Superteams Killing Pro Cycling?

[bikeman66]

Must admit, I am a fan of Team Sky and I like the way they seem to work in terms of using cutting edge science and training methods. But, prompted by an article I read the other day, I can't help beginning to wonder if teams like, primarily Sky, but also Saxo-Tinkoff and Etixx-Quick Step are going to kill pro cycling long before doping scandals and secret motors do?

It is something I'd thought about previously, but the article in Cycling Weekly seemed to suggest that these big teams buy up GC cyclists and use them as super domestiques, leaving the less financially hard hitting teams fighting for the scraps of an occasional stage win.

It would be a shame if pro cycling went the same way as football, with a select band of teams winning everything. The result,surely, is a sport which is much less attractive to sponsors, and, as there is minimal revenue generated from a spectating angle, where will the lifeblood money come from if the big name sponsors begin to pull out?

 

[PhilDawson8270]

Unfortunately it comes with the territory.

If people want more exposure, more TV coverage, more money involved. Then naturally teams are going to spend more, and you get the super professionals, like in all mainstreams sports.

 

[Joffey]

I don't know. Is Froome going to win 7 tours? Prob not. Will Quintana win a couple? Maybe. I don't think any one team such as Sky will dominate everything. BMC were 'best' team last year. I think there are a few good young riders coming through that might shake things up. Also riders are chosing not to go to Sky due to the limited GC options.

 

[fossyant]

It's been going on forever... Festina, US Postal, Telecom, etc etc....

 

[Citius]

It's been going on forever... Festina, US Postal, Telecom, etc etc...

Banesto, TVM, Mapei, CSC - not really a new phenomenon...

 

[zizou]

Is it dominance though?Team Sky are considered the strongest most dominant team but in the 5 seasons they have been around they have 3 grand tours out of 15 attempts and no monuments out of 25.

In that time - Movistar, Saxo Tinkoff, Giant, Orica Greenedge, Astana, Garmin, Katusha, Quickstep, BMC, Lampre (and probably a couple of others ive forgotten) have all either had a grand tour or a monument or both....im not sure if a similar 5 year period in the 1960s or 1970s would have as many different teams winning the big ones!

 

[Strathlubnaig]

salary caps.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Stop reading Cycling Weekly.

 

[oldroadman]

salary caps.

Are there other jokes? Top rider gets 3 million a year - gosh, it takes a ball kicker all of three months to earn that for 180 minutes a week.
If there is any domination the evidence is hardly overwhelming. Anyone remember Gewiss, who won everything a few years ago. Their coach had access to "special training methods". Hmmm....
When 200 riders in 22-25 teams of eight or nine start a race, I can assure anyone that control and domination is not something that's easy to achieve, too many variables. Unlike ball kicking at high level where certain teams dominate because they are able to assemble high spec teams and almost intimidate lesser opposition for the short period a game lasts in very controllable conditions (tight defence, ball retention, and all that).

 

[oldroadman]

Stop reading Cycling Weekly.

Agreed, a very wise piece of advice unless sportives are your thing, because their output betrays exactly how much they know about proper racing. Which is not much.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

Are there other jokes? Top rider gets 3 million a year - gosh, it takes a ball kicker all of three months to earn that for 180 minutes a week.

Wow, never realised professional sports players don't do any training!

 

[oldroadman]

Wow, never realised professional sports players don't do any training!

pro rider - 5-6 hours a day, plus races. Ball kicker, maybe 4 sessions of a couple of hours each week, and maybe a little gym work? I rest my case, no comparison.

 

[Citius]

pro rider - 5-6 hours a day, plus races. Ball kicker, maybe 4 sessions of a couple of hours each week, and maybe a little gym work? I rest my case, no comparison.

Such a comparison isn't really valid anyway. Footballers train to play a 90 minute game based around a high intensity, high impact activity.

 

[PhilDawson8270]

Such a comparison isn't really valid anyway. Footballers train to play a 90 minute game based around a high intensity,.

That's better

Rugby players are paid considerably less too.
@oldroadman

How much revenue does a pro cyclist generate in comparison to a top level footballer?

 

[Strathlubnaig]

Are there other jokes? Top rider gets 3 million a year - gosh, it takes a ball kicker all of three months to earn that for 180 minutes a week.
If there is any domination the evidence is hardly overwhelming. Anyone remember Gewiss, who won everything a few years ago. Their coach had access to "special training methods". Hmmm....
When 200 riders in 22-25 teams of eight or nine start a race, I can assure anyone that control and domination is not something that's easy to achieve, too many variables. Unlike ball kicking at high level where certain teams dominate because they are able to assemble high spec teams and almost intimidate lesser opposition for the short period a game lasts in very controllable conditions (tight defence, ball retention, and all that).

'ball kicking' does not have a salary cap I don't think, but it does work in N American sports, very few endless years of domination by a few select teams there in pro sports.