[email protected] wrote:
> DA74 wrote:
> > 95% of Euro races don't matter. Yes, the teams would like to win
but
> > they're training races. That's it. Training rides with prizes.
>
> So first, to impress us with your "Pro" cred, you mention that you've
> been is such "prestegious" races as TdG, USPro, and the SFGP. But not
> one of those races would seroiusly be considered in the top five
> percent of Euro races.
CBS Gopher & Fellow Posters,
I'm feeling charitable so we'll go on to lesson two. I was very clear
and precise when I said "Euro races". The US domestic scene
essentially exists in a vacuum so comparing the two is impossible,
futile and in the end just another excuse for the fatties to stop
during the Sunday group ride and chat for half and hour under the guise
of filling up water bottles.
In the heirarchy of Pro Cycling, Europe is and will always be the mecca
with the US being next, but nothing more than a breeding ground and
red-headed step-child, followed a long way down by Australia. If
you're really spunked out about racing and need to go deeper you could
argue for Central / South America and then Japan. If you really really
need a comparison, I think even Subway would dominate in Japan but they
certainly don't have the hematocrit or inclination to compete with the
C/S American contingent.
All that aside, on the US scene the non-industry sponsors want to see
you sell the farm for TdG, USPRO and SFGP and maybe a couple others.
that's why those races are so crazy hard. But that's it. The sponsors
don't even know where you are for the rest of the year. You could
party with Decanio and the fashionista in Florida all year as long as
you show up to the biggies. Industry sponsors want you at
everything...hell, they'll slap up results from the Tuesday night crits
if you let them.