posted by Dave Butler on the Jet Fuel site.
Beauce non merci
As team director one of the biggest things that I do is plan out a schedule of races that are interesting and challenging. You don't want to make things too difficult but you want to develop a schedule that challenges the riders and gives them goals for the season.
We had planned on attending the Tour de Beauce--although I had noticed that in past years the race spent some really big bucks on the Euro teams and the level of support offered to Canadian teams was decreasing. I always said it is their race they can do what they want.
Well this year the Tour de Beauce wanted $5,500 just for hotels and food. Add on some vehicles, staff fees and gas money and you're easily hitting close to $8,000 or more to compete in the one week race.
In contrast, our whole trip to Europe for four weeks of racing (including flights, cars etc) is going to cost less than $8,000. As you can see, when you're creative and leverage the greater cycling community, you can really stretch $8,000.
But forget the cash for one minute. What about supporting Canucks? People might point out that's how things work foreign teams get the cash--Canucks pay. Sorry, but when we were invited to race the Trans-Canada race several years ago we didn't pay one cent. I've asked our host in Belgium and he said a big race in Belgium would offer any Belgium team the equivalent support (hotel/food) offered to foreign teams, but the Belgian teams wouldn't get start money.
It's important to note that Canadian or North American teams cost the Beauce organization far less than the Euro teams. No flights, van rentals etc. Granted the prestige of the race is elevated by the prescence of the European teams... the question is the intangible value of 'how much' vs. our Canadian and American teams?
I don't know what direction the Tour de Beauce is headed but I really don't think its helping Canadian cycling as much as it could. What I find frustrating is the missed opportunity, the race could be doing more to help the sport but hey it is their race.
In case you hadn't read between the lines we are not attending the Tour de Beauce this year. I'll likely be standing alone on principle on this issue but at a certain point you've got to make a stand. Maybe we'll go next year...
posted by dave at 5/22/2005 12:53:00 AM
Also a response from Kevin Feild
kevin field
First I'll clear up a few things.
1. Dave doesn't make these decisions without first informing the team. So, Buck, Pozzy, Zach etc. know what is going on. Just because the team isn't going, doesn't mean the riders may not be...
2. Beauce is a great race, but as far as the team and young riders getting access to quality events, poster #3 was right, the team has other races of equal calibre to compensate for missing beauce. Dave has had more success than any Canadian team manager in history of getting his Canadian team starts in some pretty cool forgein races. A reminder of the team's history might be in order:
- FDB RAS, Ireland - 3 times
- Ringer Rike Tour of Norway - 1 time
- Lincoln GP, England - 2 times
- Tour of Japan, 1 time
- USPRO Championships Phili, - 4 times and only Canadian pro team ever to do this race
- San Fransisco - 1 time
- Tour Trans Canada - 1 and only time
I'd hardly accuse Dave Butler of jeopradizing young riders by stripping them of opportunities? In fact I'd say the opposite, I'd say he's given more young riders more opportunities to race UCI races in Europe than any Canadian team, perhaps ever.
3. Sometimes decisions just come down to money. Dave constantly makes astute choices when it comes to schedules, travel, and maximizing the team's budget. This decision also has a point other than money and the team supports Dave's decision.
4. Our secondary sponsor is (Bell's) Sympatico MSN, Bell is a cosponsor of Beauce, our sponsors are also informed and in agreement with the team's decision.
I will say as well that I can understand Beauce's position, the forgein teams are a draw for thier sponsors... in the same way Jet Fuel has been a draw for event organizers in other countries like England, Ireland, Japan, Italy, Denmark, Norway and Spain - enabling the team to have done so many races outside of north america.
Dave should be congratulated for being a Canadian team manager who has had a vision beyond just the Canadian and US scene.
You guys should know too that at a certain level cycling stops being about participation... and as much as you like to diss Jet Fuel, the team is sometimes at that level, and it's about making deals. And sometimes when you are making deals you have to be prepared to walk away.
