In short, going ProTour would leave a lot less room for U.S. domestic teams to join the fun. I was really excited to see the gutsy effort and rising talent in teams like Slipstream, as well as Toyota United. I think the mix of ProTour and domestic teams this year was great for the fans and for U.S. cycling. If other fans are like me, they love seeing the big names (Basso, Voigt, Bettini) and rooting on the next generation of American cyclists in the same race. I imagine the domestic riders like the chance to get a feel for the European peloton without the expense and additional obstacles of racing overseas (e.g., language and culture).
Oh, and to appeal to authority, Phil Liggett says no:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/25/sports/othersports/25cycling.html
Your thoughts? Is going ProTour a net gain? Am I kidding myself? Is AEG going to go ahead and keep pushing this race toward higher status anyway?
In any case, man, what a great race this year! I had the good fortune of being in Long Beach to catch the last stage. (I'm not so big a fan (yet) that I will travel more than across town just to see a race.) I hope this is a sign of things to come...of U.S. interest in cycling in the post-Lance, post-Puerto era. (I won't say "post-Floyd" yet, but the damage is arguably done!)
Oh, and to appeal to authority, Phil Liggett says no:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/25/sports/othersports/25cycling.html
Your thoughts? Is going ProTour a net gain? Am I kidding myself? Is AEG going to go ahead and keep pushing this race toward higher status anyway?
In any case, man, what a great race this year! I had the good fortune of being in Long Beach to catch the last stage. (I'm not so big a fan (yet) that I will travel more than across town just to see a race.) I hope this is a sign of things to come...of U.S. interest in cycling in the post-Lance, post-Puerto era. (I won't say "post-Floyd" yet, but the damage is arguably done!)