HumpDay squirts on the quickyclick
a short snip of what Cyclingnews covers in recent hours:
low pro BMC Schmatzy and his boys tackling a thug after a Navigator's soignuer room raided.- Disco blah-blah team to hit the TourOMissoura.
- all the eurotrash pedaling in a hurry towards signing a flawed, but significant anti-doping charter.
- and a million tidbits on Boonen, Bettini, Japanese National results, pics of the tour of slobodovenia, etc...
what VsNews covered:
- doping, Italian sprinter, doping dopers and Lenny Zinn's rolling resistance article (ok ... that was kind of a cool read).
-
My question is ... when will VsNews crack the coffers and invest in making their online publication the money maker it has the potential to be? Do they really think that the paperbound version will die off if they do?
Inquiring minds want to ... oh, actually - i don't care.
- - -
NRC race in NorCal?
why yes ... apparently there is. Has anyone heard, read, had a conversation with god about the Cougar Mtn whatever? Uh ... i consider myself relatively hooked into the cycling media and I couldn't tell you anything about this race other than it sounds like a place Nancy Drew would solve a high school mystery.
what channel do i need to switch to?
- - -
CycloCross bitchytalk
So, there was a UCI WorldCup tentatively scheduled for the US ... then the promoters had to back out ... then there was some wah-wah about it.
we didn't have a bike race. really, it's not that big of a deal. but all the gossipy crap-talk is just wonderful, thanks!
though my favorite quote, and perhaps as indicative of character is ~
"I am deeply appreciative of the kind words on our behalf. I also realize most of the folks on this site truly love 'cross...probably as much as we do."
really ... almost as much?
aww ... yer so sweet!
- - -
29 comments:
http://www.cmclassic.com
What more do you need?
you're kidding right?
how about a media blitz talking up how super cool the event would be?
how about ringing cowbells in the local circuits to try and up participation and (gasp) crowd attendance?
how about lauding those who will race ... writing up press releases and creating heros and heroines who will do battle on the epic slopes of ... cougar mountain?
how about reaching out, as opposed to just thinking people will come to you.
you know ... marketing n' stuff.
Ahahahah...
nice take on it
and nice picture of Richard...
True their marketing is really poor. Last year there were only 16 starters and 14 finishers in the P/1/2 race (I don't know if it was NRC last year), and it doesn't look like it's going to be much bigger this year. Non of the other feilds was very large either.
I'm going because I love riding on that course. Think Sea Otter Laguna Seca course in reverse where we climb the steep side of the hill and go down the gentle side, which is great for those of us who still don't know how to judge how fast they can go into turns.
I've done several of the Thursday night twilight races there and those are always a blast. There are 4 more in September, I highly recommend them.
Clincher vs. Tubular? I'm more confused than ever.
Chris
250lb. man body slammed by skinny ass bike racer. i love it.
but, this is Schmatz we're talking about. he's like, tough n' stuff.
and Chris ... i've never had a clue about tubie/clincher-ness.
i ride whatever is there.
oh ... dayum
just saw gewilli's BloggerCross Champs o' DFL jerseys.
... oh, me wantee.
wow
there is some messed up stuff in that cx thread
I'll hold my tongue...
wait..no I wont.
I am really disappointed that Richard wrote that shit about whomever the blog author is. Its just a damn personal blog. Its just someone's opinion. Like, whateva.
But to call someone a wounded animal on a regional race website list, and to do it from the official position of the promotor...
pretty unprofessional and icky.
OK -- back to the CMC...
I live in Sonoma County and have been involved with this event from its beginning. I have observed with confusion the way the thing has developed.
It's as if the CMC suffers from a multiple personality disorder. Or maybe too many cooks in the kitchen. It's got dirt racing, down hillin', and road racing. Different people put on the different events (just like Sea Otter). I think Infineon's intention was to be another Sea Otter.
Last year created even more confusion, as the CMC at the last minute became the mountain bike Nationals.
This year, Infineon took more control of the thing. I was in Sacramento about a month ago and heard an add for it on the radio (!). Infineon CMC had a booth at Sea Otter where I gathered some nice foamies for my beers as well as info about the CMC. I've also received numerous e-mails about it from the SoCo Bicycle Coalition. Why is the NRC race not pimped enough? Why no stories of heroes and heroines battling it out? Maybe because Infineon is just trying to put together a nice bicycle festival where EVERYONE can have a good time. They forgot (or didn't know) that road racers need special care.
I love that this event happens, as it allows public access to a very special Bay Area landscape for one time in the year. Infineon is really struggling to get this thing going, keep it going. Let's show them some love!
Cyclingnews.com/Velonews.com -
The people at cyclingnews.com are so cool. They've always printed press releases I've sent to them.
For Velonews.com, I've put up ad up on it. Have a friend who knows the head editor over there - put pressure on him. Nada.
Oh well....
I got a flyer for the CM classic. They must want to keep you out of the loop. That says, it was certainly a low budget flyer.
"They forgot (or didn't know) that road racers need special care."
uh ... i race mtb, cross, track, and road.
and i haven't recieved any word of the event. But more importantly (and maybe you can connect the dots with the other elements of the post ... mmm), where is the coverage in the main two outlets of cycling media?
show love?
what you think i'm trying to do? or, is tough love the wrong love?
Robin ... you need a Colorado Springs zipcode, baby!
I bet they got the mailing list for the flyers from the Sea Otter Classic. So, people hanging around drinking beers would not have been on the list.
it was margaritas, i'll have you know.
