Paging Les Earnest

ACA Executive Director Beth Wren-Estes has been under attack recently
from anonymous sources. See acawatchdog.com for example. The following
posting on a local racing forum alleges that Beth is partially
responsible for allowing the power grab that occurred in the mid-90's
in USA Cycling. Maybe Les would care to comment.

http://www.tetoncycling.com/forum/di....asp?mid=28806

Bret

On Aug 5, 10:14 pm, Bret wrote:
ACA Executive Director Beth Wren-Estes has been under attack recently
from anonymous sources. See acawatchdog.com for example. The following
posting on a local racing forum alleges that Beth is partially
responsible for allowing the power grab that occurred in the mid-90's
in USA Cycling. Maybe Les would care to comment.

http://www.tetoncycling.com/forum/di....asp?mid=28806

One person's view. The whole racing scene is screwed up because the
riders just want to ride and the promoters want to make money and the
officials all get involved because it gives them a feeling of power.
So what else is new in politics?

On Aug 6, 9:37 am, wrote:
On Aug 5, 10:14 pm, Bret wrote:

ACA Executive Director Beth Wren-Estes has been under attack recently
from anonymous sources. See acawatchdog.com for example. The following
posting on a local racing forum alleges that Beth is partially
responsible for allowing the power grab that occurred in the mid-90's
in USA Cycling. Maybe Les would care to comment.

http://www.tetoncycling.com/forum/di....asp?mid=28806

One person's view. The whole racing scene is screwed up because the
riders just want to ride and the promoters want to make money and the
officials all get involved because it gives them a feeling of power.
So what else is new in politics?

Cynical today aren't we?
Bill C

"Bill C" wrote in message
oups.com...
On Aug 6, 9:37 am, wrote:
On Aug 5, 10:14 pm, Bret wrote:

ACA Executive Director Beth Wren-Estes has been under attack recently
from anonymous sources. See acawatchdog.com for example. The following
posting on a local racing forum alleges that Beth is partially
responsible for allowing the power grab that occurred in the mid-90's
in USA Cycling. Maybe Les would care to comment.

http://www.tetoncycling.com/forum/di....asp?mid=28806

One person's view. The whole racing scene is screwed up because the
riders just want to ride and the promoters want to make money and the
officials all get involved because it gives them a feeling of power.
So what else is new in politics?

Cynical today aren't we?

Do you think that's cynical? I would call it realistic. Maybe you have
another view of the racing world?

On Aug 6, 6:37 am, wrote:
On Aug 5, 10:14 pm, Bret wrote:

ACA Executive Director Beth Wren-Estes has been under attack recently
from anonymous sources. See acawatchdog.com for example. The following
posting on a local racing forum alleges that Beth is partially
responsible for allowing the power grab that occurred in the mid-90's
in USA Cycling. Maybe Les would care to comment.

http://www.tetoncycling.com/forum/di....asp?mid=28806

One person's view. The whole racing scene is screwed up because the
riders just want to ride and the promoters want to make money and the
officials all get involved because it gives them a feeling of power.
So what else is new in politics?

Dumbass,

People like you, running down promoters and officials,
are one reason we don't have more races. If all you
want to do is make money or exert arbitrary power,
there are much easier ways to do it. I've only helped
out at a small number of races, yet the effort it
takes to put one on is obvious. And last time I saw
Bob Leibold, he wasn't driving the Velo Promo Porsche.
Next time _you_ see him, say thank you.

Ben

On Aug 6, 6:45 pm, "Tom Kunich" cyclintom@yahoo. com wrote:
"Bill C" wrote in message

oups.com...





On Aug 6, 9:37 am, wrote:
On Aug 5, 10:14 pm, Bret wrote:

ACA Executive Director Beth Wren-Estes has been under attack recently
from anonymous sources. See acawatchdog.com for example. The following
posting on a local racing forum alleges that Beth is partially
responsible for allowing the power grab that occurred in the mid-90's
in USA Cycling. Maybe Les would care to comment.

http://www.tetoncycling.com/forum/di....asp?mid=28806

One person's view. The whole racing scene is screwed up because the
riders just want to ride and the promoters want to make money and the
officials all get involved because it gives them a feeling of power.
So what else is new in politics?

Cynical today aren't we?

