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| *Vultures Knob>>>Cycling |
How big of an impact will the disbanding of discovery have on united states cycling fans? |
the only cycling race i watch it the tour de france... I'm sure there are many other people from the united states like me... I dont think I will find the tour interesting if the US dosent have a team. The true fans will still be fans. The marginal or casual fans might lose interest, though. Regardless of what team they end up on, we'll still be rooting for George & Levi and hoping that Floyd makes his return next year. And there's also Bobby Julich, Christian VandeVelde and Chris Horner, even though they're not on a US team. Even though there won't be an American sponsored team next year (unless something develops over the next few months), I'll still be watching the Tour and following the American riders. As long as Versus still covers it, that is. Interesting question. I think there are two factors that attract American fans. 1. High profile, winning American cyclists 2. High profile, winning American team WITH a superstar rider. American interest has waned since the departure of Armstrong. HE was American cycling to the majority of marginal US fans. If you asked 10 people who Lance was 8 would know if you asked what team was he was on maybe 1 of 10 would know. Ask 10 people who won (as of now) last year's tour. Maybe 1 in 100 would know, likely less. And this year? 1 in 10,000? While it's possible, and I feel even likely, that there will be a US sponsored team next year, what will be the impact? How many people know who the top 4 Discovery team riders are this year? Not many. Americans seem to crave superstars, anything less is a yawn. The residual fans from the Armstrong era are quickly falling off the chart and may reappear with another American star who has a rock star GF, over came cancer, and rode on an American team. Remember, part of Armstrong's appeal was the cancer comeback AND winning again and again in the only race US fans know. Will we have another Armstrong, not for a long time I imagine. While it was even better that he was on Postal/Discovery he was signed to a Euro team before that and would still have driven a major interest in the Tour with the rest of his story. So much came to gether at the same time it was a phenomina. I think the superstar is what many Americans look for, not a good American team. Will some knowedgable fans lose interest in cycling, sure, and diehards will disappointed but still follow the several strong Americans. We diehards are all thinking is next year Levi's turn? Say goodbye to the millions of Lance (not American cycling) fans, because they're already gone. I know that when it came down to it, I rooted for Contador and Leipheimer over Rasmussen (and then Cadel Evans) in the '07 Tour because Alberto and Levi rode for Discovery. I'll still watch, but I think the bigger threat to American fan interest are the drug scandals. The two of them will probably split a milkshake in Lance's hometown. Look mate There will be 189 starters again next year. There is bound to be a least a few Americans.(maybe even a team) If you can't find one to cheer for you are not trying. Maybe you are missing the point. Most lovers of the sport can appreciate an awesome performance and don't really care where the rider calls home. Be parochial if you must, but if you look a bit further than your own back yard, there is a whole world out there. A lot of it will blow your mind. I'm ashamed to say that when the Tour started, I was kinda rooting for Vino and Rasmussen. They had shown flashes of brilliance in past Tours..... Once they kicked me in the nuts, I was pretty much done with it. I'd love to be a fan of cycling, if they'd quit letting me down. As it is, I probably won't follow the tour next year, and that has nothing to do with American riders or American teams. there's a new American team called Slipstream, they should be doing a lot of big races including the Tour de France next year, they've already signed Zabriskie, Vandevelde, David Millar and are rumoured to be signing George Hincapie too. They're managed by Lance's old team-mate Johnathan Vaughters. I also think the Tour of California is great, it could become a very big race. The Tour de Georgia is good too |
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