Americans at the Tour: Dugard Says We're Front Runners...

by TCWriter on Jul 11, 2007 6:16 PM EDT

In what might be described as an indictment of American cycling in the post-Lance area, writer Martin Dugard (traveling with the TdF) says there aren't many American fans at the Tour:

See, there are no Americans at this Tour. None. London doesn't count, but even then the numbers were skimpy. The only American flag I've seen so far is the jersey George Hincapie is wearing on his back, because he's U.S. champion. I walked through the sign-in area, looking for signs of Americans -- accents, flags, odd t-shirts from obscure bike shops (a shout-out here to Matt Ford and Rock `n' Road Cyclery back home).
None to be seen. We have become the world's greatest example of a front-runner.

Zing! Assuming he's not lying about the number of fans, I gotta ask: Is anyone surprised?

Without another Lance, is cycling doomed to slide back into obscurity?

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Obscurity?

I'm not sure. Certainly a ton of fans jumped into the sport when Armstrong started winning. Pejoratively referred to as '99ers, they (we) at least started out as fans of Lance first and cycling 2nd. I use my early memories of John Tesh coverage of le Tour and cheering for Lemond and then Delgado as a youngster, but I didn't really follow the race during the Indurain years and didn't get back into the sport until 2000 or so.

I'm still a cycling fan and I have to believe that my experience is not unique. Of course, I never had the ducats to fly to France and watch the race so I'm not sure I count. So I think that the huge fan base that Armstrong brought to the sport will ultimately make the sport stronger than it was in 1998, but we won't see the peak of popularity that occurred in the early to mid 2000s until the next US face of cycling comes along.

Brooklyn Chewing Gum: Vlaanderens Mooiste

by Koppenberg on Jul 11, 2007 7:26 PM EDT reply actions

Even though

he was a jerkwad full of drugs (IMO), Lance was great for the sport and the industry. I don't want cycling to be the next basketball in the American psyche, but it's great that more people know simply that cycling IS a sport at all.

That said, how many of us who are pretty serious about racing and training get asked by casual acquaintances/colleagues whether we'll be racing in the Tour this year? A buddy and I had a running bet about who would be asked first if he was racing in the Tour of California. My point is that, even though Americans might be better educated about the fact that cycling is a sport, they still are unclear about what it means that cycling is professional sport. I don't think that many folks would assume that NFL players might have day jobs as university professors.

(And can anything be better than the Tesh/LeMond/Delgado days? Those were my first years as a fan and a racer...)

by ssmith on Jul 11, 2007 7:56 PM EDT reply actions

Well maybe

its more a matter of the "summer in France" set that has lost interest... they're well known for their boosterism when things are going well (Mission Accomplished) and less so when things get complicated (Scooter scoots).

America is all about speed. Hot, nasty, badass speed. -Eleanor Roosevelt

by ELVISGOAT on Jul 11, 2007 9:02 PM EDT reply actions

I'll be there one year soon

but I can't picture myself waving a flag . . .

by Sui Juris on Jul 11, 2007 9:07 PM EDT reply actions

Just a theory

I went to the Tour in 04; however our travel plans didn't include the first week...so may be the American's are waiting for the big payoff in the mountains.
I would certainly agree that Lance's participation increased the American fan base; and weeks leading up to my departure for the TDF, almost everyone I told I was "Going to the TDF" They ulimately would ask me if I was riding in it??? I just had to laugh, and educate.

Sara

by shavedlegsrsexy on Jul 12, 2007 12:38 AM EDT reply actions

I would agree with this

I'm already plotting a trip to the TdF next year, but I'd only go for the Alpine mountain stages...

by Le Comte on Jul 12, 2007 10:27 AM EDT up reply actions

I'll be there next week

At Stage 10 in Marseille and possibly Stage 11 going through Arles. I won't be waving a flag though -- first, because my favorites aren't based on nationality, and second, years of overseas military travel has taught me to try and keep a low profile, especially in a place like Marseille.

