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A major problem with usa racing.



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 2nd 03, 06:49 PM
RacerX
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Default A major problem with usa racing.

A major problem with USA racing is lack of attention to up coming
young racers(the future of USA cycling). The average age for a racers
to turn pro is the age of 25. By Pro I mean on a gc1, or "paying"
gc2/3 team. To be on a small domestic gc3 team does not count. A good
junior in the USA can race in Pro,1, races and finish(maybe do ok). It
is a waste of time for them to do junior races because they are to
easy. Now usacycling has the world qualification races for juniors
which is a good start in the right direction. After being a junior it
is a straight jump into the NRC races. At all big NRC races not only
do you have guys like Chris Horner, O'neal,Hank
Vogel,Vaughters,Pate,and etc... but you also have really crappy
racers that are put in as fillers.
All the NRC races are dominated by the best racers and Teams and
unless you are on one good luck for a win.

NRC races are impossible for any first year to win,and unless they are
super talented it is hard for any u23 to win. When people say there
are politics in USACycling they are so wrong. How are they going to
get noticed as a U23 is doing a race they can not win? The national
team coaches don't looks at how well you did at Tour of Ohio, or if
you won your local stage race. They and big teams only look at how
well you did at Fitchburg,Solano,Redlands, or look big NRC races a U23
cant win(unless they are super talented or on a big team). Actually
they do look at races like Tour of Ohio, but there is no notification
for a "Best Young Rider" so how do they know who is who? But tour of
Ohio is not a hard race, only has a bunch of old heads. Also the U23
national championships were a joke. This year they were in Texas,
flat, hot and they only averaged like 25mph. A break lasted from the
start to to the finish. If that race was in holland it would have been
28.5mph and only 25guys would have finished. The only real hard US
races are like Lancaster,SanFran,Georgia, and USPRO.

Last, real racing is in Europe. That is where the money and the
competition is. Any good Euro pro like Nathan O'neal can come from
Europe and clean up here. Some Great USpros can not handle Europe so
they decide to settle here. This is not a bad thing, but this is who
young racers have to go against them. Even U23 racing is harder than
Nrc races. The BEST U23 racers might not have a much top end has the
Top PRos in the USA. But the whole field is at more of a level playing
field which makes it really hard. The USA U23 national team is where
to be to get noticed by the Euro teams. You sure as hell are not going
to get noticed by a Euro team placing top10 in a NRC.

So how is a U23 going to get on the USA Natioanl Team to get a chance?
Maybe the cyclingcenter.com or placing high in big NRC events. So
unless they win the national championships, put in a good perfomance
in front of the right people, good luck. If they are good, and they
have direction they will go far.

"A cyclist with no instruction, is a cyclist on a path to
self-destruction"

Lets just face it. We need a U23 racing series in the USA,We need
"Best rider jerseys", and we need more sponsors to fund these things.
I really don't know what I am trying to get to other than something is
really wrong with USA Racing. Usacycling is not at fault, it is more
of the promoters who need to give special attention to these riders.
Ads
  #5  
Old September 3rd 03, 06:38 AM
Amit
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Posts: n/a
Default A major problem with usa racing.

(RacerX) wrote in message . com...
A major problem with USA racing is lack of attention to up coming
young racers(the future of USA cycling). The average age for a racers
to turn pro is the age of 25. By Pro I mean on a gc1, or "paying"
gc2/3 team. To be on a small domestic gc3 team does not count. A good
junior in the USA can race in Pro,1, races and finish(maybe do ok). It
is a waste of time for them to do junior races because they are to
easy. Now usacycling has the world qualification races for juniors
which is a good start in the right direction. After being a junior it
is a straight jump into the NRC races.


there are also local races.

At all big NRC races not only
do you have guys like Chris Horner, O'neal,Hank
Vogel,Vaughters,Pate,and etc... but you also have really crappy
racers that are put in as fillers.


the rest aren't 'really crappy riders', they're the next tier down in
ability. the one of the best riders is almost always going to beat the
'best of the rest' riders.

All the NRC races are dominated by the best racers and Teams and
unless you are on one good luck for a win.


which is the way it should be

NRC races are impossible for any first year to win,and unless they are
super talented it is hard for any u23 to win.


which is the way it should be.

