is the landscape important when racing?

05-26-2004, 04:01 AM

Why is the tour de france so famous?

05-26-2004, 05:46 PM

In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>,
"madeleine" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> writes:

> Why is the tour de france so famous?

1) American media
2) American winners
3) it's easier for anglophones (esp. bettors in Las
Vegas) to figure out how to pronounce, than 'Giro
d'Italia' or 'Vuelta d'Espana'

The Kentucky Derby is more famous than the Belmont or
Preakness, too. I guess the name: 'Kentucky Derby'
just has more cachet.

What I wanna know is, why isn't the UCI XC or DH
World Cup so famous?? But I think I know the answer:

1) no[t much] American media
2) apathy about American winners
3) it's not football, baseball, or that girls' game
(basketball)
4) cycling isn't so appreciated in the United States

Anyhow, there's an whole world beyond the limited
horizons of American sports media.

cheers,
Tom

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05-26-2004, 05:46 PM

In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>,
"madeleine" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> writes:

> Why is the tour de france so famous?

1) American media
2) American winners
3) it's easier for anglophones (esp. bettors in Las
Vegas) to figure out how to pronounce, than 'Giro
d'Italia' or 'Vuelta d'Espana'

The Kentucky Derby is more famous than the Belmont or
Preakness, too. I guess the name: 'Kentucky Derby'
just has more cachet.

What I wanna know is, why isn't the UCI XC or DH
World Cup so famous?? But I think I know the answer:

1) no[t much] American media
2) apathy about American winners
3) it's not football, baseball, or that girls' game
(basketball)
4) cycling isn't so appreciated in the United States

Anyhow, there's an whole world beyond the limited
horizons of American sports media.

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

05-26-2004, 05:46 PM

In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>,
"madeleine" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> writes:

> Why is the tour de france so famous?

1) American media
2) American winners
3) it's easier for anglophones (esp. bettors in Las
Vegas) to figure out how to pronounce, than 'Giro
d'Italia' or 'Vuelta d'Espana'

The Kentucky Derby is more famous than the Belmont or
Preakness, too. I guess the name: 'Kentucky Derby'
just has more cachet.

What I wanna know is, why isn't the UCI XC or DH
World Cup so famous?? But I think I know the answer:

1) no[t much] American media
2) apathy about American winners
3) it's not football, baseball, or that girls' game
(basketball)
4) cycling isn't so appreciated in the United States

Anyhow, there's an whole world beyond the limited
horizons of American sports media.

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

05-26-2004, 05:46 PM

In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>,
"madeleine" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> writes:

> Why is the tour de france so famous?

1) American media
2) American winners
3) it's easier for anglophones (esp. bettors in Las
Vegas) to figure out how to pronounce, than 'Giro
d'Italia' or 'Vuelta d'Espana'

The Kentucky Derby is more famous than the Belmont or
Preakness, too. I guess the name: 'Kentucky Derby'
just has more cachet.

What I wanna know is, why isn't the UCI XC or DH
World Cup so famous?? But I think I know the answer:

1) no[t much] American media
2) apathy about American winners
3) it's not football, baseball, or that girls' game
(basketball)
4) cycling isn't so appreciated in the United States

Anyhow, there's an whole world beyond the limited
horizons of American sports media.

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

05-26-2004, 05:46 PM

In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>,
"madeleine" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> writes:

> Why is the tour de france so famous?

1) American media
2) American winners
3) it's easier for anglophones (esp. bettors in Las
Vegas) to figure out how to pronounce, than 'Giro
d'Italia' or 'Vuelta d'Espana'

The Kentucky Derby is more famous than the Belmont or
Preakness, too. I guess the name: 'Kentucky Derby'
just has more cachet.

What I wanna know is, why isn't the UCI XC or DH
World Cup so famous?? But I think I know the answer:

1) no[t much] American media
2) apathy about American winners
3) it's not football, baseball, or that girls' game
(basketball)
4) cycling isn't so appreciated in the United States

Anyhow, there's an whole world beyond the limited
horizons of American sports media.

cheers,
Tom

--
-- Powered by FreeBSD
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

05-28-2004, 04:11 PM

Tom Keats <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
> In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>,
> "madeleine" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> writes:

> > Why is the tour de france so famous?

> 1) American media
> 2) American winners
> 3) it's easier for anglophones (esp. bettors in Las
> Vegas) to figure out how to pronounce, than 'Giro
> d'Italia' or 'Vuelta d'Espana'

> The Kentucky Derby is more famous than the Belmont or
> Preakness, too. I guess the name: 'Kentucky Derby'
> just has more cachet.

> What I wanna know is, why isn't the UCI XC or DH
> World Cup so famous?? But I think I know the answer:

> 1) no[t much] American media
> 2) apathy about American winners
> 3) it's not football, baseball, or that girls' game
> (basketball)
> 4) cycling isn't so appreciated in the United States

> Anyhow, there's an whole world beyond the limited
> horizons of American sports media.

I have a vague feeling the original post was a troll,
but Tom, your response is remarkably American-centric.
The Tour is the most famous of the three grand Tours in
Europe, among Europeans, regardless of what the US knows.

It's the oldest, biggest, most international (more
non-French Tour winners than non-Italian Giro winners, etc),
has the most tradition, and so on. Unlike the Giro and
Vuelta, the Tour also takes place in the summer when Europeans
can go on vacation to camp out and watch it - I think this has
increased a lot in the past few decades.