I also saw on the news yesterday that the dollar hit an all-time low vs. the Euro. Not exactly the greatest time for a European vacation, but it's my honeymoon so I'm going regardless!

by OnTheRivet on Jul 12, 2007 1:24 AM EDT reply actions

And the pound is now

$2.01! You know, it wasn't all that long ago I was living it up on European ski vacations because it was 85 cents to the euro. And now it's a $1.36 to the euro. Ouch. I suspect most American riders are pretty happy their contracts are in euros these days.

by Sui Juris on Jul 12, 2007 8:56 AM EDT up reply actions

Those days are over

I remember buying dinner for our guide and 10 guests in Chamonix and the bill was less than $80.00 US! This was in 2001. Now - I wouldn't even be able to buy myself lunch.

by telemick on Jul 12, 2007 9:24 AM EDT up reply actions

Canadian money!

1 Canadian dollar = 0.9522 U.S. dollars!!!

Note to self: Next time the US elects a dumb warmonger, ex coke-head, country clubbing waste of space, who's cut from the template for every snobby bad guy from 70s and 80s comedy movies, who's a puppet of the oil industry: buy oil and gold stocks... That's enough politics from me, though.

-K-

by KevinK on Jul 12, 2007 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions

Or

move to Canada.

Been considering it :-)

"Ive learned that life is one crushing defeat after another until you just wish Flanders was dead"

by Drew on Jul 12, 2007 12:48 PM EDT up reply actions

I'd rather send him to Canada

He should be comfortable in Alberta. (Right, Orange-kick? ;) )

by Sui Juris on Jul 12, 2007 3:10 PM EDT up reply actions

That's a great idea

He could go back to drilling dry wells in search of oil.

"Ive learned that life is one crushing defeat after another until you just wish Flanders was dead"

by Drew on Jul 12, 2007 4:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Easy now

we already have Dick Pound.

by Hons on Jul 12, 2007 4:31 PM EDT up reply actions

You win

For the worst one to have :P

by BDBrian on Jul 12, 2007 5:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Thank You George Bush

When I went 2 years ago, I hid my American nationality. If I were going today, even more so. It's not that any Europeans would spit on me. They wouldn't. It's just that I wouldn't want to bring up any uncomfortable aspects of our disasterous forign policy.

A few people laughed when they found out Shwartzenegger was my Governor (though he has turned out alright as of late).

by bobinson on Jul 12, 2007 3:41 AM EDT reply actions

I hope to go there someday

but I'll try to blend in. Drew, do you think I can find a beret in my size?

Vlaenderen die Leu

by Peter Fontecchio on Jul 12, 2007 7:33 AM EDT reply actions

Surely

de Gaulle had a fatter head than you do so it shouldn't be a problem.

If not, we'll have one made out of some tent material.

"Ive learned that life is one crushing defeat after another until you just wish Flanders was dead"

by Drew on Jul 12, 2007 8:51 AM EDT up reply actions

Best time to be a 'merican cycling fan

I think.

Thanks to the interweb, we can actually see the spring classics, the Giro, etc... live! Back in the LeMond days, all we had were the 3 month out-of-date glossy mags. I'd probably be reading about Argentin's win the Liege or something.

Maybe there aren't droves of Americans over in France waving flags, but I'm guessing the fanbase is deeper than it's ever been.

Is doping driving folks away? Nah. It's just another, albeit sordid, dimension of the sport.

-K-

by KevinK on Jul 12, 2007 8:38 AM EDT reply actions

First week?

Someone else made this point above, but ... No serious fan would fly from the US to France just to watch one of the first-week stages (except maybe the prologue). Why pay $1200 bucks just to watch a big group ride by once at 30 mph?

Also: the other MAJOR factor that might cause fewer yanks to go to the tour is the unfavorable euro/dollar ratio ...

It happens that I'll be in Paris for the last stage, so I'll be on the Champs Elysees, but I won't be waving a flag.

by ancien equipier on Jul 12, 2007 2:12 PM EDT reply actions