THIS! Thanks for putting it better than I could have.

Yes, but all the money is grassroots. None of it traceable back to any sort of TV deal.

I'll pick the literal example from the race my team puts on. $8000 in price money (split across fields). Pure grassroots. There might be a handful of the lesser domestic pro teams, but like Rally or United Healthcare likely won't be there. Most of the P12 field will either be aspiring young racers or washed up masters throwing down as a 2nd race.

The sponsors for all that money are:

1) Entry fees
2) A car dealership
3) An LBS
4) The Chamber of Commerce of the town
5) A small carbon wheel company
6) An RV dealership
7) A cycling/tri clothing company
8) A local bank
9) A tool company
10) A saddle company (Selle)
11) A cycling magazine
12) A local signage company
13) A chain lube company
14) A local restaurant
15) Clif bar

No money comes from UCI, USAC, the ASO, or any organization that receives "TV money." In fact that's a big topic of argument in cycling is the fact that zero of the TV money filters down to riders. It all goes to the race promoters. Every dime.

The local sponsors are mostly there so us more affluent geezer racers buy stuff from them. Just like in triathlon.

I see zero reason why a triathlon couldn't get those same sponsors, and make an equally big prize purse.

Maybe Selle, the clothing company, and Clif might be involved in World Tour, televised bike racing. But I doubt their calculations to sponsor this race have anything to do with TV deals in Europe . They're supporting grassroots racing.

That's correct. Lot of money flowing through the World Tour.

My point is that zero of that flows down to grassroots racing in the U.S.

I misunderstood this I guess:

“As talented as a coach as Jim May be, the idea of an elite-level athlete paying for his Services is absurd”

He isn’t starting a coaching business. He is an established coach starting an elite squad. Being on his elite team would be a big deal for most folks.

As an aside, he seems humble enough in interviews.

I am still curious about your niche sport, but I suppose that is your business!

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Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team

Exactly!

For the first time my Triathlon career, I started up with a coach a little while back, and the couple hundred bucks a month I pay is probably the best investment I have ever made in getting faster.

There's nothing wrong with spending money on a coach, it's just the terms that it's couched in.

If you're really that interested, I'll be happy to tell you a via p.m.

Not arguing that Jim is great coach.. Anybody that gets him as a coach is going to be getting a good value as long as what he charges is within market. But, in the San Diego area, it's a insanely tough Market when one considers the number of absolutely incredible athletes who are also fantastic coaches that live in this region.

When I found out that the coach that I have was willing to coach me, I was estatic. As should anyone be when they get a truly amazing coach, but when you get right down to it, this is a tiny sport.

Anybody that gets him as a coach is going to be getting a good value as long as what he charges is within market. But, in the San Diego area, it's a insanely tough Market when one considers the number of absolutely incredible athletes who are also fantastic coaches that live in this region.

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How many of those coaches are offering daily training environments?
eta: *daily* coached training environments? Not online, never meet with athletes (or meet once a week or once a month), but I'm talking meeting with athletes 5-7 times a week. PS's triathlon squad.....USAT CRP has now moved there (that's a closed invitation group however, so slightly different than the other "squads"), who else?

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

There's a big difference nobody has talked about. I doubt many people sign up for a crit series or any categorized race for that matter just to finish. They are there to race. Very few people show up to triathlons to race. Most are there just to finish, and those few who are racing are going for an "AG podium," of which there are many, rather than the overall. Compare the number of age groups with a handful of cycling categories as far as number of prizes to give out. That gets expensive fast, but if they change it, people would get mad because they're slow and can't compete for the overall but want their age group prize.

Finally, most triathletes don't care about pro development. Look on every usat thread and you'll see a large number of people who say that they would rather cut all usat money to pro development than pay a $35 annual fee.

Sorry for any excessive run on sentences, I'm on my phone and it's been a long day.