I have just returned to Australia after living the European sporting dream for the last 6 months. The highlight of this sporting Tour was witnessing the first Australian to claim the yellow jersey and effectively win the Tour de France in Grenoble after a brilliant ride in the individual time trial.
Cadel Evans' Tour de France win was historic, being the first Australian to win this event. Politicians talked about holding a public holiday. Rugby League and AFL was no longer the number one discussion point around the water cooler.
In fact, by the time Australians woke up after Cadel Evans' monumental Tour de France win, the Australian media were writing about the Cadel Evans effect. The win would put cycling well and truly on the sporting map in Australia. Young Australians would take up cycling in droves to follow their new sporting hero. Weekend warriors would be out in force purchasing their new high end BMC bike.
Melbourne came out in droves to see Cadel, chase his autograph or even shake his hand. The significance of his victory was highlighted when he won The Don award for the year’s most inspirational sporting moment at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame awards.
Australians have a new sporting hero. One that was not a cricketer, footballer or from any of the mainstream sports that kids normally watch on TV. No doubt many of these fans were hoping to meet their new hero at the Town Down Under in January 2012. However, by early October, all cycling fans were digesting the news that Australia's first Tour de France winner had ruled himself out from competing at the race. Cadel's excuse was the event did not fit in with his preferred build-up to his Tour de France defence. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/evans-rules-out-riding-santos-tour-down-under
This brings me to the question - Why doesn't Cadel Evans support Australian cycling races?
Australia hold two quality stage races, the Santos Tour Down Under (part of the World Tour) and the Jayco Herald Sun Tour. Top World Tour teams regularly participate in the Jayco Herald Sun Tour. While Cadel raced the Town Down Under in 2010 in his World Championship jersey, I do not recall many occasions when Cadel has ridden either the TDU or the Herald Sun Tour. Why is this so?
Australian fans do not get many occasions to meet their cycling heroes. It is not like France or Italy where there are many professional cycling races. The TDU would have been the first opportunity for many Australians kids to see their sporting heroes to build their association with the sport. I am sure many Australians had pre-booked their trip to the TDU in the hope Cadel would be there with his BMC team. However, this was to no avail as Cadel and his masters decided that the TDU was not on his 2012 racing schedule.
Cadel's no-show at the TDU has been an missed opportunity to build grassroot support in a competitive environment where all sports are chasing sponsorship dollars and participants. Cycling has the advantage as it has a world audience and interest. But I do question whether part of the impetus has been lost because of Cadel's lack of support of the TDU.
Cadel has the right to build a race schedule around the Tour de France. It is the sporting holy Grail for every cyclist. While I am no cycling coach, surely participating at the TDU would not have had a significant and detrimental impact on Cadel's Tour de France defence. The TDU is the first World Tour event for the year. Almost seven months before the Tour de France. The course is not onerous, unless you are a sprinter. Other cyclists have put themselves under more extreme conditions. Many of us will recall that the Pirate, Marco Pantani, won the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France in the same year. He was not the only one.
Riders like Nibali and Visconti would move heaven and earth to be selected to ride in the Giro d'Italia. It does help that the Giro is one of the three Grand Tours, but it does not escape the fact that many riders in Italy or France want to ride the main races in their countries.
Cadel Evan's decision not to ride at the TDU is certainly a missed opportunity. Children want to see their heroes in person, just like my kids did in France this year. Not on TV, not in another country. How many young fans will become disinterested in the sport, because their new hero favours European races over Australian races?
Fans want to see Cadel at his professional best. That is now, not as a semi-retired cyclist looking for one more pay day.
No comments:
Post a Comment