DHI Rider’s Union
- Thread starter Bikael Molton
- Start date
Berny was on a podcast I listened to recently and basically said "he was trying but it kinda ran out of steam". That's what I got from it and that will suit the people at the top that dont really want anything like that to happen and make the changes they want to make.
I think the issue is mid season the riders don't have enough time to organize so I do hope they don't need UCI/disco overlords reminding them they need a union. Though I am worried a sport where most people are <30 is a place where everyone will simply get disctracted. Then again don't NBA players have a strong union?
Isn't it the easiest to talk to each other when everybody is in ONE place, say, for example, at a Worldcup event? Thankfully the UCI is now organizing these events where even the XC riders are in the same place.
BTW: union meetings are nearly always at the work place.
NBA has a long culture of outspoken
players as well a very strong player’s union. It’s unique among top level US sports.
My understanding is that it stems from the politics of the 1960s and race in America.
players as well a very strong player’s union. It’s unique among top level US sports.
My understanding is that it stems from the politics of the 1960s and race in America.
Not enough time, id hardly say they are mobbed and its not as if it'll be a full time thing but it needs people to pay and then for that money to be used to pay people to organise and take it to the big guns who will say fuck off we'll do what we want and are.
wonder how gwin is doing track walks when he's stateside with injuries
Which one?
Gary we need some comparisons. Few sports have unions so we reach for the closest comparable case. Are they perfectly similar? Nope. Are there lessons to be learned from other people trying to form a coherent union in recent times? Sure.
Also if I'm wrong about players not having enough time then simply correct me. I can be wrong. You claim to know more so please elaborate. Though i was thinking more about people who are a bit older who could lead the movement and they usually spin more plates than just being on a team and riding (ie. Kerr). I can be wrong and you can correct me though.
Though it would be nice if your comments in this topic were more than just laughing at every comment while adding nothingto the discussion. If you know more please share. Otherwise you are not adding anything valuable to the discussion
@Bikael Molton makes sense re. 60s america.
No. YOU do. But unless it's vaguely relevant why even bring it up?
You really think a massively more lucrative preofessional TEAM sport operating in just ONE country and covering 500ish players ALL on multi $m salaries even vaguely close to DH racing? We'd be being optimistic if we could count 60-80 current full time professional WC DH racers making a living from racing WORLDWIDE with only a very select few making even a fraction of the money even a mediocre NBA player does.
Yeah. Not even vaguely.
Well... yeah... But this particular comparison hasn't raised even ONE. and it won't. Because the entire NBA organisation and the sport of Basketball is so wildly irrelevant to WC DH racing.
No. Not really. Not in any relevant way to the concerns of 2023 professional WC DH racers anyway.
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The thread is 5 pages (and over one year) long. There has been NOTHING of true value in regards to a union or how it's going to work in the entire discussion. Just speculation (often wildly so). Because other than an idea banded about by a few successful racers over a year ago nothing has has actually happened. Sorry if I find the irony humerous.
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NBA: 82Out of curiosity. I just looked up how many games each NBA team actually plays per year.
NHL: 82
NFL: 17
MLB: 162 (I guess it shows it's not a very strenuous game - except maybe for the pitchers. It also explains why there's highlights on all. the. fricken. time)
Premier League: 38 (but I guess for the top teams it must be more as they also have UEFA Champions League, which is at least 6 matches I think?). That's a lot of running around!
Anyways.. I have no idea what relevance any of this had, I was just curious.
Simple yes or no question.
Do YOU think they (the riders) need or would benefit from some sort of formal representation?
Of course they would but like everything there is a financial thing to it, most folk aren't doing stuff for the charity and that there is a hurdle. A big one id say!
Probably can go in the Discovery thread as well but good set of interviews over on Vital
www.vitalmtb.com
A Year Later, Is World Cup Downhill Racing Better?
We have another great Inside Line with passionate interviews from the ground at the last World Cup Mountain Bike Downhill of 2023 in Mont-Sainte-Anne. Jack Rice talks to Elite riders, mechanics and team managers and asks if they think downhill is in a better place now than it was a year ago...
