Le tour de USA

[pdxmech13]

Could a three week tour ever happen in the states ?
How much money would it really take ?

[J.Greene]

Could a three week tour ever happen in the states ?
How much money would it really take ?

One problem is time on the uci calender. It won't happen in the warm months, and no one will support a 3 week tour early or late in the year for obvious reasons.

JG

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . in THIS country to close major roads over a three week period through literally dozens of municipalities you'd have to pass an act of Congress and mobilize the national guard to threaten drivers with guns. Americans are so selfish . . .

I have a DVD of Fleche Wallone from a few years ago and they had closed the Belgian equivalent of an Interstate highway for these guys to race on. Until cycling as a sport enjoys the same popularity here as it does there, you're not gonna see anything like that here. I wonder when that will be? . . .

BBD

[manet]

first thing you'll need to do is un-french the race's name, evidently.

[pdxmech13]

who wants to be a millionare ?

[toaster]

In America the automobile is king. They own the road and those millions of drivers are not going to yield to lycra wearing crazies for three weeks or even a day without protest.

[Fat Robert]

first, it would have to be a continental calendar race at first -- and you don't have enough US racers on teams with big enough budgets to support this -- you could have a three-week race, but who would come?


the best plan for US racing is to get more and more regional 7-10 day stage races, and maybe put a third big one, 10 days to 2 weeks long, in the middle of the year on the NRC calendar to complimet the ToC and the TdG...presuming you can find a sponsor to bankroll it....

[Serpico]

the whole peloton would be wiped out by a reckless hummer driver

[dave thompson]

the whole peloton would be wiped out by a reckless hummer driver
....downloading ring tones.

[Erik.Lazdins]

I would think that IF the tour of Georgia/ California can be effectively grown in terms of sponsor dollars, attendance, and rider support a longer tour is possible however it would have to come at the expense of a dropped UCI race.

If you look at the struggle the Vuelta is having it is possible however there are still risks

Solid sponsorship - Any doping scandal is a torpedo to this.

Logistics - A true US tour would require lots of big transfers.

I love the idea of a US based longer than TOG or California

The US doesn't lack for terrain

I don't believe road closures would be a major barrier. If the sponsor money is there and top teams show, the roads issue is a smaller problem.

What I want to know is what is the best stage ending climb in the US?

[Fat Robert]

What I want to know is what is the best stage ending climb in the US?

easy

Mt. Washington

wouldn't you love to see them go up that thing at the end of a 100 mile stage, at the end of a seven-day race?

[Kevan]

The Google tour.

Actually, they might do well sponsoring it, showing off the features of their websites.

[pdxmech13]

I was thinking a prolouge @ times square frankly

[Kevan]

each team for this supposed event is comprised of athletes with different cycling disciplines. The tour includes track, road, mountain, cross and bmx. Points are given out for the different events and the team with the most points wins the R/W/B jersey. Course, there will be event winners, point winners and the like, too.

Tell me my mind isn't always simmerin'.

[Louis]

Can Keno's wife be a support car driver? :p

[rwsaunders]

Did anyone see the Peloton?

[BURCH]

I don't see the road closings to be a major issue. A section of road would only be affected for at most 2-3 days with the race being one of those days. Roads are being closed down all the time in the US for parades, races, marathons...etc. If a town can benefit from the race by people coming thru the area, they will gladly shut down the roads.

I like the idea of a multi faceted race. This would be very popular in the U.S. if you could combine all areas of cycling. Like an X-games meets the Tour de France. Plus it would be fun to see someone like Chris Eatough racing with Levi Leipheimer and Ryan Trebon.

[Kevan]

I think that was the name of it.

[Fivethumbs]

If only we could get someone with a lot of money and influence to get interested, say like Donald Trump. I bet then we could pull it off!

[tomwd3]

If only we could get someone with a lot of money and influence to get interested, say like Donald Trump. I bet then we could pull it off!

Plus, with "the Donald" you know it will be classy!!!

I find it hysterical every time he uses that term to descibe one of his projects. It's like he's got his own version of wikipedia.
TRUMPIPEDIA. Nice.

[swoop]

frankly.. just bring back the gp san francisco... televise it. offer it up in every city in the us that has architrctural significance and a tourist trade. make a few demi classics... where the course makes a selection.

much more interesting than a grand tour.

but if they'd just bring back sf as a d1/2 mens race.

[george]

If only we could get someone with a lot of money and influence to get interested, say like Donald Trump. I bet then we could pull it off!

...or Robin Williams...or any one with millions of dollars (to spare) because if the idea flops? Someone who loves cycling and is willing to promote it in the states in a big way...show me the money

[Fivethumbs]

It would be totally cool because then guys with names like "Dag-Otto" would come over here to race in it.

[cpgardner]

Also consider that the US is very large...there is no Tour de Europe for the same reason, imagine the coordination required. Many mentioned closing roads to be hard, just imagine trying to accomplish that across multiple state lines. I consider the Tour of California a huge step, and its first year success was amazing. From what I understand this year, all us east coasters can now watch on tv before midnight. I like the way the US road scene is heading, with a new abundance of week long tours ahead. This will keep teams, domestic and international, racing around the country for much of the year. Can't wait for Montreal-Boston!

[stevep]

easy

Mt. Washington

wouldn't you love to see them go up that thing at the end of a 100 mile stage, at the end of a seven-day race?

already happened. tour of nh about 15 yrs ago.
95 mile stage finished at the summit.
was a 6 day race as i recall..somewhere in the archives i have the results as i had a team in the race.
trivia note. was the only appearance of andre tchmil on us soil ( that i know about ) with the mroz team.
2 of my kids beat him up mt wash...cause he was in a 39-25....hahaha did not believe it.

[Bill Bove]

I vaguely remember that race pooch, but i thought it was a three day omnium. i'm probably wrong. that was about the time i gave up on mass and moved to florida,by the way, how's your suntan :D

I'm all for more one week regional stage races, let thebest promoter/race rise to the top and then let that race add a few stages.

[Frustration]

Don't know if it could ever fly with the greedy overly litigious place that is the USA...


But we damn sure shouldn't call it "Le Tour de" Any damn thing :no:

.

[stevep]

I vaguely remember that race pooch, but i thought it was a three day omnium. i'm probably wrong. that was about the time i gave up on mass and moved to florida,by the way, how's your suntan :D

I'm all for more one week regional stage races, let thebest promoter/race rise to the top and then let that race add a few stages.

funny you should ask...
i am a white boy for the next 6 months...for sure.
i will have to at some point look up the results...i rememebr they cancelled a stage or 2 for logistic reasons...

[stevep]

we will never have a 3 week tour here...many reasons.
every time i am at the tour it blows my mind the crowds, the total inability to really control the crowds...
imagine...a row of vehicles drivign 45mph through a huge crowd of people..mile after mile... with the vehicles all throwing out candy, hats, assorted prizes..that kids jump for..they dart in front of the vehicles, they run around wild...every so often a spectater gets killed by a caravan vehicle or a parade vehicle.
it is a wild scene.
cant imagine it here. they would stop the thing 1/2 way through the first day.
too wild. impossible to control.