Predictions for the future of pro cycling

[LegendRider]

With the events of the past few weeks, it's clear pro cycling is changing rapidly. I'm curious to hear predictions of where the sport will be one year from today. What teams and riders will be gone? How will the UCI change if at all? Will Hein and Pat still be around? Will there be a "truth and reconciliation" commission? Will doping be policed differently?

Let's hear your thoughts and make a note to come back to this thread next year.

[54ny77]

TDF yellow jersey winner gets a pair of new Michelin Pro 4 tires and a gift certificate for a McBaguette.

The old days are BACK!

:D

[false_Aest]

Frame geometry rules will change first.


http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/bikes/trike-avt-rb1.JPG

[54ny77]

uci clearly enforcing the handlebar bell rule.

should make for less crashing on descents and at intersections.

Frame geometry rules will change first.


http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/bikes/trike-avt-rb1.JPG

[Vientomas]

The UCI is gone and the sport adopts the "break away league" model championed JV and convince sponsors to remain by asserting that they are free from the corruption that plagued the UCI.

[witcombusa]

It is all an illusion
Nothing will change within the "game"
The public at large will be appeased and then back to the buisness of money

[Germany_chris]

I also think cycling will die off again in the USA, but that's what everyone seemed to want.

Combine this horror and the changes in transportation funding cycling infrastructure is on hold for about 10 more years.

We got our man though

[jr59]

The king is dead.

Long live the king!

Or

Beat the new boss, as as the old boss.


What makes you think something is going to change?
Pro cycling has been like this for over 100 years.
I don't think it's going to change now!

[phcollard]

The UCI will be dismantled after being proven to have ignored doping or even to have participated in it.

A new pro cycling institution will raise from the ashes of UCI and they will forbid any kind of direct sponsoring 'cause we all know all this mess happened because of money. New scientific tools will allow to track the old guys still eating Spanish beef and they will be expelled immediately.

Cycling will finally be the first sport that's totally clean.

Well... It's not illegal to dream :)

Oh and the radios will be banned too.

And the peloton will be back on steel frames.

[jr59]

The UCI will be dismantled after being proven to have ignored doping or even to have participated in it.

A new pro cycling institution will raise from the ashes of UCI and they will forbid any kind of direct sponsoring 'cause we all know all this mess happened because of money. New scientific tools will allow to track the old guys still eating Spanish beef and they will be expelled immediately.

Cycling will finally be the first sport that's totally clean.

Well... It's not illegal to dream :)

Oh and the radios will be banned too.

And the peloton will be back on steel frames.

And they all will be awarded unicorns at the start! :D

[phcollard]

I also think cycling will die off again in the USA, but that's what everyone seemed to want.

Seriously? I believe it's the USA who will give birth to the new pro cycling.

[phcollard]

And they all will be awarded unicorns at the start! :D

Yey! I like unicorns in a rainbow (jersey) :D

[Germany_chris]

I don't agree, it'll go back to being a European thing. Everyone like to be unique into a fringe sport that people don't know much of. Welcome back

[phcollard]

I don't agree, it'll go back to being a European thing. Everyone like to be unique into a fringe sport that people don't know much of. Welcome back

The Euros just proved that could do nothing about it. Plus they don't have the energy to scrap all the sh** and start from scratch. They had their chance, they failed, time for the US to show what they are able to do. I think the sport is in much better condition on this side of the pond (as in many many people embrace road cycling... last time I rode in Europe there seemed to be only old guys on vintage bikes, which is not a bad thing but).

Oh and don't take it personal... I'm Euro too :D

[witcombusa]

Seriously? I believe it's the USA who will give birth to the new pro cycling.

We're even worse (better @ cheating the rules) than they are...
don't kid yourself

[PQJ]

Cycling won't die in the US at all.

As with the "Tiger effect," Lance brought a lot of people to the sport who cared more about Lance and the yellow bracelets than they did about cycling; they were always going to disappear when Lance did. If they developed a genuine passion for the activity, they'll survive the fall of Dopestrong. I don't miss the hackers who've given up the game of golf, the same way I won't miss the freds in their full postal/disco kit but who can't ride in a straight line (and don't care to).

The business of cycling in the US will take a hit, but it, too, was inevitable, given the bubble Lance created. I guess you can thank him and tell him to eff off at the same time.

