American Pro Cycling, RIP?

[dd74]

I wonder if all the doping business, suspensions, contract terminations, etc., that have afflicted most of our high-level American cyclists might hurt American pro cycling in the coming year.

Or might it help American pro cycling in as much as the sport, despite its negative press, has still been fully cast into the major media by late, giving it more exposure than I can ever remember.

What do you guys think?

[FlashUNC]

I think the young generation of riders will be fine, unless they start getting roped into this stuff too.

Bigger picture, there may be the threat of the loss of sponsorship dollars, but things were never going to get back to their Lance peak anyways. He created unprecedented interest in the sport domestically.

[jlyon]

I don't think it has been hurt too much.

Look at Pro football where everyone knows drugs are used to make people bigger and stronger and end up hurting each other and long term brain injuries. But it is a symbiotic relationship as the players union wants no drug testing and I'm sure the league doesn't really want it either.

It will take some big money lawsuits to change the NFL system.

The cycling world may have needed Lance to be the one person (may have needed Bruyneel also) big/famous/hated enough to have started the status quo of juicing to unravel.

Now a new crop of talent will take a longer look at the sport hoping that all is cleaned up.

Unfortunetly many corrupt practices continue on and are swept further under the rug (like in Sumo wrestling) when the flow of money is the guiding force.

[MattTuck]

I think the young generation of riders will be fine, unless they start getting roped into this stuff too.

Bigger picture, there may be the threat of the loss of sponsorship dollars, but things were never going to get back to their Lance peak anyways. He created unprecedented interest in the sport domestically.

Yeah, maybe Amgen will pull the plug on the Tour of California. I still find it bizarre that the company that makes EPO sponsors a major cycling race.

[67-59]

I'm not worried about cycling or the cyclists - at least the clean ones - so much as I am with continued TV coverage in the US. Before Lance, there was hardly anything on TV, even for the TdF. Now with DirecTV, I get 3-4 hours per stage of the Giro, Tour and Vuelta, as well as many of the classics and other tours. I just finished watching the Tour of Beijing, for cryin' out loud!

I understand that you can get many of these things online, maybe even with better commentary...but until the pictures are as clear and trouble-free as what I get with satellite, I'd consider any decrease in TV coverage a bad thing....

[dd74]

Yeah, maybe Amgen will pull the plug on the Tour of California. I still find it bizarre that the company that makes EPO sponsors a major cycling race.
I really hope this doesn't happen, though I could see why it would if Amgen produces EPO. The Tour of California is a huge even for most of the state, and one of the premier stage races in the U.S., if not the world.

[harryblack]

it can't HELP, i don't think, but realistically, domestic U.S. cycling wasn't great shakes even with Lance in full effect... Getting, then losing Tour de Georgia (a very cool race I thought)... Altoona collapsed... Philly is a shadow of itself... NYC crit or whatever the hell it was called was always a (fixed) joke but existing was a step above not existing.

then there's jive Colorado race with lame parcours and dubious victors wouldn't even exist without Lance's politicking...

Verdict: there were already lots of reasons to shun or at least tire of bike racing so I don't think this will make things much worse... LA's retirements, both of 'em, were more significant.

as for the future of AMATEUR road bike racing, Cats I-V... we're already in downturn, aren't we?

I wonder if all the doping business, suspensions, contract terminations, etc., that have afflicted most of our high-level American cyclists might hurt American pro cycling in the coming year.

Or might it help American pro cycling in as much as the sport, despite its negative press, has still been fully cast into the major media by late, giving it more exposure than I can ever remember.

What do you guys think?