Login required to started new threads

Login required to post replies

China-based potential world tour team to rival Sky's budget
Quote | Reply
Says the new CEO. I think they'll be able to get the sponsors, will this be the catalyst for UCI to enact a budget cap?

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/racing/new-chinese-worldtour-team-will-bigger-budget-team-sky-according-ceo-396690

808 > NYC > PDX > YVR
2024 Races: Taupo
Quote Reply
Re: China-based potential world tour team to rival Sky's budget [hadukla] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
Interesting that they talk not just about winning the Tour by 2025, but having a Chinese winner by then. That seems a pretty big leap - people were sceptical when Sky announced their target of a British winner within 5 years (I think) but at least there were already a fair few British riders in the peloton including a proven top 10 GC guy (Wiggins), and a pipeline of talented young riders from the track team. China currently has one pro rider at the top level, and while they typically pick up a few medals in the big track championships it's mostly on the women's side and nothing like the success of the British team. Pretty difficult to see where a Tour contender is going to come from that quickly.

I can't see the UCI putting a salary cap in place, just doesn't seem a priority. And the way the sport is set up, the fallout when a team can't cover it's costs and has to shut down is pretty limited. I also think Sky may be less dominant in the next couple of years anyway - teams like LottoNL-Jumbo and Sunweb are figuring out how to attack them, Froome and Thomas are nearing the end of their careers and likely past their best, and Bernal plus other young riders like Geoghegan Hart are still a few years away from their prime. After picking up second places at the Giro, the Tour and the World Champs TT (plus a 4th in the road race), Dumoulin is surely going to put all his eggs in one basket next year and target the Tour.
Quote Reply
Re: China-based potential world tour team to rival Sky's budget [cartsman] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
But people said couch-to-400w couldn't be done in 2 years.

29 years and counting
Quote Reply
Re: China-based potential world tour team to rival Sky's budget [cartsman] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I trust China’s anti-doping I’m sure there won’t be shinanigans....
Quote Reply
Re: China-based potential world tour team to rival Sky's budget [hadukla] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
I can't wait for the cycling-themed luxury hotels.
Quote Reply
Re: China-based potential world tour team to rival Sky's budget [hadukla] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
we already have katusha with a budget not that far off sky-level, they win... very little, despite buying kittel, martin etc
it will be interesting to see how another big budget team goes. currently, aside from sky, there seems to be relatively little correlation between budget and success level, though its hard to say for sure given that most budgets are only vaguely known and success can be judged in so many different ways.
some analysis from a few years ago here

a chinese winner of anything in the short term, let alone TdF seems a pipe dream but everyone says things like that at launch
Quote Reply
Re: China-based potential world tour team to rival Sky's budget [Grant.Reuter] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
The biggest cheat ever, in cycling, was an American. The anti-doping agencies that were complicit to that were European + American. I don't think we should be throwing stones in the doping arena at the Chinese.

Perhaps you should have said you don't trust any anti-doping agency, period, instead of singling out the Chinese.



Grant.Reuter wrote:
I trust China’s anti-doping I’m sure there won’t be shinanigans....


__________________________________________________________________________
My marathon PR is "under three, high twos. I had a two hour and fifty-something."
Quote Reply
Re: China-based potential world tour team to rival Sky's budget [zoom] [ In reply to ]
Quote | Reply
zoom wrote:
The biggest cheat ever, in cycling, was an American. The anti-doping agencies that were complicit to that were European + American. I don't think we should be throwing stones in the doping arena at the Chinese.

Perhaps you should have said you don't trust any anti-doping agency, period, instead of singling out the Chinese.



Grant.Reuter wrote:
I trust China’s anti-doping I’m sure there won’t be shinanigans....

Well gosh, it’s almost like we were talking about China so instead of mentioning the US, EU or anti doping on the space station, I figured saying China made the most sense.
Quote Reply