Names on jersies

afx237vi
afx237vi Posts: 12,630
edited April 2009 in Pro race
DSC_0101.jpg

It's a good idea, but what's the point of putting it there? No-one's gonna see that in a race!

Should be on the small of the back / top of the shorts, under the race number, or along the side panel so the camera moto can see it. Would make the commentators' job a bit easier.

Comments

  • leguape
    leguape Posts: 986
    For the benefit of their teammates being able to see who is up ahead of them in the bunch or for DS' to be able to spot who it is sat up with their arm up for a wheel/bottle?
    http://www.atomicecho.com/cycling
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    I was thinking more for the spectators and TV viewers. Even the most ardent fans must watch cycling and occasionally think "who is that"?
  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    it's a great idea...I hope all the teams follow Columbia in naming riders on their jerseys. For non cycling public it is a good intro to riders...they can see their favs...cycling is not like football where you can see your guys all the time
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKBacb2V ... ata_player
  • ms_tree
    ms_tree Posts: 1,405
    It's been done before. Mercatone Uno did it one year - 2000 or 2001 I think,
    'Google can bring back a hundred thousand answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one.'
    Neil Gaiman
  • GroupOfOne MkII
    GroupOfOne MkII Posts: 1,289
    T-Mobile used to do it too, certainly I've got pictures around 04, 05 where you can see Savoldelli etc on the back of their jerseys in much the same place.
  • Finbar Saunders
    Finbar Saunders Posts: 299
    Maybe it's just to help with the laundry!
    No-one wanted to eat Patagonia Toothfish so they renamed it Chilean Sea Bass and now it's in danger of over fishing!
  • mattsy666
    mattsy666 Posts: 91
    i can see why a sponsor would not be happy with a rider's name being prominently displayed on the jersey ... if the name stands out then so could the sponsor's name in the same place ...

    unless of course you are sponsored by your mum & dad ...
  • bobtbuilder
    bobtbuilder Posts: 1,537
    Mapei also did it for a year or two. I have a Bodrogi Hungarian champ jersey, a Bartoli Italian champ jersey, a Rodriguez USA champ jersey and a Zanotti regular Mapei jersey in my wardrobe.
  • squired
    squired Posts: 1,153
    I think the names should be on the back of the shorts, so riders are instantly identifiable on tv. Instead people spend half the time not knowing who is on screen as they don't know the numbers of all the riders. Having said that, I'm sure the space on the back of the shorts is a prime position for sponsors.
  • hammerite
    hammerite Posts: 3,408
    mattsy666 wrote:
    i can see why a sponsor would not be happy with a rider's name being prominently displayed on the jersey ... if the name stands out then so could the sponsor's name in the same place ...

    unless of course you are sponsored by your mum & dad ...

    Imagine if you are the sponsor covered up by the numbers pinned to Kirchen's jersey, slightly peever I'm guessing!

    It does amuse me when commentators try to recognise a rider by their style of riding, build etc and get it wrong even when the rider has World/national champ stripes on their sleeves..... you'd imagine there can't be too many riders in each race who will have the stripes on the sleeves.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    hammerite wrote:

    It does amuse me when commentators try to recognise a rider by their style of riding, build etc and get it wrong even when the rider has World/national champ stripes on their sleeves..... you'd imagine there can't be too many riders in each race who will have the stripes on the sleeves.

    Some of them are quite hard to spot. When Matt Lloyd was on the floor in the Amstel Gold I couldn't see the Australian bands even after I knew who the rider was. Even some of the jerseys (not jersies) are pretty non-distinct. I had no idea Ivanov was the current Russian champion until David Harmon mentioned it. His jersey looks almost the same as the regular Katusha kit.

    Same with Valverde. His Spanish champion jersey is very similar to the normal Caisse d'Epargne. Very different to the bright red one worn by Joaquin Rodriguez last year.

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