When people say there
are politics in USACycling they are so wrong. How are they going to
get noticed as a U23 is doing a race they can not win? The national
team coaches don't looks at how well you did at Tour of Ohio, or if
you won your local stage race. They and big teams only look at how
well you did at Fitchburg,Solano,Redlands, or look big NRC races a U23
cant win(unless they are super talented or on a big team).


if the top u-23s are getting results in the top races why should
coaches look at how the second tier of u-23s are doing in smaller
races ?

Actually
they do look at races like Tour of Ohio, but there is no notification
for a "Best Young Rider" so how do they know who is who? But tour of
Ohio is not a hard race, only has a bunch of old heads. Also the U23
national championships were a joke. This year they were in Texas,
flat, hot and they only averaged like 25mph. A break lasted from the
start to to the finish. If that race was in holland it would have been
28.5mph and only 25guys would have finished. The only real hard US
races are like Lancaster,SanFran,Georgia, and USPRO.


but you were just complaining that NRC races were too hard for u-23s
to show their stuff, your point is ?

You sure as hell are not going
to get noticed by a Euro team placing top10 in a NRC.


and why should you get noticed ? only the top two or three espoirs can
expect to be a euro-pro.

So how is a U23 going to get on the USA Natioanl Team to get a chance?
Maybe the cyclingcenter.com or placing high in big NRC events. So
unless they win the national championships, put in a good perfomance
in front of the right people, good luck.


that's right, if there are u-23 riders getting results in top races
they are the ones who are going to be noticed.


Lets just face it. We need a U23 racing series in the USA,We need
"Best rider jerseys", and we need more sponsors to fund these things.


you don't make a good case for it.

-Amit
  #6  
Old September 5th 03, 07:16 PM
erik saunders
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Posts: n/a
Default A major problem with usa racing.

you kind of rant a bit, but i understand your point... i first have to say that
you are a bit wrong by saying that any good european u23 can win an NRC...
those UCI U23 races are good races, but they dont have the level of a big NRC
at the top end... they are more competitive, but they dont have guys like
horner in them or o'neal or vogels... i think that you should slow down a bit
and have a little more respect for the ability of a US based pro... the best
guys are here by choice, not because they couldn't cut it across the ocean...
Horner, O'neal, Vogels, Sweet, Davedenko, Fraser, Grishkine, et al. were not
mere "mid pack" pros... they are and were VERY good pros, better than most..
you should become more of a student of the sport and learn to understand the
game...

back to the subject... you are right that there needs to be organization to
the calendar, so that the young riders can develop... you have a great point in
that its tough to learn to race in races that are way above your head... the
tactic for a young guy in an NRC race is just to hang on...

there are a growng number of people that see that there is a problem and are
begining to call for some clarity to the calendar... i think that USA cyling
should establish different levels of competition, in the same way that the
french do... there needs to be national races with pro teams and the best
amateur teams, regional events, and local events... currently, with every race
trying to be an NRC, a lot of races get lost in the shuffle and actually lose
importance by becoming a mediocre pro-am event, where they would be able to
thrive and gain prestige if USA cycling gave the option for events to be a part
of a second tier regional series... there should also be rules to govern who
can do what races... the local cat 2 shouldnt be able to show up at every big
race and line up next to the best teams, while conversely saturn shouldnt be
able to go to the local event and kick the living **** out of all the 9 to 5ers
and the college students...

organizing the racing into destinct levels of competion and restricting
participation at those different levels makes identifying up and coming talent
much easier for the federation and for the teams... a tier system also makes
each event in that system more marketable to potential sponsors... the riders
and teams could be ranked within those tiers (earning the right to win their
way into the next tier), making themselves also more marketable... if, for
example there were 3 divisions, A, B, and C with div B being the regional
level, those teams would have a predetermined schedule of races catering to
their division, ensuring a competitive event where racers could actually race
amongst those who are similar in ability... these events would constitute a
regional series, and ranking... races and teams would then have a package that
they could sell to sponsors... teams could present themselves to sponsors being
able to promise participation in a certain number of events with a regional
exposure...

now, of course, all of this depends on motivated, and marketing savy race
promoters, bike clubs, and the help of USA cycling... but i think that the
kernel of this idea is a good one and has proven very successful in europe, not
just in cycling, but in just about every other sport... it's a single solution
that has shown itself to be an effective way to bring in sponsorship dollars
and to foster development...


 




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