has american cycling finally arrived?

longanecker4

seraphim-
american cycling STILL isn't as organized for youth cyclists as it is in most european countries. here, the united states cycling federation puts on junior-level races, but race organization is left primarily up to individual event organizers (and therefore events are very sporadic and inconsistent).

as far as pro teams and pro events... again, these are left to individual race organizers and then associated with the uscf. there aren't many international events that attract big european (and other foreign) pros. there have been several attempts to get this sort of racing in the us (i.e., hell of the west, tour de trump, tour du pont, etc.) but it has been for the most part unsuccessful. sponsors typically fall through after a couple of years of low fan turnout and general lack of american enthusiasm.

young rider development is getting better but VERY SLOWLY. i started racing in highschool (1986), but there was no support from the school. everything i did was on my own with only my parents to support me. when i got to college, other sports were dominant (primarily football in texas). the university i attended was typical to most other major universities in the u.s.. it had what they called "club" cycling, but it was not what was referred to as a "varsity" or "scholarship" sport (all funding was independent or from business sponsors). the racing was competitive, but if i wanted to gain any respect i had to race uscf events along w/my college racing. the collegiate racing is administrated by the united states cycling federation, but few (if any) universities are offering "real" scholarship opportunities for talented cyclists.

all-in-all, american cycling hasn't "arrived" (as i opened this thread question). it is not as well organized or as respected as the team sports in the u.s. (i.e., football, baskteball, baseball). americans just don't get it, and it drives me crazy! if americans really watched what this sport is all about (e.g, this year's tour), i think they would begin to appreciate what cycling is really all about... until then, please advise if you have any ideas. hope i answered your questions.

kokopuffs

Kinda' off on a tangent but as an erudite American, I'd like to see pool/billiards and chess receive the same amount of media coverage as the TDF. Football and basketball, yeeeech!

Seraphim

WOW,
enough information, longanecker4!

Sad to hear that cyclists like you have to "fight against windmills' (Don Quichote) so much...

I know a little about the sports system in the States, and I think you will also know that everything is totally different in Europe (not based on the schools, but on amateur/ professional clubs/ teams).
But…are there ANY chances for individual teams/ clubs to organize something in the States (outside the school system)? Amateur cycling teams for instance?

Otherwise I think it’s gonna be a long trail for the American cycling fans…
I don’t think there’s a lot space for cycling on the colleges/ universities (look how tough it is for soccer to achieve some real success).

Still...thanks for the information!

matt_ttu

cycling is not a NCAA sponsered sport. There are college leagues, based regionallt for both road and mt cycling. the one i know about is the Southeastern collegiate cycling conference.(SECCC) that organizes college races through out the southern states.

There are also amateur races that are regionally supported. Using a Catageory system to rank riders against other riders with the same amount of racing expereince.

THere are all kinds of clubs in nearlly ever american city, with some sponsering races or at least a few one day centuries a year.

longanecker4

to be truthful, the club teams in the u.s. are the only source of riders for u.s. cycling. if someone is to be discovered, they will "category up" into higher level of racing until they are able to race professionally. however, american professionals (w/the exception of the few riders in europe) can make only a pauper's living at best if they race solely here in the states. if they want to make professional cycling a lifestyle, they must move to europe.

unfortunally, because american culture is so "pop" based, an enduring, sometimes tedious sport like cycling just flops. americans want team contact sports that yield immediate grattification in terms of drama. they are too impatient for a sport like cycling where races often take hours or even days to develop a plot. until the culture changes, i am affraid cycling will never gain the respect it will need to be truly successful in the states.

it's is nice to know, though, that others around the world are willing to even ask questions regarding america's view of cycling. hopefully the rest of the world doesn't despise us for our lack of sporting culture.

later- longanecker4

Seraphim

I don't think anybody despises the USA for a lack of sporting culture, longanecker the fourth!

There are, however, some "minor" differences regarding that culture. (Europe: soccer and cycling; USA: fast and furious).

longanecker4

i think you are correct my angelic friend!

bighi

Actually, trying to get decent information in any sport where a brain is required for appreciation is pretty tough in the US. Thank god for OLN's coverage of the Tour and the America's Cup. Both events were covered very well by OLN. On the subject of the Cup I had a funny experience while watching the cup in New Zealand this year. While on an afternoon sail on the NZL 40, a retired America's Cup boat, all Americans on the boat had just finished finding out that the Cup was going on when they stepped on the boat. Meanwhile, all the Europeans and Asians on that boat knew exactly everything about the cup. I could blame the crappy media coverage here for the lack of interest in intelligent sports. But in the end it seems that the people here are also a big part of the problem as shown by those poeple on that boat. The truth is that a substantial part of the American population is content in being locked into a buble of ignorance. Until the average American realizes the world does not end just beyond the borders, will he or she take an interest in the world and its sports. If that were to happen, it would be a beautiful thing. But I won't hold my breath waiting for it to happen. One day I will get tired of the ignorance around me and just pack my bags.