Aug 09, 2018 at 12:12 AM
This article is total karma, the guy obviously has major mental health issues, so it's a bit wtf is next? But then I'm also...Jules said: Wow. Just wow.
In Print: Articles of Interest
Aug 09, 2018 at 11:02 AM
A great article at 'demystifying' lactate threshold and explaining the science behind the 80% (easy) / 20% (hard) 'polarized' training plan.
https://roadcyclinguk.com/how-to/fitness-nutrition/six-things-need-know-lactate-threshold/
https://roadcyclinguk.com/how-to/fitness-nutrition/six-things-need-know-lactate-threshold/
Aug 09, 2018 at 12:47 PM
Pretty good. Did you see Tim's article about 80/20s?JohnOlsson said:A great article at 'demystifying' lactate threshold and explaining the science behind the 80% (easy) / 20% (hard) 'polarized' training plan.
https://roadcyclinguk.com/how-to/fitness-nutrition/six-things-need-know-lactate-threshold/
https://www.pezcyclingnews.com/toolbox/polarized-training-simplified-for-cyclists/#.WyHiYC3Mwb1
Aug 13, 2018 at 03:20 PM
My sources tell me he was terrible at running the velodrome. Amazed he lasted this long.eloy said:Marty Nothstein and velodrome cut ties
http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-nws-pennsylvnania-marty-nothstein-velodrome-congress20180802-story.html
Aug 13, 2018 at 03:22 PM
That sounds about par for the course with politics.mugwump said:My sources tell me he was terrible at running the velodrome. Amazed he lasted this long.eloy said:Marty Nothstein and velodrome cut ties
http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-nws-pennsylvnania-marty-nothstein-velodrome-congress20180802-story.html
Aug 14, 2018 at 10:16 PM
End of an era: Jelly Belly will not sponsor pro team in 2019
Aug 15, 2018 at 03:23 AM
Saw that. Thought it was particularly painful given the "We usually get a two- or three-year deal from Jelly Belly and then all our other partners follow..."
"...we usually get a..." sounded a bit too... something. I sure hope they find as steady a sponsor to replace them.
"...we usually get a..." sounded a bit too... something. I sure hope they find as steady a sponsor to replace them.
Aug 15, 2018 at 11:17 AM
Fun science fact: Jelly Belly Jelly Beans contain TiO2 which may very well turn your belly into jelly.
Aug 15, 2018 at 12:46 PM
Started watching this last night'
Eat. Race. Win. 2018
Season 1 included with Prime
EAT. RACE. WIN. is a behind-the-scenes adventure into the biggest annual sporting event on the planet: The Tour de France. The Queen of Performance Cooking, Chef Hannah Grant, takes you on her race within the race as she sources performance food for Australia's pro cycling team, Orica-Scott. Hannah shows us exactly what it takes to perform at the edge of human endurance for 21 race days.
Aug 15, 2018 at 02:10 PM
Eat, Race Win is fun, but I have to say it seems to not know what it wants to be, the food and the racing seem to be VERY separate. Mostly because the riders are not asked anything about the food...and the insights of the chef don't really tell me much about why they choose particular menus, just specific ingredients, like Beef has B12 which is good for recovery, but so does kale and beans, but cooking a pot of beans is not as cinematic as grilling a giant steak.
it is fun, but misses so many opportunities to connect the two separate parts the the series.
Aug 15, 2018 at 02:23 PM
EVERYBODY HATES E-BIKES!
This at least doesn't take the one of the two general media POV of E-bikes:
A) They are all terrible and are the cause of the downfall of western civilization! (NYPost owns this one)
Behold the future for lazy baby boomers who will love e-bikes as their knees all turn to mush as they age! (Wired Magazine)They actually fill a important niche as transportation evolves and we get away from vehicular cycling as the primary MO of bike commuters.
The author does touch on the racial issues of the way the campaign against e-bikes by our current supposedly progressive mayor uses anecdotal nonsense ginned up by UES NIMBYs is really is hurting poor immigrants just trying to do their damn jobs, by confiscating millions of dollars of property from them, and slapping punitive fines.
Aug 15, 2018 at 04:33 PM
It may not be in France, but I think this is the first win in a relatively big UCI race by a guy with diabetes. Pretty cool stuff to me (guy with diabetes) at least!
https://www.eurosport.com/cycling/backspin-diabetes-a-superpower-not-a-death-sentence-for-novo-nordisk-plus-euros-utah-and-more_sto6887943/story.shtml
https://www.eurosport.com/cycling/backspin-diabetes-a-superpower-not-a-death-sentence-for-novo-nordisk-plus-euros-utah-and-more_sto6887943/story.shtml
Aug 16, 2018 at 03:43 PM
Is there a story behind both UHC and JB bowing out? Exactly 9 years later? Or is it just chance, or monkey see monkey do?
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/unitedhealthcare-set-to-fold-if-replacement-sponsor-not-found-by-august-30/
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/unitedhealthcare-set-to-fold-if-replacement-sponsor-not-found-by-august-30/
Aug 16, 2018 at 04:47 PM
It is road cycling slowly shifting, and well, hate to say it, dying.
