'The Race'

josame

I have had this idea in my head for a while and just thought I'd put it up and see what people think. My idea is that you have a one day event with good prize money to attract the best cyclists in the world but instead of a team event it is for individuals and there would be 2 elements; the climb and the race of truth:

Climb element
Knock out race up Alpe D'huez with racers going up 1-on-1

Race of truth
Time trial on some classic circuit or possibly Monoco GP F1 route

Would eurosport/sponsors be interested?

nwallace

As nice as the Monaco GP circuit sounds the ACM pay the Mongauesque shop keepers a fair bit for the inconvenience. Paul Ricard or Magny Cours just don't have the same impact though!

Like the idea of the Head to head up Alpe D'huez though the logistics may be tricky as you need to get winning riders and bikes down to the start for the next round.

If it was run to a similar concept as the "Race of Champions" (Michelle Moutons one not the NASCAR one) then it may attract some interest.

josame

I take your point about getting down the mountain - helicopter may be the only option.
Race of champions sounds good.

GroupOfOne MkII

Surely also picking a climb like Montjuich Park in Barcelona, or the climb upto the castle in Grenoble would ensure a) ease of returning riders back down the hill, b) be a little bit shorter time wise, c) a lot easier effort wise, as presumably some riders would have to go more than once and d) be much more proximous to a large urban area and thus spectators.

Of course there's already an end of season event in Montjuich, so you could hijack their event

afx237vi

A version of cycling "Superstars" would be cool. The best climber (Contador) / sprinter (Boonen) / cyclocrosser (Nijs) / trackie (Hoy) / mountainbiker / bmxer.

6 events - a mountain tt, a criterium, keirin, cross race, downhill mtb, and, er, whatever it is that bmx riders do. Points awarded for each race, see who's really the best cyclist in the world!

andrewgturnbull

afx237vi wrote:

A version of cycling "Superstars" would be cool. The best climber (Contador) / sprinter (Boonen) / cyclocrosser (Nijs) / trackie (Hoy) / mountainbiker / bmxer.

6 events - a mountain tt, a criterium, keirin, cross race, downhill mtb, and, er, whatever it is that bmx riders do. Points awarded for each race, see who's really the best cyclist in the world!

Need to get bicycle polo in there as a tie-breaker...

drenkrom

So basically, the part on Alpe d'Huez would be an elimination-tournament type of thing? So for a starting field of 16, the winner would've ridden up the Alpe 4 times? How completely and utterly boring the first three would be!

Take a trip to the Alpe and ride up it one time at a hard pace. You might understand what's wrong with that idea. Something you'd call a hill and not a mountain would be a better idea. The TT part I totally agree with, as I'd love to see a true successor to the Chrono des Nations.

Kirky

Like the 1-on-1 up the Alpe idea, but I don't see a problem with getting riders back down. As far as I can see there are two options...

1) use the back road (it's simply not true that the road 'stops' at the top - you can go back down the other side, in fact the climb from the other side has got amazing views!!)

2) as you'll only have two riders going head to head, you could divide the road in half, allowing a return down the other side.

They do race on Alpe d'Huez a lot in the summer, although it's a pack of riders going up - not one on one.

Nice idea

KIRKY

SteveR_100Milers

afx237vi wrote:

A version of cycling "Superstars" would be cool. The best climber (Contador) / sprinter (Boonen) / cyclocrosser (Nijs) / trackie (Hoy) / mountainbiker / bmxer.

6 events - a mountain tt, a criterium, keirin, cross race, downhill mtb, and, er, whatever it is that bmx riders do. Points awarded for each race, see who's really the best cyclist in the world!

sounds cool. Just watched Simoni struggling in the UCI world MTB race.....

LangerDan

afx237vi wrote:

A version of cycling "Superstars" would be cool. The best climber (Contador) / sprinter (Boonen) / cyclocrosser (Nijs) / trackie (Hoy) / mountainbiker / bmxer.

6 events - a mountain tt, a criterium, keirin, cross race, downhill mtb, and, er, whatever it is that bmx riders do. Points awarded for each race, see who's really the best cyclist in the world!

You do realise that downhill mtb riders will not travel uphill on a point of principle except in the back of a flat-bed pickup.

Just to add a bit more variety, you could make them ride each event in different gear. The downhill would have to be ridden while wearing a skinsuit and pointy helmet. The uphill TT would have riders in unfeasibly baggy clothing and body armour and the keirin competitors would have plaid shirts, beanies and a generally feckless demeanour.

You could swap bikes too. In fact, you could have a rule that you are not allowed use the "correct" clothing and machinery in a given event.

Cyrenne

afx237vi wrote:

A version of cycling "Superstars" would be cool. The best climber (Contador) / sprinter (Boonen) / cyclocrosser (Nijs) / trackie (Hoy) / mountainbiker / bmxer.

6 events - a mountain tt, a criterium, keirin, cross race, downhill mtb, and, er, whatever it is that bmx riders do. Points awarded for each race, see who's really the best cyclist in the world!

I think the UCI calender does a pretty good job of finding out who the best in the world is.
Do you think people like Bettini would risk breakages riding a poxy downhill MTB race?
I think i'll stick with watching Flanders or Roubaix.

afx237vi

I wasn't being entirely serious, you know. Although I would love to see Bettini playing downhill bicycle polo...

Cyrenne

afx237vi wrote:

I wasn't being entirely serious, you know. Although I would love to see Bettini playing downhill bicycle polo...

Just a tad serious then?
Sorry, I'm over sensitive today having had too many close shaves on sections of 'New Road Layout'. 'New' being two or three years ago.....
I'd prefer to see uphill bicycle polo. How hard would that be?

afx237vi

Maybe a tad serious, because come on, cycling Superstars is a sure fire ratings winner. If they're desperate enough to bring back Gladiators...

Uphill, downhill, I just want to see Bettini wield a mallet.

nwallace

For the down hill I would like to be enclosed in a protective bubble please.
Oh and a motor for the Alpe time trial would be great, ta

andrewgturnbull

Cyrenne wrote:

I think the UCI calender does a pretty good job of finding out who the best in the world is.
Do you think people like Bettini would risk breakages riding a poxy downhill MTB race?
I think i'll stick with watching Flanders or Roubaix.

Cadel Evans?

deejay

Cyrenne wrote:

I think the UCI calender does a pretty good job of finding out who the best in the world is.
Do you think people like Bettini would risk breakages riding a poxy downhill MTB race?
I think i'll stick with watching Flanders or Roubaix.

Cadel Evans ??????

Nice one Andy........well you gotta laugh.

What is wanted is a Sponsor for a World Cup or something in the single day events.
Now why dosn't the Irishman think of it instead of buggering everything up..

Perrier perhaps