Steep decline in pro riders

deal

teagar wrote:

Tom Butcher wrote:

Yeah I'd encourage any young cyclist with the talent to give it a go. If they get to 23-25ish and it isn't going to happen then that's probably a better age to start training for a career than 17/18 anyway - and I think living abroad and so on would be a tremendous experience and education for any young person.

Tell that to university admissions. :?

hmm i found my applications to University were well received, i was 25 at the time.

teagar

deal wrote:

teagar wrote:

Tom Butcher wrote:

Yeah I'd encourage any young cyclist with the talent to give it a go. If they get to 23-25ish and it isn't going to happen then that's probably a better age to start training for a career than 17/18 anyway - and I think living abroad and so on would be a tremendous experience and education for any young person.

Tell that to university admissions. :?

hmm i found my applications to University were well received, i was 25 at the time.

Were you cycling full time since the age of 17/18 before you applied...?

Tom Butcher

If you have the academic ability then it isn't hard to do a couple of A levels in one year - that sorts the university admissions bit out for those that want a degree. Mature students are more likely to know what subject they want to study and actually study it too rather than treating it as an extension of school only one you don't actually have to turn up to - having taught for several years in universities I do have a bit of experience. I'd rather my kids didn't go straight in to a degree after school unless they had a burning desire to study a certain subject.

teagar

Tom Butcher wrote:

If you have the academic ability then it isn't hard to do a couple of A levels in one year - that sorts the university admissions bit out for those that want a degree. Mature students are more likely to know what subject they want to study and actually study it too rather than treating it as an extension of school only one you don't actually have to turn up to - having taught for several years in universities I do have a bit of experience. I'd rather my kids didn't go straight in to a degree after school unless they had a burning desire to study a certain subject.

I'll take that as a no to the "were you cycling full time since the age of 17/18 before you applied?".

I'm sure your mature student experience was very enlightening, and you feel the need to destroy the myth that it's not so good, but I wasn't particularly taking a swipe at mature students.

My point was that many uni admissions wouldn't consider 5 years of attempting to be a pro-cyclist as what they want in a candidate.

OffTheBackAdam

Look at it as them doing a job they love.
Also, I'd bet that most aren't that brainy, all this talk of going to University (OK, I went, but I did a worthwhile degree when there was none of this bull about 50% of the 18+ going, just to keep the unemployment stats down) when they'll come out with a worthless degree & a stack of debts.
If you look what the "failures" do, classic example being Pro-cycling's ex- "Fab Four" rider Dario Pieri, "last seen restoring old doors".
Mind you, then look at what the "succesfull" ones do post retirement, Freddy Maertins drives a taxi.

My point was that many uni admissions wouldn't consider 5 years of attempting to be a pro-cyclist as what they want in a candidate

teagar
These days, a UK Uni, at some level, will take anyone to make numbers up on certain courses.

Tom Butcher

teagar wrote:

Tom Butcher wrote:

If you have the academic ability then it isn't hard to do a couple of A levels in one year - that sorts the university admissions bit out for those that want a degree. Mature students are more likely to know what subject they want to study and actually study it too rather than treating it as an extension of school only one you don't actually have to turn up to - having taught for several years in universities I do have a bit of experience. I'd rather my kids didn't go straight in to a degree after school unless they had a burning desire to study a certain subject.

I'll take that as a no to the "were you cycling full time since the age of 17/18 before you applied?".

I'm sure your mature student experience was very enlightening, and you feel the need to destroy the myth that it's not so good, but I wasn't particularly taking a swipe at mature students.

My point was that many uni admissions wouldn't consider 5 years of attempting to be a pro-cyclist as what they want in a candidate.

You are wrong - I was talking as someone that worked in universities and knows a bit about what they look for in potential students - not as a former mature student.

flattythehurdler

Moray Gub wrote:

flattythehurdler wrote:

I wouldn't blame them for taking the best offer at all. I wouldn't want to be a pro rider, even a successful one. Too too hard a life.

I would loved to have been a pro rider if only for a season just to see if i could have cut the mustard. My problem is that that i would have been in the same peloton as the Badger and Fignon and Lemond

Cut the "hot sauce" then you mean.
You couls cut an arm and a leg off the pro peleton and I still wouldn't get near it. Trying for one season as a personal challenge, though, would be very different from relying on ongoing personal slaughter to pay the bills. You must be very strong on the bike. I didn't take to it til I was 33 and my muscles were slowly headed downhill. I'm no genetic cyclist that's for sure.

teagar

Tom Butcher wrote:

teagar wrote:

Tom Butcher wrote:

If you have the academic ability then it isn't hard to do a couple of A levels in one year - that sorts the university admissions bit out for those that want a degree. Mature students are more likely to know what subject they want to study and actually study it too rather than treating it as an extension of school only one you don't actually have to turn up to - having taught for several years in universities I do have a bit of experience. I'd rather my kids didn't go straight in to a degree after school unless they had a burning desire to study a certain subject.

I'll take that as a no to the "were you cycling full time since the age of 17/18 before you applied?".

I'm sure your mature student experience was very enlightening, and you feel the need to destroy the myth that it's not so good, but I wasn't particularly taking a swipe at mature students.

My point was that many uni admissions wouldn't consider 5 years of attempting to be a pro-cyclist as what they want in a candidate.

You are wrong - I was talking as someone that worked in universities and knows a bit about what they look for in potential students - not as a former mature student.

:roll:

Since my mother's actually one of the people who does the interviews for Cambridge, I beg to differ.

prawny

teagar wrote:

:roll:

Since my mother's actually one of the people who does the interviews for Cambridge*, I beg to differ.

*Other universities are available

Just though I'd slip that in

I'm sure other unis are not quite so loaded down with applications

teagar

*shrugs*, never said I was at Cambridge

My point still remains.