World Cup mountain bike racing hasn't been around for very long
and is a UCI structure imposed upon a grass-roots cycling
movement (the popularization of "mountain biking" as such
since the early 80s or so). It's not surprising to me that
the mix of UCI fogies and gnarly mountain bikers (much less
freerider dudes) doesn't always gel.

05-28-2004, 04:11 PM

Tom Keats <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
> In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>,
> "madeleine" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> writes:

> > Why is the tour de france so famous?

> 1) American media
> 2) American winners
> 3) it's easier for anglophones (esp. bettors in Las
> Vegas) to figure out how to pronounce, than 'Giro
> d'Italia' or 'Vuelta d'Espana'

> The Kentucky Derby is more famous than the Belmont or
> Preakness, too. I guess the name: 'Kentucky Derby'
> just has more cachet.

> What I wanna know is, why isn't the UCI XC or DH
> World Cup so famous?? But I think I know the answer:

> 1) no[t much] American media
> 2) apathy about American winners
> 3) it's not football, baseball, or that girls' game
> (basketball)
> 4) cycling isn't so appreciated in the United States

> Anyhow, there's an whole world beyond the limited
> horizons of American sports media.

I have a vague feeling the original post was a troll,
but Tom, your response is remarkably American-centric.
The Tour is the most famous of the three grand Tours in
Europe, among Europeans, regardless of what the US knows.

It's the oldest, biggest, most international (more
non-French Tour winners than non-Italian Giro winners, etc),
has the most tradition, and so on. Unlike the Giro and
Vuelta, the Tour also takes place in the summer when Europeans
can go on vacation to camp out and watch it - I think this has
increased a lot in the past few decades.

World Cup mountain bike racing hasn't been around for very long
and is a UCI structure imposed upon a grass-roots cycling
movement (the popularization of "mountain biking" as such
since the early 80s or so). It's not surprising to me that
the mix of UCI fogies and gnarly mountain bikers (much less
freerider dudes) doesn't always gel.

05-28-2004, 04:11 PM

Tom Keats <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
> In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>,
> "madeleine" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> writes:

> > Why is the tour de france so famous?

> 1) American media
> 2) American winners
> 3) it's easier for anglophones (esp. bettors in Las
> Vegas) to figure out how to pronounce, than 'Giro
> d'Italia' or 'Vuelta d'Espana'

> The Kentucky Derby is more famous than the Belmont or
> Preakness, too. I guess the name: 'Kentucky Derby'
> just has more cachet.

> What I wanna know is, why isn't the UCI XC or DH
> World Cup so famous?? But I think I know the answer:

> 1) no[t much] American media
> 2) apathy about American winners
> 3) it's not football, baseball, or that girls' game
> (basketball)
> 4) cycling isn't so appreciated in the United States

> Anyhow, there's an whole world beyond the limited
> horizons of American sports media.

I have a vague feeling the original post was a troll,
but Tom, your response is remarkably American-centric.
The Tour is the most famous of the three grand Tours in
Europe, among Europeans, regardless of what the US knows.

It's the oldest, biggest, most international (more
non-French Tour winners than non-Italian Giro winners, etc),
has the most tradition, and so on. Unlike the Giro and
Vuelta, the Tour also takes place in the summer when Europeans
can go on vacation to camp out and watch it - I think this has
increased a lot in the past few decades.

World Cup mountain bike racing hasn't been around for very long
and is a UCI structure imposed upon a grass-roots cycling
movement (the popularization of "mountain biking" as such
since the early 80s or so). It's not surprising to me that
the mix of UCI fogies and gnarly mountain bikers (much less
freerider dudes) doesn't always gel.

05-28-2004, 04:11 PM

Tom Keats <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
> In article <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>,
> "madeleine" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> writes:

> > Why is the tour de france so famous?

> 1) American media
> 2) American winners
> 3) it's easier for anglophones (esp. bettors in Las
> Vegas) to figure out how to pronounce, than 'Giro
> d'Italia' or 'Vuelta d'Espana'

> The Kentucky Derby is more famous than the Belmont or
> Preakness, too. I guess the name: 'Kentucky Derby'
> just has more cachet.

> What I wanna know is, why isn't the UCI XC or DH
> World Cup so famous?? But I think I know the answer:

> 1) no[t much] American media
> 2) apathy about American winners
> 3) it's not football, baseball, or that girls' game
> (basketball)
> 4) cycling isn't so appreciated in the United States

> Anyhow, there's an whole world beyond the limited
> horizons of American sports media.

I have a vague feeling the original post was a troll,
but Tom, your response is remarkably American-centric.
The Tour is the most famous of the three grand Tours in
Europe, among Europeans, regardless of what the US knows.

It's the oldest, biggest, most international (more
non-French Tour winners than non-Italian Giro winners, etc),
has the most tradition, and so on. Unlike the Giro and
Vuelta, the Tour also takes place in the summer when Europeans
can go on vacation to camp out and watch it - I think this has
increased a lot in the past few decades.

World Cup mountain bike racing hasn't been around for very long
and is a UCI structure imposed upon a grass-roots cycling
movement (the popularization of "mountain biking" as such
since the early 80s or so). It's not surprising to me that
the mix of UCI fogies and gnarly mountain bikers (much less
freerider dudes) doesn't always gel.