war period (and even the 40s,
etc) before the private automobile really took over the roads.
Both because of the difficulty of establishing a race now
due to the need for road closures, and because back
when the monuments became established, racing 200 miles
really was epic. *Now that Joe TVwatcher is used to
knocking 200 miles off in an afternoon in his Opel or Chevy,
the distance seems more everyday (even if Joe can't
imagine riding that far).



Dumbass -


The other thing is: there wasn't much competition back then.

In today's information age, there are so many types of sports/
entertainment competing for one's attention. Bike racing in North
America will probably forever remain a niche bit of entertainment.
It's not flash/bang enough.


thanks,

K. Gringioni.

On Nov 24, 2:09*am, Kurgan Gringioni wrote:

Dumbass -

The other thing is: there wasn't much competition back then.

In today's information age, there are so many types of sports/
entertainment competing for one's attention. Bike racing in North
America will probably forever remain a niche bit of entertainment.
It's not flash/bang enough.


Dumbass,

Only Michael Ball can change that. (Anorexic Drew Carey
is wonderful and all, but that isn't his game plan.)

We need more Balls.

So to speak,
Ben

Robert wrote:

"Tom Kunich" cyclintom@yahoo. com wrote in message
m...
It would be possible to make a racing calendar in the USA that would put
the European calendar to shame.

Imagine stages in Florida, Washington State (send a ride past the Dry
Falls which is one of those unsung wonders of the world), Indian land in
South Dakota, the Badlands in the Midwest, around Yosemite and
Yellowstone. Through the Redwood groves in northern California and the
mixed forests around the B Everett Jordan Lake in West Virginia (?).

Europeans will often tell you America has much more in the way of beautiful
mountains and scenery then Europe. When I took a grand tour by car, about
9000 miles, Yellowstone was the best, even though it burned to the ground! I
toured Bryce and the Grand Canyon by Helicopter, and Bryce was heaven sent!
I think any tour through Bryce and Zion would be fantastic but also
Yellowstone! Nothing really struck me as deeply as Yellowstone, it has so
much to offer. As far as climbing goes, it's the Sierra and the Rockies, but
these other places are quite grand. Its funny too, that America has the
roads and space for races, as where Europe is more packed in. When Beltman
was here, she talked about vast open spaces of California compared to
Holland. She wasn't used to that kind of space, her first trip to California
I think.

In the past, the NRC calendar had as many as 50 races. I'm counting 34 in
the calendar compared to nearly twice that many in the past. However, what's
remarkable is that there is not one single women's race in America, as where
Europe has dozens in both classics and stage races. I say bring back the HP
in some form or another, so they can at least have one to put them in the
spotlight, along with good prize money.

The HP race was overrated. It was only on TV once and had a 1 hour abbreviated
show. There was very little in the way of crowds and most stages were flat.
Like most things in women's cycling, it was an illusion.

Magilla