I think I see the problem here

[Mr. Pink]

The Tour of California was on the flat screen in front of me in the gym today as I continue to rehab the knee. Stage 2. After a while, I realized I was watching possibly the most boring sporting event I have seen on TV for some time. I know, a little unfair, because, yeah, the Tour also has it's flat stages, but this was kind of ridiculous. Just a peloton cruising through a flat, parched, drought stricken Central Valley. No action at all. At one point I realized I was watching two contestants, basically, chat for two or three minutes, you know, like a couple of dudes on a nice and friendly Sunday ride. That was the best the director could come up with. I mean, that's the stuff that happens on football sidelines and baseball dugouts, not during play. I was not entertained. But, I wonder how the average American would even bother to get into this. Hey, I ride and sort of follow racing (the Tour, of course), so I have some interest, but, why would a non rider get into this?

We need a more exciting place for a race in America to make that work. Colorado doesn't cut it, either (why oh why is Mt. Evans not a day in that race?). Maybe The Blue Ridge? Something. Nobody is tuning into Amgen, I'm pretty sure.

[ultraman6970]

Now you know why the race is being broadcasted around 10pm at night and then around 2am :D

I do agree with you, there's enough nice roads in the US for a tour of US... 3 weeks coast to coast and with climbing pretty much every day... that would be interesting to watch.

[Tony]

Now you know why the race is being broadcasted around 10pm at night and then around 2am :D

I do agree with you, there's enough nice roads in the US for a tour of US... 3 weeks coast to coast and with climbing pretty much every day... that would be interesting to watch.

I did a MTB ride in Auburn today, timed it perfectly to watch the race leaders, than the peloton FLY down Old Forest Hill road than the climb to Cool, exciting!!

[false_Aest]

More boring than Golf.

The announcers have always sucked and they suck more now.

The least the UCI could do is follow NASCAR's lead and have front/rear cameras on each bike and have that count toward the weight limit.


Also, KOM beer chug: first 3 over the line are given a sponsored beer, have to chug it, and then spin around 3x before they descend.

I think podium girls are sexist. And if the sport is going to be sexist, let's just acknowledge that and go too far: let's have the equiv of a lady holding up the sign saying "Round 1" "Round 2" "Round 3" etc. But instead let's say CAT 1, CAT 2, HORS CAT. And well, if we're gonna go that far, we all know 'mericans hear when they say HC . . . .

How bout a backstory: "I'm Bradley Wiggins, I ride a vintage vespa and think I'm better than everyone else. ···· off or I'll stab you!" Then they could follow the NFL's queue and have robot cyclists in the corner of the tv.

I'm really only half joking. Watch any sport with the sound off. It's stupid. Cycling just happens to be stupid and boring.

[regularguy412]

Cycling is not 'really' a spectator sport. It's a participant sport. The tough part is: 'most' 'Mericans' didn't 'PLAY' cycling in high school. They also didn't grow up in 'close, small' Europe,, where space is a premium and in order to get around economically one rides a bike every day (both as a child and as an adult) for the purpose of REAL transportation. From a visceral perspective, most Americans just don't have any real connection to cycling.

Americans just won't be Europeans. Period. Those of us who race or HAVE raced (USA Cycling) or ride lots are really the only ones who can appreciate what goes on during a bike race. Even when doped to the gills, climbing the Ventoux is incredibly HARD. It doesn't hurt the pros less, it just hurts for a shorter period of TIME. But, alas, that's not how we 'do' sports here in America.

Now for the 'pie in the sky' part. IF! our kids were groomed more toward individual sports,, sports that would improve their health for their entire lifetime instead of pushing team sports designed to fill out the scouting ledgers of College Coaches and also allow the parents of those kids to relive their lives vicariously (insert ego boost here), THEN and only then could cycling, running and to a degree swimming become more mainstream and appreciated here in the good ol' U S of A.

/rant off

Thanks for listening,
Mike in AR:beer:

[phcollard]

I did not watch this race but I'm not sure location is the issue here.

Let's face it : even as a cyclist and a genuine cycling fan races can be utterly boring to watch. Even the TdF, even Flanders...

That reminds me of that article in Velonews a few months ago. I think they have some great ideas to make it more interesting : http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/11/analysis/analysis-why-cycling-needs-to-improve-its-tv-product_352280

[bicycletricycle]

All the tours I have watched are filled with hours of downtime. I kinda like it, gives you time to reflect on things like what to eat for lunch or the meaning of life.

[William]

They could put GoPro cameras on a bunch of cats and let them loose on the course....


"Ring....ring..."


Ah, phone is ringing..............caller I.D. says "A.S.P.C.A" Gotta go!:eek:










William

[phcollard]

They could put GoPro cameras on a bunch of cats and let them loose on the course....



