"the part that stings is that Team Sky’s success created a golden generation of British riders. Today, Great Britain has 33 WorldTour and 15 ProConti riders; in 2010, those numbers were 14 and 3."
That doesn't sting at all! (for me.) It's great that British riders have been able to establish themselves in the pro peloton. I couldn't care less about having a team that's (kinda) British. Especially not INEOS... who'd have thought Murdoch would be succeeded by an even less sympathetic tycoon?
What stings a bit is Dan Martin and Ben Healy choosing the Irish flag due to the rigidities of the British Cycling system. But that's not a topic I know or understand much about.
I think I’m abnormally biased to Sky-Ineos being British. I bought my first road bike aged 13 back in 2014, heavily influenced by the 2012 Olympics and the post-Olympic investment in initiatives like British Cycling’s ‘Go Ride’.
As far as the Irish Cycling - British Cycling debate. That's complicated, and I’m not getting involved!!
OK, makes some sense. I was heavily influenced by Boardman at the 1992 Olympics when I was 12, got hooked on TdF and the continental scene after that. I wanted to see the Brits do well but there wasn't much point hoping they would. I still can't really believe Wiggins won in 2012, much less that all 3 GTs were won by 3 different Brits in 2018. Mind-blowing for someone of my generation. But yeah I didn't grow up with a British team to support which might be why I don't feel the need for one. And tbh I am slightly ambivalent about Brits becoming so commonplace in the pro peloton - it used to be an exotic sport in foreign lands with foreign riders speaking the languages I learned in school! Which I loved.
interesting read!
Thanks! Any excuse to write about the coming together of pro-cycling and football!
"the part that stings is that Team Sky’s success created a golden generation of British riders. Today, Great Britain has 33 WorldTour and 15 ProConti riders; in 2010, those numbers were 14 and 3."
That doesn't sting at all! (for me.) It's great that British riders have been able to establish themselves in the pro peloton. I couldn't care less about having a team that's (kinda) British. Especially not INEOS... who'd have thought Murdoch would be succeeded by an even less sympathetic tycoon?
What stings a bit is Dan Martin and Ben Healy choosing the Irish flag due to the rigidities of the British Cycling system. But that's not a topic I know or understand much about.
I think I’m abnormally biased to Sky-Ineos being British. I bought my first road bike aged 13 back in 2014, heavily influenced by the 2012 Olympics and the post-Olympic investment in initiatives like British Cycling’s ‘Go Ride’.
As far as the Irish Cycling - British Cycling debate. That's complicated, and I’m not getting involved!!
OK, makes some sense. I was heavily influenced by Boardman at the 1992 Olympics when I was 12, got hooked on TdF and the continental scene after that. I wanted to see the Brits do well but there wasn't much point hoping they would. I still can't really believe Wiggins won in 2012, much less that all 3 GTs were won by 3 different Brits in 2018. Mind-blowing for someone of my generation. But yeah I didn't grow up with a British team to support which might be why I don't feel the need for one. And tbh I am slightly ambivalent about Brits becoming so commonplace in the pro peloton - it used to be an exotic sport in foreign lands with foreign riders speaking the languages I learned in school! Which I loved.