Quantcast

2006 World Cup: Not Good News

Dec 25, 2003
402
0
Edinburgh, Scotland
Dear Mr x

As you know, the UCI Management Committee had taken the decision, at the beginning of the year, to outsource the management of the 2006 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup to a jointventure between “23 Degrees Management S.L.” and “Gestev Inc”. According to this engagement, it was expected that this joint-venture would raise the necessary (sponsor) revenues guarantees, in order to run the 2006 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup on a higher level.
Despite a lot of effort and energy that was put into the project, the results are not sufficient in order to start-up the season as foreseen.
Given these circumstances, we must also admit that the market does not show much interest nor excitement to this project.
Therefore, we feel that we also should react according to this situation by organising a 2006 UCI Mountain Bike World Cup with a restricted number of legs and with almost no marketing obligations.
You will be informed in more detail in due time.
We wish you good receipt of this letter.

This covers both DH, 4x and XC

UCI..
 

Cant Climb

Turbo Monkey
May 9, 2004
2,683
10
Tenacious Doug said:
Given these circumstances, we must also admit that the market does not show much interest nor excitement to this project.
......the only excitement is in the riders.....this is the truth people.....
 

ÆX

Turbo Monkey
Sep 8, 2001
4,920
17
NM
manhattanprjkt83 said:
Yeah and the freeriding events just keep getting better :thumb:

thats why i think at norba's they should have slope style and the same weekend. no xc trials.

they blend events at whistler and it is one of the bigest events all year.

alex
 

Repack

Turbo Monkey
Nov 29, 2001
1,889
0
Boston Area
manhattanprjkt83 said:
Yeah and the freeriding events just keep getting better :thumb:
That is where I get all confused. There are a bunch of stand-alone freeride comps that go off every year. What is so difficult about stringing them together? Beyond setting dates and adding points, I don't see why it needs to be so difficult. Seems like NORBA/UCI should follow the lead of the FR events and offer a basic template rather than put the organizers through the hell that they apparently do. I know that there are other considerations and this is just a general thought. Seems like giving the locations more autonomy would reduce operating costs. A shift towards regional rather than naitonal event sponsorship seems like it would slao help. NASCAR has been mentioned (albeit in a bad way) and they do a similar type thing. There are many companies that sponsor a car for one race only. Why would a company that operates in and around the Boston area want to pay to sponsor an event in California?
 

Cant Climb

Turbo Monkey
May 9, 2004
2,683
10
bcd said:
thats why i think at norba's they should have slope style and the same weekend. no xc trials.
they blend events at whistler and it is one of the bigest events all year.
alex
sounds like a good idea, but there is no way Norba venues could build slopestyles course for each stop.........too much work, too much money for construction, too complicated.....Norba events are already boarding on a logistical nitemare with 5-7 events, age groupings, and ability levels.......plus it would be a Pro-style only event, Norba is more about serving the entire spectrum of participants......
 

stiksandstones

Turbo Monkey
May 21, 2002
5,078
25
Orange, Ca
LOOnatic said:
They must be taking cues fron Norba .... :stosh:
No, not at all (and it is TBB and Blue Wolf running the series, not NORBA) if they were taking cues from TBB/Blue Wolf/NORBA they would keep on doing a series with half ass effort and finances...Atleast the World Cup powers to be are realizing their future and tweaking the series to accomodate that. The NCS has been in this state for 5 years and those clowns keep adding venues!?!?!

Regardless, I do not know how valid this email/posting is, if true it truly does suck balls. Oil prices are not going to help the pursuit of sponsorship either-companies are going to make more and more cutbacks and use the fuel prices as an excuse-(Note to all you self loathing pricks that drive hummers, suburbans, monster trucks=gas is not plentiful. Hmm, this is the DH forum, I am probably speaking on deaf ears with that tirade, but A for effort).
 

profro

Turbo Monkey
Feb 25, 2002
5,617
314
Walden Ridge
Atleast Snowshoe is looking into doing a multi-race series. That along with the Mtn. States Cups and Diablo's Domination series, there is still a bunch of killer racing.
 

ChrisKring

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2002
2,399
6
Grand Haven, MI
stiksandstones said:
Note to all you self loathing pricks that drive hummers, suburbans, monster trucks=gas is not plentiful. Hmm, this is the DH forum, I am probably speaking on deaf ears with that tirade, but A for effort).
You better sell the CRF250 and take up knitting or basket weaving. :)

I said it years ago, the market will correct the demand for gas. The government can not effectively regulate it(cafe standards) and people will consume until it gets too expensive. I think people are finally ready to pay extra for more fuel efficient technology.


Back to the UCI thing, sponsorship dollars will continue to suck without major TV coverage. Even outdoor AMA MX is at best a break even for the promoters and teams since the TV coverage went to crap (OLN a month after the race). However, the SX races make tons of $$$ since they are in a urban location with good TV coverage (next day ESPN or even live ESPN). The AMA's main plan to keep SX going well and improve MX is to increase TV coverage. They are making that a priority over everything else. With no TV, your just marketing to the people at the event instead of the millions of nascar couch potatoes. Norba should pay Michael Holigan (think encite Nascar, Samsung SX teams or "reality of speed" TV show) for a 1 day consulting on improving the marketability of the sport. Heck, even the Red Bull extreme hucker shows on NBC are more watchable for the general public than the crappy coverage that OLN used to give mountain biking.

Or the other alternating is to eliminate the expensive BS and market a well run and focused event to the participants. AKA: the US Open.
 