I had a listen. Bruni seems very positive and sees the sport growing with a more focused elite level with bigger sponsors combined with more local races as entry gates to the elite races. The rest of the field could know what they wanted but didn't had a clear view of what was coming. Weird contrast, if you ask me... it might also be me misunderstanding the subtleties?Probably can go in the Discovery thread as well but good set of interviews over on Vital
A Year Later, Is World Cup Downhill Racing Better?
We have another great Inside Line with passionate interviews from the ground at the last World Cup Mountain Bike Downhill of 2023 in Mont-Sainte-Anne. Jack Rice talks to Elite riders, mechanics and team managers and asks if they think downhill is in a better place now than it was a year ago...
Everyone was against semi finals
I agree. and was thinking about this. I wonder if that model (local or continental "feeder" series that would develop the talent for the World Cup circuit) makes more sense for Europeans... The other main countries that contribute talented riders to the WC are vast and not dense: the US, Australia, Canada, NZ, and 'Latin America'... Having a regional series in those countries/continents is not really feasible without big sponsorship $$$: too spread out and too much travel.
So while I get the concept, I'm not sold it would actually work outside of Europe. Especially when there's no broadcasts. It's like they're putting the cart ahead of the horse. I think they need to bring the sport up to a higher level before it can branch off into smaller series.
This is just my opinion, and I stand to be corrected...
Regional/National series already exist throughout europe (and the UK)
The UCI fucked the incentive for organisers to make UCI qualification points available at their events by being greedy cunts*!
local race organisers don't make big bucks. and basically work for well below minimum wage with all the organisation required.
Not sure Loic would have a clue about local/regional racing. I doubt any Jnr world champ who then goes on to top 10 in their first year in elite and consistently perform at the top level in elite for the next 10 years would really.
* Basically Adding way more organising/red tape for them, the need to conform to more rules, pay more commissars and then making the organiser PAY for the privelege of running a UCI E2 event for them.
The UCI fucked the incentive for organisers to make UCI qualification points available at their events by being greedy cunts*!
local race organisers don't make big bucks. and basically work for well below minimum wage with all the organisation required.
Not sure Loic would have a clue about local/regional racing. I doubt any Jnr world champ who then goes on to top 10 in their first year in elite and consistently perform at the top level in elite for the next 10 years would really.
* Basically Adding way more organising/red tape for them, the need to conform to more rules, pay more commissars and then making the organiser PAY for the privelege of running a UCI E2 event for them.
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To be fair, Bruni is probably the most protected and valuable rider going right now. Hard to see him having much bad to say about the state of affairs.
what's that?
someone's needed to pop off on the UCI in person?
how much do I have to pay? Cuz I'll probably pay a lot.
someone's needed to pop off on the UCI in person?
how much do I have to pay? Cuz I'll probably pay a lot.
A “feeder series” would be amazing for developing young riders.
ESO/Warner ain’t going to help pay for it though, so it won’t happen in the US.
At the end of the day, the UCI is a European organization run by and for Europeans.
ESO/Warner ain’t going to help pay for it though, so it won’t happen in the US.
At the end of the day, the UCI is a European organization run by and for Europeans.
OK, so maybe France is the only country in the world with a decent national series that seems to be supported and promoted by the national federation. would make sense Bruni sees it that way.
for the UCI/ESO/Disco to expect all other countries to adopt the French model is inane.
*sigh* I just want to watch the racing and revel in the insane talent those riders possess...
The UCI is probably counting on other countries NOT adopting the French model. They're still pissed that after running the World Cup almost exclusively within a baguette throw of Paris that they now have bloody non-Frenchies winning events. They'll eventually make speaking French a prerequisite for entry I reckon.
Also what crap is it that you either need a stack of hard-to-find UCI points to enter OR can buy your way in by paying the "trade team" registration fee and racing with no UCI points.
When pondering if DH needs a rider’s union to deal with the UCI, just remember they gave this dude a watch….
