Return to national teams for Tour rejected...

[Hont]

http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme-sur-route/Actualites/Pas-d-equipes-nationales/348533

Google should do a reasonable job of translating if your French is rusty. Not sure about the Sea Serpent idiom though.

 

[dragon72]

if this does happen, it sounds like the Aussie team would be well prepared.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

http://www.lequipe.fr/Cyclisme-sur-route/Actualites/Pas-d-equipes-nationales/348533

Google should do a reasonable job of translating if your French is rusty. Not sure about the Sea Serpent idiom though.

It's very close to an ''old chestnut'' - an issue that keeps on cropping up.

 

[Hont]

It's very close to an ''old chestnut'' - an issue that keeps on cropping up.

Cheers. I see that Cyclingnews have translated it as that too.

 

[oldroadman]

Try to go back to national teams and watch the money drain away from first division teams, who have sponsors who know that their major return on international investment is being on screen for three weeks in the race which gets one of the biggest world audiences for a sports event.
Even the world TTT championship is for trade teams, makes good commercial sense, and stops all the nonsense you see at the worlds, where different riders from different countries but the same trade team seem to "forget" which nationality they ride for and make sure next year's contract is properly secured.....

 

[davester65]

I can't see it happening either, as other posters have mentioned, too much media exposure and revenue generation for the team sponsors.

 

[davester65]

Would be nice to see a national team stage rage though, i think they should look at extending the Olympic road race into, maybe a 6 day stage race, be a very interesting thing to see. (and yes, i'm biased, with the GB talent we have currently, i think we would do pretty well at it )

 

[oldroadman]

You mean, for GB read Sky, and let the other countries suffer the infighting. A domestic race at National A level might be interesting, 6 rider teams, a mix of regional, strong sponsored teams, and non-UCI UK teams. Although there is a simple problem of finance (about £100-£150k a day) and most teams would have a job funding their own costs, needing at least 4-5 vehicles, hotels to pay for, and all the other stuff that goes with racing at high level.
One model could be the way the Irish women's stage race runs, though, basing everything in one town/area, which might help get some local support because of the big boost to the area's visiting numbers.