Cant Climb

Turbo Monkey
May 9, 2004
2,683
10
ChrisKring said:
Or the other alternating is to eliminate the expensive BS and market a well run and focused event to the participants. AKA: the US Open.
The World Cup can't get anymore focused than it already is.......the media outlets were flooded with US Open coverage this year..... :rolleyes:
 

Cant Climb

Turbo Monkey
May 9, 2004
2,683
10
profro said:
Atleast Snowshoe is looking into doing a multi-race series. That along with the Mtn. States Cups and Diablo's Domination series, there is still a bunch of killer racing.
Yeah, all i really care about is that the local series' continue.....
 

Zutroy

Turbo Monkey
Dec 9, 2004
2,443
0
Ventura,CA
Cant Climb said:
Yeah, all i really care about is that the local series' continue.....

On the flip side of this....wonder if it will make the norbas any better? Euro guys coming back and racing them maybe?
 

ChrisKring

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2002
2,399
6
Grand Haven, MI
Cant Climb said:
The World Cup can't get anymore focused than it already is.......the media outlets were flooded with US Open coverage this year..... :rolleyes:
You totally missed the point.

Either you need to make it big with TV coverage and sell advertising (NASCAR) or

you need to make an event efficient and focused at making money off the participants (US Open)

TV Coverage cost big money. OLN used to charge Norba $25,000 per hour of coverage. you need to sell a lot of advertising to cover that and the production cost.

Or kill off the TV, the hospitality tent and other BS that racers don't care about and spend the $$$ on lift access that they do care about.
 

Cant Climb

Turbo Monkey
May 9, 2004
2,683
10
ChrisKring said:
You totally missed the point.

Either you need to make it big with TV coverage and sell advertising (NASCAR) or

you need to make an event efficient and focused at making money off the participants (US Open)

TV Coverage cost big money. OLN used to charge Norba $25,000 per hour of coverage. you need to sell a lot of advertising to cover that and the production cost.

Or kill off the TV, the hospitality tent and other BS that racers don't care about and spend the $$$ on lift access that they do care about.
Let's say a race series gets huge and on TV......how's that going to benefit the local racer or even the average joe mountainbiker (99% of which have no clue who Chris Kovarik is)........?

Are we all just upset because Pro's arent getting mucho dinero.....?

The average racer only cares about good courses, accurate timing and someone to race againt......
 

stiksandstones

Turbo Monkey
May 21, 2002
5,078
25
Orange, Ca
ChrisKring said:
You better sell the CRF250 and take up knitting or basket weaving. :)
I own a toyota truck with stock rims and tires and my wife has a Hybrid car-my moto gets about 65 mpg. I think thats pretty good for a couple whose friends all have bling cars, neighbors have a hummer and a suburban, ala so cal.
 

stiksandstones

Turbo Monkey
May 21, 2002
5,078
25
Orange, Ca
Where did this World Cup info come from? not saying it is BS, but I just want to know who sent the communication out?

If it came from the UCI, sounds like a bitter email hoping their wishes come true-which is the death of Intl. MTB racing.
 

ChrisKring

Turbo Monkey
Jan 30, 2002
2,399
6
Grand Haven, MI
stiksandstones said:
I own a toyota truck with stock rims and tires and my wife has a Hybrid car-my moto gets about 65 mpg. I think thats pretty good for a couple whose friends all have bling cars, neighbors have a hummer and a suburban, ala so cal.
Just busting your balls for sport. See the smilie?

If your getting 65 mpg, you need to twist the throttle further. My YZ250 gets about 50 mpg trail riding but only about 35 mpg on the track.
 

leprechaun

Turbo Monkey
Apr 17, 2004
1,009
0
SLC,Ut
my KX 125 gets 50 or so miles to a tank-that's more like 20 mpg,and is better than a 250 four stroke Stik you need to sell the Yota, buy a kit and put a plate on that bike! ride it to the track!

Oops-i thought i was on ThumperTalk-i'll x post this. :D
 

Petite Fluer

Monkey
May 18, 2005
127
0
Arizona
Damn, i've been saving up for the past 3yrs to race the World Cup too...guess i'll just blow it in Vegas riding Boulder City, Hookers, Coke, and Gambling....that's pretty close to WC racing right?
 

stiksandstones

Turbo Monkey
May 21, 2002
5,078
25
Orange, Ca
ChrisKring said:
Just busting your balls for sport. See the smilie?

If your getting 65 mpg, you need to twist the throttle further. My YZ250 gets about 50 mpg trail riding but only about 35 mpg on the track.
Sorry-I was replying in comedy as well-its all good man.

As for my MPG on my moto-I was thinking what my play bike gets, the crf150...but MPG on my 250f-have you seen how f-ing skinny I am??
 

sayndesyn

Turbo Monkey
I'm happy as long as the grassroots events survive... I feel bad for the top guys who might be scraping by though... Not right that people with that much skill are making millions less than whopper eating Nascar drivers.. F@ck American's.... And yeah I've been American all along... And yeah I'm military overseas..
 
Dec 25, 2003
402
0
Edinburgh, Scotland
stiksandstones said:
Where did this World Cup info come from? not saying it is BS, but I just want to know who sent the communication out?
I believe that it was an official UCI communication though I am reading between the lines a bit, was received by one of the guys over at Descent-World and posted up there, I know he is a registered commissaire so possibly on the list to get this sort of release early??
 

ride

Monkey
Jan 11, 2005
471
0
Maybe a bit off topic but I have a feeling the future of racing (at least in the states) lies it the big money single race venues ala U.S. Open.
Last weekend there was a race in Big Sky Montana that I don't think too many people knew about with a $1,500 first place payout, that paid through 10th place i think. There is one Stik mentioned in Sonoma in a few weeks with a $4,000 purse. These aren't quite as large as the U.S. Open but closer than any Norba. 4 or 5 Open style races around the states a year would make me think twice about chasing a Norba title that's for sure.