How about squirrels? :D

[MattTuck]

Yeah flat stages can be boring. But that is more a function of stage racing. In stage racing, the GC guys need to finish together, so there is really very little tension (unless a breakaway really does something special or the gc teams misjudge the chase) as far the outcome until the last 2 km, and even that is only for the stage honors.

Big mountain stages can be boring as well, since it basically comes down to watts/kg.

The reason I like the classic one day races is that almost every mile of the race that is broadcast is important for the final outcome. Stage races aren't like that at all.

My solution, if I were in charge, would be to have more intermediate mountain climbs, fewer flat stages, fewer big mountain stages. Goal should be small time gaps. I'd also include more and bigger time bonuses for stage wins and intermediate sprints.

I'd like to see legitimate potential for GC changes every hour. That is what makes a race exciting. And with California, you could actually do it.

[bobswire]

Yeah do away with the long boring "sprinter" stages and instead have three or four short crits to decide a sprint off at the end of the day from the top 6 sprinters.

[cfox]

A stage race in New England/northeast would be a lot more interesting. You need some old, twisty roads, narrow climbs, stuff like that. Every race out west, even the mountain stages, looks like guys riding on a giant, smooth highway. And I don't need to watch guys setting up for a sprint with an Applebee's and a Jiffy Lube in the background.

[William]

How about squirrels? :D

Just got off the phone with the A.S.P.C.A, they frowned on my Cat suggestion but were totally okay with GoPro mounted Squirrels. :D







William

PS: Btw, I've got an Angry Ram (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aVCR29aE_OQ) in training if need.:)

[djg21]

I did not watch this race but I'm not sure location is the issue here.

Let's face it : even as a cyclist and a genuine cycling fan races can be utterly boring to watch. Even the TdF, even Flanders...

That reminds me of that article in Velonews a few months ago. I think they have some great ideas to make it more interesting : http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/11/analysis/analysis-why-cycling-needs-to-improve-its-tv-product_352280

I have better things to do than watch a race unfold for seemingly endless hours while I sit on my couch. i would much prefer it if they edited the coverage to the start, the attacks, moves, decisive moments, and the finish. Edit out the cruising or the lengthy breakaways.

[MattTuck]

I have better things to do than watch a race unfold for seemingly endless hours while I sit on my couch. i would much prefer it if they edited the coverage to the start, the attacks, moves, decisive moments, and the finish. Edit out the cruising or the lengthy breakaways.

Sounds like you just asked for a product like cyclocosm.com puts out.

[bobswire]

I have better things to do than watch a race unfold for seemingly endless hours while I sit on my couch. i would much prefer it if they edited the coverage to the start, the attacks, moves, decisive moments, and the finish. Edit out the cruising or the lengthy breakaways.

That is pretty much why we TIVO it At least for those of us who can. Here on the west coast by the time I'm eating breakfast I'm able to watch the last KMs of a race from Europe like the Giro.

[shovelhd]

Yeah do away with the long boring "sprinter" stages and instead have three or four short crits to decide a sprint off at the end of the day from the top 6 sprinters.

These races are like the NBA. You can watch the last 20% and not miss much. I enjoy the late attacks, contested climbs, solo attempts, and the sprints. You can have the chopper shots.

Now a pro criterium, I could binge watch those, even without bike cams. The NCC and USA Crits are fun to watch, but maybe it's because I'm a criterium guy.

[milkbaby]

I really like watching televised pro cycling. It's the most fun when the announcing is good and you are watching with good friends who understand pro cycling and are drinking good beer. I think the friends and beer would make golf, auto racing, and plenty of other sports a lot more enjoyable to watch on the tv too. :)

[William]

How about squirrels? :D

Experiment one = Failure! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_gmkhE7YQc)






;)

William

[bobswire]

Experiment one = Failure! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_gmkhE7YQc)






;)

William

That rocks!

[Black Dog]

Watching a race in HD and on a big screen is all about the landscape and scenery. Then at the end there is a bike race Finnish.

[vqdriver]

agree with the op. that's kind of the reason why i like watching the edited 1 hr version of the tdf on nbc (i think?) a few years ago before the move to versus. you could miss a lot on the really active days, but editing the flat stages was key to maintaining interest. and that's the french countryside. omg, watching hours of flat cruising through the california central valley would be soooo booooring. at least get some climbing stages into the sierras.

[Mr. Pink]

Watching a race in HD and on a big screen is all about the landscape and scenery. Then at the end there is a bike race Finnish.

This is a big reason I went big screen HD some time ago. The alpine stages. Seriously. Lance, dope, whatever, the high Alps on a nice day on my TV are spectacular.

[tiretrax]

Only thing worse than watching this is the commentary. Jens, stick to tweeting. Christian, go to dental school. Phil, please retire and bore to death visitors to your cycling museum (I am sure your wife loves life when you're on the road).