Do you think that's cynical? I would call it realistic. Maybe you have
another view of the racing world?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Maybe with the people you know. I'll give you that the riders are
tough to get involved and pretty much just want to ride.
I really don't know any official who's in it for the power trip, and
I know just about everyone in the North East and most of NY. Most of
them do it because they enjoy bike racing, and helping make events
work well.
As for promoters, again I don't know any who are in it for the money.
The wouldn't last here. I do know of a few who have been pushed to
find something else to do. Some make money, some lose money, but
mostly they seem to put ehat they make back into making the races
better, especially the Cross folks. We also have lots of races that
donate a good chunk of money to various charities. In a batch of those
the riders are aware there is a reduced prize list because of the
cause and have no problem with it. I've seen quite a few riders just
pull out gas money, or not even that, and donate whatever else they
got.
So, no, we have a very different view of things I guess, but I'm
surrounded by superb people from the top of Nebra right down to most
of the racers.
Bill C

"Bill C" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Aug 6, 6:45 pm, "Tom Kunich" cyclintom@yahoo. com wrote:
One person's view. The whole racing scene is screwed up because the
riders just want to ride and the promoters want to make money and the
officials all get involved because it gives them a feeling of power.
So what else is new in politics?

Cynical today aren't we?

Do you think that's cynical? I would call it realistic. Maybe you have
another view of the racing world?- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

I really don't know any official who's in it for the power trip, and
I know just about everyone in the North East and most of NY. Most of
them do it because they enjoy bike racing, and helping make events
work well.

Those are local officials. Since they're working almost for free they have
to have their hearts in it. But what about the national characters? Aside
from Les and a couple of others like him the actions out of the USA Cycling
make you wonder what exactly is going through the alleged minds of the
alleged officials.

As for promoters, again I don't know any who are in it for the money.

Out here in California it's another story. Not that they ARE making money -
in fact I think that just about everyone loses money on bicycle racing but
they WANT to make money. The Sea Otter breaks even year after year and the
guy running the thing keeps getting these volunteer staffs and paying them a
pitance and USA Cycling does things like put on another big race on the
other coast at the same time.

Monterey doesn't cooperate where ever possible. They don't want to close
roads and they don't want to run a downtown crit which was one of the high
points of the old race.

Bicycle racing is a losing proposition in the USA and races are generally
put on by those who love racing or those who are too stupid to know that
they're simply going to lose their shirts.

wrote in message
oups.com...
On Aug 6, 6:37 am, wrote:
On Aug 5, 10:14 pm, Bret wrote:

ACA Executive Director Beth Wren-Estes has been under attack recently
from anonymous sources. See acawatchdog.com for example. The following
posting on a local racing forum alleges that Beth is partially
responsible for allowing the power grab that occurred in the mid-90's
in USA Cycling. Maybe Les would care to comment.

http://www.tetoncycling.com/forum/di....asp?mid=28806

One person's view. The whole racing scene is screwed up because the
riders just want to ride and the promoters want to make money and the
officials all get involved because it gives them a feeling of power.
So what else is new in politics?

Dumbass,

People like you, running down promoters and officials,

So you're saying that promoters DON'T want to make money and officials don't
like being officials. Well, I'm glad you have such a great understanding of
the human character.

On Aug 6, 10:20 pm, "Tom Kunich" cyclintom@yahoo. com wrote:

Those are local officials. Since they're working almost for free they have
to have their hearts in it. But what about the national characters? Aside
from Les and a couple of others like him the actions out of the USA Cycling
make you wonder what exactly is going through the alleged minds of the
alleged officials.

There are a few good people out there, but we mostly agree on this
one. For the most part it's the same old network back in full control.
Running out Gerard was about the last act for any hope I had for
reform. The good thing is that if you have a regional group with good
people like Casey, or the ones we have here, unless you are an elite
Jr, Pro, or suck-up you can pretty much ignore Colorado because you
don't need them.
Bill C

"Bill C" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Aug 6, 10:20 pm, "Tom Kunich" cyclintom@yahoo. com wrote:

Those are local officials. Since they're working almost for free they
have
to have their hearts in it. But what about the national characters? Aside
from Les and a couple of others like him the actions out of the USA
Cycling
make you wonder what exactly is going through the alleged minds of the
alleged officials.

There are a few good people out there, but we mostly agree on this
one. For the most part it's the same old network back in full control.
Running out Gerard was about the last act for any hope I had for
reform. The good thing is that if you have a regional group with good
people like Casey, or the ones we have here, unless you are an elite
Jr, Pro, or suck-up you can pretty much ignore Colorado because you
don't need them.

Between Casey and Tom Simonson there will probably always be someone that
knows how to put on a race and (especially Casey) someone who knows how to
tell dumb**** racers to screw-off when they're so hyped up on racing that
they lose all their perspective.