ToB woes

SteveR_100Milers

I wonder if the rise in popularity in sportives is the key to greater acceptance - after all TT ing is never going to catch on as a spectator sport unless its part of a bigger multi stage event and has "names". So many non club riders participate in sportives, and the bigger ones literally have 1000's of entries, and as there are so many events, with so many riders, people in the local areas are having to get used to a whole Sunday where the roads are clogged up with cyclists riding sometimes 4-5 abreast let alone 2. If this becomes a more common occurrence, and as I said I was amazed at the number of spectators out for the dragon ride, far more than the number of idiot drivers; then eventally the sport could become more accepted. Heck, who knows, we might even get Iain to ride one..

thebongolian

Richrd2205 wrote:

There are two Pro Tour events on at the same time as the ToB

A better slot in the calendar would definitely help but I'm struggling to think when. Also a bit more invetiveness with the stages. We don't have the mountains to give the drama of the tour or giro. But the circuits in central london at the end of last year worked well and attracted a good crowd. A proper ITT or TTT might get attention and give crowds more to look at over the day. Perhaps even a summit finish up whatever that road in Yorkshire that's the highest in Britain?

Also the chance to ride the route of one stage this year was great and should be promoted more in future years - a kinda British etape. I've always thought cycling needed an equivalent of the London marathon to spark the interest of the general public and an annual event like this could be it

the ferry

Well said Richard (about three posts up)

I went to the finish in Kendel on Friday then up to the start at Dumfries on the Saturday and really enjoyed both.

I was impressed with the size of the crowds especially in Kendel.

Touching moment for me was when a Plowman Craven rider waiting on the start line took of his cap and gave it to my 7yr old son - real class, and hopefully a cycling fan for life.

The BBC footage was actually quite good but would of worked better with a daily highlights package.

I get the feeling the the whole thing is quite precarious so hope the lack of TV does not put sponsers of.

Spoff

I don't think anyone's suggesting that the ToB's perfect but let's look at the two competing races going on at the moment:

Tour of Poland - the opening team time trial had to be neutralised because of the rain and the fact that the course featured several 180 degree corners. Then, either the riders were sent the wrong way or a police car decided to randomly block the course and it's a miracle that no-one was seriously hurt. Then Ciolek of T-Mobile either hit the foot of one of the barriers (of the type not used by the ToB) or one of the spectators took him down. Then we had to face day after day of effectively crit racing with 180 degree corners. And it was all finally decided on the last stage - win the stage, win the race.

Vuelta - for some reason the organisers decided to settle the race in the first week and it's been defensive riding every since. Then there're hardly any crowds out at all, watching yesterday's mountain stage there were more people out on the hills in Britain than were out on the mountains in Spain. And whoever thought that ending the race against the background of a 'petro-chemical' town deserves to be shot. Is it just me or is watching mile after mile of brown desert as the riders whizz down dual carriageways a bit dull. The long time trial was almost designed to end the hopes of true climbers - there wasn't a single lump and it was almost all downhill.

Rant over. At least the ENECO tour was actually a race this year rather than being entirely dependent on Schumacher knocking Hincapie off his bike.

steves1966

Its great to hear that there is so much support for the ToB, it does frustrate me to hear all the people moaning about bad organisation and lack of big teams. This event is 4 years old now and they have just lost a major sponsor for whatever reason (I dont think that it was due to bad organisation!!) and they still managed to make the event happen

What would you whingers be be like if they had just said, "sod it, i cant be arsed to organise the event cos we dont get enough cash from it!

What is required by the ToB is more support. I have worked on this event every year and I can honestly say it is getting better every year. I would love to see what some of you moaners would make out of just organising a local time trial where you dont have to worry about road closures, police escorts, sposorship, press coverage, accomodation for around 500 people for a week, etc. Give them a break

You only get out a sport what you put in

top_bhoy

Agree totally...more support and less complaining required!!

Toks

iainf72 wrote:

And that's a big problem. The prologue was just down the road from me but I didn't go because I didn't have much interest in the teams competing

One of the most prolific posters on the RRF chooses not to attend the TOB even though its taking place just a few miles from his home - speaks volumes

andyp

Toks wrote:

One of the most prolific posters on the RRF chooses not to attend the TOB even though its taking place just a few miles from his home - speaks volumes

Did you go Toks? I went, mainly because it meant I escaped an afternoon in the company of my girlfriend's parents, and it was pretty crap really. Most of the riders were unknowns and it was a time trial which is rarely a spectator sport. Most of the entertainment came from the two pints I'd had with lunch and the Fuerteventura sporting director and his comedy exhortations.

It speaks volumes because, as a race, the Tour of Britain is third rate at best.

Toks

andyp wrote:

Toks wrote:

One of the most prolific posters on the RRF chooses not to attend the TOB even though its taking place just a few miles from his home - speaks volumes

Did you go Toks? .

Yep! and of course in the spectacle stakes it was no way near TDF standard. But the important question is how many hats did you manage to pick?

andyp

Toks wrote:

Yep! and of course in the spectacle stakes it was no way near TDF standard. But the important question is how many hats did you manage to pick?

Just the two plus one of the EoN ones for my girlfriend. I'm not quite sure if she's forgiven me yet.

iainf72

Toks wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

And that's a big problem. The prologue was just down the road from me but I didn't go because I didn't have much interest in the teams competing

One of the most prolific posters on the RRF chooses not to attend the TOB even though its taking place just a few miles from his home - speaks volumes

Cor Toks, you're making me feel guilty.

To be fair, I've been to the previous 2 ToB's in London (last year my 3 year old son let me watch about 3 minutes of it before complaining of boredom but that's another story) and went to the PruTour in the late 90's.

IMO, it needs a different spot in the calender. If you were prepared to risk the weather, it could slot in around spring time which would make it viable prep race for some of the GT riders etc.

SteveR_100Milers

andyp wrote:

Toks wrote:

One of the most prolific posters on the RRF chooses not to attend the TOB even though its taking place just a few miles from his home - speaks volumes

Did you go Toks? I went, mainly because it meant I escaped an afternoon in the company of my girlfriend's parents, and it was pretty crap really. Most of the riders were unknowns and it was a time trial which is rarely a spectator sport. Most of the entertainment came from the two pints I'd had with lunch and the Fuerteventura sporting director and his comedy exhortations.

It speaks volumes because, as a race, the Tour of Britain is third rate at best.

again therein lies another problem, for a lot of people its perhaps less about watching bike racing, and more about star spotting maybe? How many of us would go and watch Hutch in the national 25?

top_bhoy

Only real diehards will turn out to watch unrecognisable faces flash past them in a matter of seconds - publicise the race as an event where people can turn out, watch the cyclists over a longer period, have other activities, etc. laid on and it becomes less of a bike race to the less enthusiastic and more of a family day (or a few hours) out.

Aside from the last 2 ToB stages using Glasgow (which I didn't attend), maybe nostalgia is clouding my senses but I can't think of any cycle race in Glasgow over the last 15-20 years which I didn't attend and which, from memory, was poorly publicised or attended. Glasgow seemed to do these thiings well!!

cougie

The comics coverage seemed very poor this year. Apparently the TOB think the comic is unduly harsh on the race, so they dont speak to them. So what does the comic do ? Minimal coverage, a page on each stage, with one or two pics. For our premier race - thats atrocious.

Front cover just has a podium shot, the usual CW test team looking glam, and a rear mech.

We're not selling the event very well are we ? I would have thought CW would have a vested interest in it doing well - more interest = more people buying cycling mags.