... or was it sangria?
CMC:
1) No Cougars
2) No Mountain
2) Not Classic
4) Course = Sun-baked post-holed cowpaths and asphalt
5) Dropped from the NMBS calendar
6) Very special landscape? Ok...so's the Gobi Desert.
7) About 115 degrees in July, even the squirrels stayed underground.
8) After experiencing at Nat's 2006, decided to vote with my feet and never return.
Sorry.
Hiya Sabine - this is Zoe, we met out at a Velo Bella clinic in Feb 2006, I was hanging out with Nicole for a week of riding in the real hills.
"What I Think" is me. So I appreciate your support! Originally I was just responding to the fact that the UCI had publically expressed doubts about the event, as I had them too. I don't think it's particularly classy for any of us to get into this shit-slinging match, but I have always been of the opinion that promoters would do best to stay out of it.
And with that, I have made my last comment about this whole bruhahah. Now, can someone remind me why I liked 'cross, again??
Oh yeah, since my blog link doesn't come up like I thought it would, check out www.what-i-think.typepad.com. Thanks!
Infineon is handling the PR. Thus, they would have to issue press releases to the two mentioned media outlets. Because Infineon doesn't realize road riders need to know that everyone else is doing it before they join in, they didn't issue a press release. Get it?
I have to agree with the most recent Nano-Moose post.
Cougarless, no actual mountain in site, and definitely not classic.
Raced Mountain bike there twice, not a damn thing fun about it.
Road: You go and I'll go and we'll make our own party. Mostly likely it will just become a time trial cuss fest with wicked head winds.
sigh.
oh, little myopic one.
it's about letting EVERYONE ELSE know about it. it's about selling your event ... road, mtb, bmx, track ... whatever.
it's about creating buzz for the event to bring more attention from athletes (not just road riders, now mind you), more attraction to sponsors giving money to the event, more appeal for people to attend the event (not just roadies, mind you ...).
your prime market for all the above is the existing cycling world. thus, the recommendations on my part to have the most used/trafficked media outlets pumping the fluids.
or ... more grassroots - listserves, local websites ... blogs?
gee, guess i'm doing my part.
nome - you crazy time trialist.
I've raced at Infineon two or three times through the years (actually, I think it was still called Sears Point the first time or two)
The things I remember:
They charged me a fair amount to park on top of my already high entry fee.
It was hot, windy, and there wasn't much of a festival atmosphere (or even a nice quiet shady spot in which to relax)
The circuit race course was VERY challenging, made for some good hard racing, but might scare some people off. The crit course was OK. All the mountain bikers I have talked to seem to agree that the MTB courses were kind of weak.
the prize support was near non-existent, not a big deal in my book...except that there was kind of a high entry fee for such little payback.
On a related note, ie the prize money for the pro events, I thought that there was some rule about an NRC event having a minimum cash purse. Wasn't that the whole issue in the McLane/Merco race almost getting cancelled?
On a positive note, I see that the pro men and the women get the same cash purse....
ah well, the bottom line is, I haven't had fun there in the past, so I won't be going back
Or, lets put it this way. You are one of the major domestic pro teams. You have a budget of which races you can attend. You need to get as much exposure for your sponsors as possible.
So, when it comes time to decide which events to send your team to, do you decide to send them to a race that is barely making a blib on even the regular cycling media, or do you save that buck and spend it on an event that seems to understand the publicity aspect and will work it for you?
To take care of the big guys, you need to create a buzz.
To take care of the local and am racers you need to create a fun event.
I don't think CMC is doing either one well.
I think CMC has two problems
1. Location on calendar
2. Physical location
Sea Otter is typically held early season where there are not as many competing events, and it can capitalize on the spring time excitement of racing. Plus the location is pretty special.
July is mid summer. We've all been racing for a while, there are many other competing events...with this case you have to do something very very special to overcome it. And they just haven't done that yet.
And the location pretty much universally sucks for MTB. There is some potential for circuit road, but the 100 degree temps plus race track asphalt aren't attracting locals.
CMC has so far been all the bad things about Sea Otter (except the crowds) without much of the fun things (the crowds).
I would love to see this event succeed, but I just don't see that happening...
CMC
Branding the event with a made-up big-deal moniker like Cougar Mountain Classic...then hosting a tepid affair doesn't help their cause.
Hi! I'm Fran-N-Furter! (when he's really just a cocktail weenie)
Looks like most of the comment is about the local CM event. I've no opinion about it, never done it.
But at least the conversation about CX, although a little personal, isn't the usual platitudinous BS we see on so many occasions.
I love it when people with passion discuss and I want to thank you all for making my day.
That'd be Frank-N-Furter!
VB, you always seem to have such a clear view of why events do well or not...ever thought about putting on a race yourself?
Last year MTB racing hit rock bottom at CMC Nationals. The chicks raced w/ the dudes in the P1/2 crit...Shelley won the feild sprint! The payouts were nice, we took home about 1K between us.
Viva Carrera de San Rafael!
Hey Olaf -- get a grip on yourself. The CMC is advertised ALL OVER THE PLACE. If you didn't see it, you weren't served it up on a silver platter.
Road racers are whiny bitches. So are mountain bike racers. Weirdly, the downhillers are the ones who whined really loud, but then did something constructive by working with Infineon to improve their really sucky downhill course. I hope they have a killer event, sans all the roadie (and mtb racers are only roadies who manage a little dirt now and then) boo hooing.
Post a Comment