Tour de Georgia Team Presentation

by cg. on Apr 19, 2008 10:51 PM EDT

The Tour de Georgia team presentation was held tonight in Savannah. It was fun to preview the teams; however, it was an odd affair.

While I understand the motivation for a charity event (charging accordingly), it seems like it would have better served the sport to host an open event which welcomed everyone with an interest in cycling. (And ultimately, wouldn't bringing more people to the sport generate more value for the charity and sponsors?) This had lots of politicos, sponsors and what I assume were Savannah's most charitable but not a lot of fans.

And another odd thing - the biggest cheers were for the Rock Racing guys.

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Tell us more, CG!

Were you there?

And no, I have no idea why Rock Racing gets the fan reactions it does, but it does, and regularly.

by Sui Juris on Apr 19, 2008 11:31 PM EDT reply actions

... but they do rock

I disliked Rock Racing at first, but it's interesting seeing one cycling enthusiast bring money into the sport at a critical time and stand up to the establishment. There is a lot of grandstanding that goes along with it, but maybe that will get toned down with "a new beginning." The people in the road racing world can be really boring and serious which RR is not.

As far as his riders go, I like that he has given Sevilla and Botero a chance to ride. Both have sat out almost two years with being suspended. They may be tainted, but they wouldn't the only ones. It's time to move on. Though, I don't feel the same about those tainted riders that never missed a race.

And those "venom" kits...

by steephill on Apr 20, 2008 7:06 AM EDT up reply actions

Yes...

... I was actually there.

I'm laughing that the RR comment is the one generating comments but I guess I should have expected that! They came out at the end, dressed all in black (black jeans, kind of textured plaid black jackets, crazy trucker-sized silver belt buckles). I didn't see Michael Ball.

After the way too long introductions of multiple political Georgians, most of the teams trouped out and the announcers spoke to one or two highlighted racers (pretty standard stuff). Then the teams and their handlers left quickly. It wasn't really a fan event which is what struck me as odd. (If RR hadn't gotten the cheers it did at the end, I'd have left thinking that almost no one attending knew the first thing about the sport.)

I'm ready for the racing to start!

by cg. on Apr 20, 2008 8:10 AM EDT up reply actions

fans at intros

Yeah, it's been that way at a number of intro events that I've been to - it's always sponsors and paid tickets to get in (and not $10 tickets). This does produce a crowd that you look at and think, "Huh? Why are they here?" On the other hand, you get surprises. One of our local tv weatherguys, whom I thought was there because the station made him go, turns out to be a huge cyclist and racing supporter.

The team presentations can be amusing in the differences they show between team images. You'd get one team looking like it could make the cover of Boys Life magazine, while the next is an illustration of all the guys you'd never want your daughter to meet. Maybe I'll dig some photos from last year's team presentation at the CSC Invitational to illustrate.

(And the idea of Georgia politicians supporting cycling just boggles me. I lived in Georgia a long time, and the closest thing I saw to support for cycling was throwing the bottle ahead of, instead of at me.)

by Sui Juris on Apr 20, 2008 9:17 AM EDT up reply actions

CoulD it be Underdog-syndrome?

With my deep knowledge of the american psyche (sic)I could imagine that a lot of "casual" fans could be drawn to their story of the fighting outsider, held back and disliked by the conservative establishment. They did seem to work that angle pretty hard in California. That plus all the flashy stuff could strike a cord with lots of people who wouldn't identify with a traditional cycling-team.

by Jens on Apr 20, 2008 4:48 AM EDT reply actions