This has been coming for a while. We have had this discussion before, while there are many factors, it is easy to draw the line, there is a direct connection between how unmarketable road cycling has become and Lance Armstrong. This is, in part, the expected fallout.
This has been coming for a while. We have had this discussion before, while there are many factors, it is easy to draw the line, there is a direct connection between how unmarketable road cycling has become and Lance Armstrong. This is, in part, the expected fallout.
Aug 16, 2018 at 04:52 PM
I think it's just chance.Jules said:Is there a story behind both UHC and JB bowing out? Exactly 9 years later? Or is it just chance, or monkey see monkey do?
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/unitedhealthcare-set-to-fold-if-replacement-sponsor-not-found-by-august-30/
Jelly Belly has been around for 19 years. I only recently learned that the only team director for JB, Danny Van Haute, was a pretty awful director vis a vis the riders. Maybe he was good to Jelly Belly management, maybe they got tired of him, or maybe they decided that they got the max return on cycling and it was time to move on.
With UHC and most of the domestic peloton, I've just about always been really disappointed in terms of how little they do to promote their sponsors to the cycling community. Maybe the exposure they get in terms of jerseys being seen at races is more than enough to justify the expenditure, but it has always struck me that the race fans like ourselves are an easy market to reach--a few videos, some ads, so we at least know why they're involved in the sport and understand what the companies do.
Aug 16, 2018 at 08:35 PM
JP
The entire sports sponsorship models all seem out of whack. if you look at English Premier League sponsors, most are not looking to reach a UK domestic audience, they're looking to reach audiences across Asia with sponsors based in Thailand, Hong Kong, UAE and the Philippines. This seems to be primarily ego inflation of the CEO, and secondarily meeting some ill defined marketing goal for brand awareness.
(Fun fact: most of the gambling sponsors of EPL teams have 88 in their name is because it is a lucky number in China).
Granted EPL is a global brand with TV audiences around the world, but how is a shirt sponsor for a Thai Airport Duty Free company not throwing away at least 80% of their spend since less than <20% of the people watching the game will ever pass through the Suvarnabhumi Airport (which is a shame because it is a *really* nice airport).
Getting back to cycling. Most of cycling sponsorship seems to be one of two things: super savvy endemic sponsorships to gain market share, (eg Garmin grew from nothing to the dominant player in cycling computer space while sponsoring Slipstream), or out of the blue non-endemic players with indeterminate stays. The latter seems to be companies like UHC, (who's the market for that product: HR/Benefits decision makers?) where the reason for sponsorship seems to be more of the CEO/CMO specific interest in the sport and willingness to spend marketing budget on personal fulfillment. As long as the decision maker gets some marketing stills to roll into the a PowerPoint presentation for employees or other stakeholders, some jerseys and signed photos of the CEO with the riders, they consider the money well spent.
Jelly Belly got a new CEO in 2015. Their prior CEO and current chairman is her dad, and he was the primary driver of the cycling sponsorship. She may be pushing the old guy's team out the door and changing how they view sponsorships. She is probably looking at marketing spend and commitments and has
decided the ROI is never going to be great in terms of growing awareness
of the brand.
Yes cycling teams could do more to help brand awareness of their sponsors, but to be honest I don't think bike racing has ever been a great marketing medium for non-endemic brands. Yes, representing the brand is the primary job of the team, but since the riders primary
job is to race bikes they can't do it, and 99% of the rest of the
staff's attention is dedicated to ensuring the riders can race bikes, so their is usually junior personnel who ends up trying to wrangle riders and staff to do brand awareness for ALL their sponsors, or more likely just the team because they end up having to support brand awareness for the team to reel in new sponsors to sustain the model.
TLDR: Thailand has nice airports & sports sponsorship can be a bad marketing investment if you look at objectively.
Aug 16, 2018 at 08:55 PM
I agree with some of that, Dan.
But sports sponsorship when it works, produces exposure that's well beyond any other marketing means. There are products that clearly connect with cycling or other sports (Motorola, T-Mobile, Sky, Once, Red bull) these are all organizations that benefited or benefit greatly from their relationship to cycling.
Agree, that currently in 2018, cycling, or road cycling teams, is not the best marketing investment.
JP is correct, in that this is a problem that is going to belong more and more to the cycling teams. That is, just like they have riders, teams will have to produce and market content that is meaningful and can be consumed where the eyes are (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc...)
There's also an important shift that has been happening for over a decade: content/marketing that features the lifestyle is more effective than featuring the win/conquest. I am surprised by how many are yet to make that shift, as it is so obvious. Those that feature lifestyle have and will continue to bubble up to the top.
(also, obvious, marketing the win incentivizes doping)
But sports sponsorship when it works, produces exposure that's well beyond any other marketing means. There are products that clearly connect with cycling or other sports (Motorola, T-Mobile, Sky, Once, Red bull) these are all organizations that benefited or benefit greatly from their relationship to cycling.
Agree, that currently in 2018, cycling, or road cycling teams, is not the best marketing investment.
