Olympics or 2012 Tour de France?

[NickM]

So Dave Brailsford reckons the Olympics are much more important than the 2012 Tour de France:

http://www.guardian....tour-brailsford

That's what he thinks, anyway. Of course, his is only one opinion. Bradley Wiggins, to name but one prominent British rider, and the British cycling public, may not agree with him. In fact, some of us may not give a toss about the Olympics (for the sake of which, it will be remembered, the much-loved Eastway cycling circuit was destroyed). After all, given the usual standards of LOCOG "organisation", it's not as though we're actually going to be able to go and watch on the only interesting bit of the Olympic road race course, is it?

I sincerely hope that Messrs Wiggins and Thomas will tell Brailsford that track medals are of little interest to them or their numerous supporters, and that as manager of a professional cycling team he needs to get real and re-order his priorities to align them better with the expectations of British followers of cycling.

 

[monnet]

The Tour is far more important. Cavendish has alluded to this in the past, saying that UCI road races are where he earns his money - not the Olympics. And that's the crux, money. Win the Olympics, you get nothing. Win the World's and you get a nice jersey for the year and a fat contract because teams get good publicity out of the jersey. Win the Tour and you're, rightly, regarded as one of the finest athletes on the planet. Win Paris Roubaix, Flanders, MSR and you go down in the annals of cycling history (and get a bigger contract). Win the Olympics and, well, you don't really get alot do you?

Besides, if I were a British cyclist I'd be desperately trying to get out of the road race having seen the pictures of Boxhill in this week's comic and the report that there are, apparently, no plans to do any resurfacing as yet.

 

[marinyork]

Are we surprised? The amount of time the broadcasters like the BBC are putting towards the olympics already with a year to go it may even be a wise publicity move for Sky.

 

[Buddfox]

I love the Tour, but the Olympics is clearly a bigger priority, Brailsford's right. From a profile raising perspective, you can't beat it. Chris Hoy is far more well known in the UK than Mark Cavendish (like it or not) and his success has brought far more money into cycling (and for him, given all the commercial opportunities he's had) than the UK's feeble attempts to be successful in the tour have ever done. Without the Olympics, there would be no team Sky, and the tour would remain what it has always been - a minor attraction in the sporting calendar.

The Olympics only comes round once every four years and is considered in most sports the pinnacle of an athlete's career. It brings you much wider recognition as well. Overlook their impact at your peril. Cav's just still bitter at what happened in 2008, when he quit the tour to focus on the Olympics and got stiffed.

 

[Beebo]

The Olympic Cycling team gets a budget of £26.92 million.

It is the second highest budget, more than athletics, sailing and swimming but less than Rowing.

Its a case of "He who pays the piper calls the tune."

 

[monnet]

The Olympics only comes round once every four years and is considered in most sports the pinnacle of an athlete's career. It brings you much wider recognition as well. Overlook their impact at your peril. Cav's just still bitter at what happened in 2008, when he quit the tour to focus on the Olympics and got stiffed.

Wouldn't you still be bitter? I would be. But you make a good point that the Olympics are the pinnacle in most sports. Alas road cycling is not one of them. Much like football and tennis.

Britain should, by all means remain focused on the track side but I guarantee Cav, Wiggins or whoever will be forgotten almost as soon as they've won the road race (should they succeed). It's only recently that pros have been eligible for the road race and that's reflected in the significance of the Olympics. To most riders it's a 'nice to have' but they'd probably rather have sa Grand Tour jersey or a classics win and would almost certainly take a win at the World's. And if Cav, in particular, wins will it be because he had the better team? Unlikely, it'll be because he'll have made promises to his team mates and other friendly riders, just as happens in the World's. Road cycling is more mercenary than most sports and the Olympics don't really give you much commercial cache. I'd argue that 3rd in, say, Paris Roubaix carries far more weight in new contract negotiations.

Sure, a bit of sacrifice for the sake of the growth of the sport in Britain would be nice but it's unrealistic. With a (relatively) short career span I think it's unreasonable to ask riders to sacrifice their potential pay cheques in search of a title that in the world of cycling has relatively little importance.

 

[dellzeqq]

The Olympic Cycling team gets a budget of £26.92 million.

It is the second highest budget, more than athletics, sailing and swimming but less than Rowing.

Its a case of "He who pays the piper calls the tune."

That's the crux of the matter. BC's future funding depends on Olympic success, and that future funding will buy grass roots participation and velodromes. Sky signed a deal with BC that placed the Olympics at the centre. And, yes, last years Tour de France is this year's chip-paper - who amongst us remembers the winner of the 2006 Tour (last heard of playing for a second division football team in Spain)?.

Chris Hoy has a knighthood and a lifetime's supply of Shredded Wheat, while Cavendish has a few hundred thousand devoted fans and a glamour model girlfriend. If individual riders don't want to ride for GB then there's no making them - they'll doubtless enjoy the obscurity. If riders like Geraint Thomas and Ben Swift duck out of the Olympics nobody will ever hear of them again.........

 

[Buddfox]

Wouldn't you still be bitter? I would be.

Absolutely, and so would I. No criticism of Cav intended - he was treated shabbily IMHO.

 

[ohnovino]

I can't find the quote now, but Cav made a great (and possibly accidental) bankhanded compliment to the Olympics.

An interviewer asked him how important a home victory in the Olympics would be, expecting Cav to rave about it. His reply was along the lines of: "it will be more special than ever, perhaps on a par with a race like Fleche Wallonne".

 

[iLB]

boardman has his say http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cycling/14278846.stm

 

[Smokin Joe]

The Tour is far more important than the Olympics. Win it and you are one of the immortals, your Olympic gold is just one of many among the synchronised swimmers, Subbutteo players, Freestyle Fish Slappers and Egg and Spoon racers.

 

[Paul_L]

have i missed something?

Have GT and Brad hinted they may focus on the Tour rather than the Olympics?

I thought Brad had particularly decided to focus on the Olympics as it was in his home town.

I wonder if they've realised that with the emergence of riders like EBH and Uran, the no. 1 spot at Sky is not guaranteed.

 

[funnymummy]

Besides, if I were a British cyclist I'd be desperately trying to get out of the road race having seen the pictures of Boxhill in this week's comic and the report that there are, apparently, no plans to do any resurfacing as yet.

I ride round there reguarly, at my own little wobbly snail like pace - No way i'd want to flying round there at the speeds the likes of Cav, Cadel & Shleck can reach... SUICIDE!!

 

[Chris.IOW]

- who amongst us remembers the winner of the 2006 Tour (last heard of playing for a second division football team in Spain)?.

I could probably name more Tour winners then I could Olympic road race champions.

I know Who won in 2008 but only because it was mentioned everytime he was out in front in this years tour!

 

[gavroche]

The Tour is more important than any other cycling races in the world. Any rider will tell you that it is their ambition to either win a stage or wear le maillot jaune. The Tour makes you famous for ever and is the best credential you can have on your cv.

Chris Hoy wouldn't last the distance in the Tour and that's probably why he will never enter it. He wouldn't be able to compete with the best.

Even Chris Boardman made his name ( and his money)in the Tour although he never did much in it. He only wore the maillot jaune in the prologue but didn't keep it for long.

Why do you thing cheat Armstrong only concentrated on le Tour?

And as far as the British media is concerned ( especially the BBC), if it is not Cricket (boring), Golf ( boring) , F1 , Tennis , Football or Rugby ( I like) no other sports matters.

For me, give le Tour anytime and you can keep the Olympics.