Maybe i shouldnt say what happens in my team... Or maybe i should just keep stuff secret so i can try to propogate the myth of pro cycling in the usa...
Maybe...
The big problem is that it is WAY too easy to have a team in the US... Its a lot harder to pull off a year of racing than it seems.. And a lot of people get caught halfway through the year and they realize that its more hassle than they thought... That goes for riders and mangers...
Thats why there needs to be some step between random cat one's and continental teams... So people can get involved and learn what it takes to have an organized team...
Treo 650...
15 comments:
thats right, you wanna make cycling better.....then join a real team or get a cat one license again and quick fairytaling along these semi-wanna be teams...its pride swallowing, but it looks like it would be worth it in your case, given your results. Good luck with that bud. tough decision to make im know.
-JW
I dont who this guy is, but he's got a point. might not sound like much, but it does make some sense.
-Dave
E Rok,
The road side is way different (not by much) from the Mountain side, even us poor church mouses get some support at races, the managers seem to always show up ( at least I do for the JR's since that is our focus).
Point 1) The trutch gets out no matter what. There are a bunch of teams with random 1's that manage local events well, it is when they go outside of that and really blow the budget that they get caught up, now having said that, I manage my travel, their travel and co-ordinate all of the time, I do have a fulltime job outside of cycling, but I do put in as much time with the bike as I do with the computer, the sacrafice for that is no life, no woman, a couple of nice bikes and a grip of FF miles. Is it worth it, yeah when the JR's have it all come together. I have no "pro" experience, but I would make damn sure I could field a team.
And know this, that person/manager should be called out, I have been hung out to dry like that and held my tongue and regretted it, thanks for speaking the truth and damn the bs from no talent bs talkers that post with no look backs or on the dl with no name. I am Chuck Bolden - you wanna say something back do it with your real name and be ready for a nice reply or an ass whoopin. E-rock my love.
i am not really trying to call peope out so much as just tell it like it is...
its not as if i am so so big time that i am just disgusted to have to deal with this kind of thing...
but i really respect more and more the teams that put forth an effort to do things right on a small budget...
its a lot of hard work... and there isnt a lot of help or experience out there for these guys... passion only gets you so far...
the last three years in ofoto i got really spoiled and things were so easy for me in that team.. and now i see how much of an effort things are in thge teams still smaller than we were back then.. before i never really knew because it wasnt so evident... the stress that you have as a rider is a lot higher than i am used to.. but still i am able to handle stress well... and its not because of anything really that i can say i didnt do this or that...
and i have never gone past USPRO crit without a verbal agreement on the next year... and now i dont have that...
i am really actually surprised by the number of options that i have.. but still, it had been nice to know what you were going to get in august...
The M-L bus is going off the cliff. Low effort equals low results, it don't get much simpler than that. Durso had a day job too, but he gave his heart and soul to Ofoto and that's why it worked out. Not many people would do the same. Time to move on. Best of luck, you'll do fine wherever you end up, maybe end up with free jelly beans.....
I love jelly bellies!!!! But, hate PoolJel...yuck!
Durso also rode and was one of the hardest bastards I ever met. Most people don't have any concept.
RVD
i try to be like durso... its the easiest thing to do but also hard to do...
you have to just have balls and sack up... but if you havent got any balls its not all lost you can always do like he says and "strap on a pair"...
he is a tough ass bastard and it makes me want to be as tough... i think a lot of people feel that way about him... he inspires and motivates a lot of people...
Bro in So Cal there are amateur clubs with riders getting better deals than on some 'pro' teams.
Move to LA and be a personal cycling coach or some shit on the side. Lots of rich guys get off on riding with elite guys and pay good money.
Erik- You and I both know that this is not the forum for your (professional) angst. As you your comments here can and will be held against you. Yes, its nice to see such support vice and versa. If I have to make further comments to you through the site or otherwise, you wont see a verbal or a even a nod from management for next year.
sternly,
ML management
nice try loser...
i'll wait for that phone call from "management" and we can talk about it...
i have been doing this for a long time... and i have been in a lot of teams that should have had a place to move up to.. and a few teams that should have had a place to move down to...
it was looking good when they had that korbel cup business... but then they just never took it from there to the next step.. which is what this post is about...
do you know how many e mails i get from people asking me how you turn pro?... i think this is one of the few sports that hasnt got a simple answer to that question... i would like there to be some sort of answer.. if you never made it big or made any money at least a guy could say he did something and was a part of something cool... even al bundy got to play for polk high and scored 4 touchdowns in one game...
right now you can be really good and go away never having ever been in a team, of any kind.. and then you look back and say "shit i wasted years driving around in my old car to races and it just sucked so bad that i quit.. i got fast on a bike but it was cold and lonely and it sucked... and there was no glory and i never felt like an athlete"...
and then for managers who pour their lives and free time into a team to have it not go well because the task is too big... you lose some passionate people that way who could do really good things in the sport if there were a place for them to exist and if there were some support...
"if you never made it big or made any money at least a guy could say he did something and was a part of something cool... even al bundy got to play for polk high and scored 4 touchdowns in one game..."
this is the reason to get it right... if you could filter people through something cool and professional at whatever level of cycling they would still have a lot of enthusiasm for it... ...they would have so much enthusiasm... and that means more people would stay in the sport and be fans of it when they leave competition.. because as it is guys tend to bail...
The thing about Durso, is he raced to win and he raced because he can't help it. He is a bike racer from the inside out. He didn't need a bunch of people giving him accolades, or great equipment, or or even a salary. He always had another job too. I remember working at Lombardi's with him and on his lunch hour(s), when he couldn't leave the store, he'd have the rollers set-up in the mechanics area and he'd be doing deals on the phone, while getting his heart rate up to a steady 180 (I don't really know what it was). He ran a tight program and he worked hard. But everyone bitched about him too. He'd crash on the floor and fly red-eye's at races to save money. The team complained all the time...perhaps they didn't appreciate how good they had it. Perhaps M-L isn/t that bad? It's all about compromise and where you're willing to draw the line. Mike always said that if want to race your bike, race your bike. If you want to make money, then get a job. If you're not having fun anymore...do something else. Or make it better by your actions...not about talking about how bad or wrong it is. I am a fan of yours. I want you to get it going because I think you add alot to the sport.
i am not complaining about my team... if i wanted to complain i wold just straight out complain and belly ache... but its just not that big a deal... i think that we do ok... and i go out and ride hard and thats what makes it good for me... and the other riders are guys who arent in it for the money, they wanna race... and so do i... the only reason i have continued to do this is because i am having a TON of fun... i even had fun last weekend and i didnt get to race!...
its maybe hard for people to understand my criticism of the sport... but its nothing that hasnt been said before.. and its nothing that the directors dont agree with at least in part.. but if you never get the ideas out there its never going to get better... i think the upshoot of doing something different is that it makes the sport more enjoyable for everyone at all levels... and thats the biggest and best reason to do anything....
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