Bonesbrigade wrote:
I'm trying to imagine what this would look like - I'm going to assume most 'elite' riders already belong to teams/clubs, but I suppose this isn't an exclusively 'elite' rider thing.
The other aspect is do you envision riders on the same team at the same races? Gravel racing hasn't traditionally been a team tactic thing, though I have seen my fair share of it - still kind of rare in my experience. Some folks think team tactics is the beginning of the end, but I definitely like this aspect and strategy riding with my teammates. The front group seems to understand team dynamics for sure based on the races I've done.
how this came up, a few people i know, pretty senior in cycling, are not on teams. kind of felt abandoned by their teams, by any teams, because their focus is in gravel racing and perhaps the odd gravel triathlon. typical USAC teams just haven't yet come to grips with the fact that road racing in the US is dead (it just doesn't yet know it's dead).
i don't really have a burning desire to start a team and, if i did, i certainly don't want to RUN a team. the only way i'd do this is if i, we, slowtwitch, is carried along by the current, rather than paddling against it. i gravel race. i'm not on a team. jordan's not on a team. paul thomas is not on a team. i think a lot of other high achiever road cyclists who've transitioned to gravel are finding it hard to fit comfortably on a team.
as for team tactics, etc., no, i don't see this as a purpose of the team. so, what is the team's purpose? good question. i don't want to be a team looking for a purpose. but i also don't think it's solely my job to gin up a purpose. maybe there are good reasons for a team to exist beyond what i might think up.
Dan Empfield
aka Slowman