[phcollard]

We're even worse (better @ cheating the rules) than they are...
don't kid yourself

I don't know... it's the USADA who stirred the pot, not the UCI.

[jr59]

I don't know... it's the USADA who stirred the pot, not the UCI.

I give you BALCO!

[phcollard]

I give you BALCO!

Baseball is a sport? :fight:

No seriously guys. I have faith in you... don't crush my bubble!

[Germany_chris]

The Euros just proved that could do nothing about it. Plus they don't have the energy to scrap all the sh** and start from scratch. They had their chance, they failed, time for the US to show what they are able to do. I think the sport is in much better condition on this side of the pond (as in many many people embrace road cycling... last time I rode in Europe there seemed to be only old guys on vintage bikes, which is not a bad thing but).

Oh and don't take it personal... I'm Euro too :D

But I'm not..

The euros don't want to do anything about it..remember the difference in America a nipple slip causes outrage for months but you can buy a AR-15. (not that having an AR15 is in anyway bad) We're still much to close to out puritan roots.

[cmg]

nothings going to change. there will be alot of proclamations, rule changes and assurrances that this will never happen again, blah, blah, blah and the season will start and it will go on. road cycling in america will slowly die, Trek and Specialized will move all of their production overseas to save the companies. and then another American will show up with potential and it will start up all over. there will be talk about how good this was to come out when it did, change the sport for the better, blah, blah, blah. And Lance will still be rich and live in a beautiful place, probably write a few more best sellers.... he'll claim to be a victim, setup by the man....

[sg8357]

Vince McMahon will be the next UCI president.
Lance will be Governor of Texas.

[Fixed]

National teams come back
Not going to happen though
Cheers

[phcollard]

Vince McMahon will be the next UCI president.
Lance will be Governor of Texas.

LOL and Schwarzenegger will be Governor of California while you're at it.

Oh wait...

[JonB]

Baseball is a sport?

Only in the National League

[thwart]

Lance apologizes in great detail.

States that he feels that he owes cycling a huge debt of gratitude, and volunteers to be a cycling anti-doping czar, under the umbrella of a new cycling organization.

Reasons that no one knows how to beat the system as well as he does... and therefore he can be the best enforcer.

[Vientomas]

http://www.usaprocyclingchallenge.com/news/attendance-numbers-surpass-1-million-second-annual-usa-pro-challenge-professional-cycling-race

Denver (Oct. 18, 2012) – The 2012 USA Pro Challenge, the toughest professional cycling race in the U.S., reached attendance numbers of more than 1 million over the course of seven days, Aug. 20-26, as fans turned out to watch the action-packed, heart-pounding racing. After traveling to 12 towns for the official stage starts and finishes, and passing through many other notable cities along the way, the estimated economic impact of the race to the State of Colorado is $99.6 million, according to a study done by IFM North America, a global sports research firm.

[slidey]

More money is spent on portraying cycling's cleaner image.

In the next couple of years, LiveStrong will be openly involved in a financial capacity in the above cause...and they might also get into starting a team of their own, or sponsor a team, etc...maybe take over from Rabobank left off.

In reality, doping just gets better with the chances of getting caught minimised.

[Rueda Tropical]

Cycling continues to grow but pro cycling goes through a rough time. New tell-alls and revelations come out as criminal prosecutions proceed in Europe. Corporate sponsors disappear. Contract values plummet. The entire old guard remaining in the peloton succumbs to doping charges.

Freaked out Team owners and cycling industry executives demand the heads of UCI management on a stick. The IOC and WADA pile on. Verbuggen and McQuaid are charged by the feds of several Euro countries with corruption. Cycling becomes the most popular reality show / soap opera in the world. A scandal every minute.

Bike and component manufacturers sponsor teams with much lower budgets as corporate sponsors are all gone. Dranconian changes are put in place to get sponsors and the big money back -new UCI management led by some well known anti-doping advocates reorganizes pro cycling, testing is taken away from the UCI and WADA is contracted and funded to oversee all testing.

or maybe things just go back to normal in 6 months with a new generation of dopers.

[tiretrax]

Sponsorship will dry up and coverage will decrease on U.S. television, but people who love the sport will continue to follow it on the internet.

Lance will go in hiding for a few years.

[bluesea]

Prediction: Pro Cycling will survive, sportsfans will find something else to bellyache on.