D&M johnston <[email hidden]> wrote: SNIP
: This Classic is a huge one day event that covers 220kms over the Great Dividing Range and also
: has some great scenery, not that you'd be that taken by it busting your gut up 3,000 ft
: mountain range.
: I'm kind of surprised that I haven't seen much publicity about this race over the last 3 yrs or
: more especially that Cycling has really taken off here in Australia.
Event promotion can suck up mucho $s. It's a Catch 22. When events get more media coverage then
it's worthwhile for sponsors to make a greater investment in them - and the organisers have more $
for promotion. Then again you are up against the obscene amount of media time dedicated to the
football codes.
: The Grafton to Inverell classic was almost cancelled this year due to the new ruling about cycling
: on public roads and also litigation and insurance problems but with the help of NSW Cycling
: Federation there was a turnaround so that now the event is on. It would be a shame to see such a
: race being cancelled after 43 years.Some events have not been so lucky.
Not to dismiss the significance of the crisis, but it was a legal technicality that was cleared up
in a week.
: I mean 220kms is only 23kms short of the mens Olympic cycle race in Sydney 2000 Olympics which was
: won by Jan Ullrich, that was one helluva race!!
: This is only my opinion but I was thinking that if we could expand some of these national events
: and do time trials and maybe many different stages that could attract international teams like the
: TDF, maybe we could have a TDA(Tour de Australia).
Um... heard of the Tour Down Under? It is a stage race similar to the scale of some of the smaller
tours and is timed well to fit in with the European rider's racing season. Some big names come for
all sorts of reasons, but it would have a greater profile if people like Cipollini, et al, made the
pilgrimage.
: I beleive now that our lads have done so well over in France and we have proven we are as good as
: other cycling teams, I reckon Australia has the potential to become a Major Cycling venue.
Probably be easier if we weren't so far away from Europe (the centre of the cycling universe).
: I understand that everyone will have different opinions to me on this, but please spare the
: sarcasms. I just thought i'd like to write this in here to get other opinions why's and maybe
: why nots.
Some of the why nots have to do with the old world thinking of the various cycling bodies in
Australia - you know, crusty old guys who dream about the days of wooden rims, leather helmets and
single chainrings. There are many vested interests in keeping the status quo. People don't like
giving up power in any circumstances, even if its for a greater good.
Many will say that interest in the sport has to be fed at the junior level, and many clubs have a
great juniors program, but as long as it costs thousands of dollars to kit up to train and race,
competitive cycling will be an elite sport and out of the range of most people.
I could go on about the demand for topline gear/kit pushing the prices of everything cycling up, but
I've given enough examples of some of the problems to show that there isn't a single issue or answer
to it that will make things the way you would like - hey, and I'd love that vision too!
Perhaps joining a club (if you haven't already), getting into racing and being seen on the roads is
probably a great contribution and as much as anyone can make to the sport. If you conduct yourself
in a congenial manner and don't turn into a complete [censored] on your bike - as happens to many - then
your representation of the sport will be positive. If you also lobby your local government and
sponsors to support club events then you can really make a mark on promoting cycling in Australia.
Hope this gets you proactive, cheerz, Lynzz