JP is correct, in that this is a problem that is going to belong more and more to the cycling teams. That is, just like they have riders, teams will have to produce and market content that is meaningful and can be consumed where the eyes are (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc...)
There's also an important shift that has been happening for over a decade: content/marketing that features the lifestyle is more effective than featuring the win/conquest. I am surprised by how many are yet to make that shift, as it is so obvious. Those that feature lifestyle have and will continue to bubble up to the top.
(also, obvious, marketing the win incentivizes doping)
Aug 17, 2018 at 01:36 PM
@Dan Reiners
Good points.
However, I think the picture is both more complicated and sponsors should do a better job reaching out to those who are easy pickings. And, of course, not all efforts succeed.
I think UHC could have been around to help put a human face on the company as well as showcase their interest in good health. Showcase the healthy lifestyle to people on the street, to cyclists, and have cycling tied into their marketing materials and consumer-facing website. in many respects, I'm surprised more insurers aren't doing it. Though I guess they're aren't that many.
Likewise, considering how cheap domestic cycling teams are and how big ad budgets are for car companies and phone providers, the money might not be noticed other than by ad guys looking to stretch ad dollars or those looking to fund their own pet projects, and the lottery aspect of it paying off I used to think it, too, would be easy to get in on.
Turning a bit....
It's typical that Aevolo's sponsorship model and mission wasn't mentioned in the commentary on the live stream yesterday. It's a 501c3 with a mailing address in NYC (probably somebody's multi-million dollar loft in the west village) with a mission of developing U23 riders. Coincidentally, on my commute through Central Park yesterday, I saw a guy in an Aevolo kit riding around.
https://www.aevolocycling.org/about-1
Good points.
However, I think the picture is both more complicated and sponsors should do a better job reaching out to those who are easy pickings. And, of course, not all efforts succeed.
I think UHC could have been around to help put a human face on the company as well as showcase their interest in good health. Showcase the healthy lifestyle to people on the street, to cyclists, and have cycling tied into their marketing materials and consumer-facing website. in many respects, I'm surprised more insurers aren't doing it. Though I guess they're aren't that many.
Likewise, considering how cheap domestic cycling teams are and how big ad budgets are for car companies and phone providers, the money might not be noticed other than by ad guys looking to stretch ad dollars or those looking to fund their own pet projects, and the lottery aspect of it paying off I used to think it, too, would be easy to get in on.
Turning a bit....
It's typical that Aevolo's sponsorship model and mission wasn't mentioned in the commentary on the live stream yesterday. It's a 501c3 with a mailing address in NYC (probably somebody's multi-million dollar loft in the west village) with a mission of developing U23 riders. Coincidentally, on my commute through Central Park yesterday, I saw a guy in an Aevolo kit riding around.
https://www.aevolocycling.org/about-1
Aug 17, 2018 at 06:50 PM
I'd love to know if EF-Drapac's Lawson Craddock crashing and breaking his clavicle, then riding the entire Tour in 2018 resulted in more exposure for them than Rigoberto Uran getting second at the 2017 Tour. I'd bet it garnered more exposure than Uran's stage win.eloy said:I agree with some of that, Dan.
But sports sponsorship when it works, produces exposure that's well beyond any other marketing means. There are products that clearly connect with cycling or other sports (Motorola, T-Mobile, Sky, Once, Red bull) these are all organizations that benefited or benefit greatly from their relationship to cycling.
Agree, that currently in 2018, cycling, or road cycling teams, is not the best marketing investment.
JP is correct, in that this is a problem that is going to belong more and more to the cycling teams. That is, just like they have riders, teams will have to produce and market content that is meaningful and can be consumed where the eyes are (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc...)
There's also an important shift that has been happening for over a decade: content/marketing that features the lifestyle is more effective than featuring the win/conquest. I am surprised by how many are yet to make that shift, as it is so obvious. Those that feature lifestyle have and will continue to bubble up to the top.
Aug 17, 2018 at 08:06 PM
Depends on whether you're talking US or Colombian media exposure.
Also Craddock's thing was about getting donations for Houston, which had a couple media hooks: TdF, local man does good, hurricanes and crowdfunding.
Aug 17, 2018 at 08:53 PM
very hard to compare, but as a consumer of media of both English and Spanish speaking cycling, I can say that both were pretty huge.
In my very empirical viewpoint, Uran 2nd place got significantly more worldwide exposure than Craddock's crash and crowdfunding. Without a doubt Craddock got more US exposure.
They are both great at managing their own image and social media, but Uran is arguably better, he has created a pretty awesome mellow persona. Uran is also allowed much more sponsor leadway than almost any other pro in the UCI peloton. He promotes his own rides and fondo (which Froome is riding) and a most crazy amazing sharp gorigogo clothing line.
(that's Rigo w/ Colombian Mariana Gomez, who I believe raced cyclocross in the US a few seasons ago)
In my very empirical viewpoint, Uran 2nd place got significantly more worldwide exposure than Craddock's crash and crowdfunding. Without a doubt Craddock got more US exposure.
They are both great at managing their own image and social media, but Uran is arguably better, he has created a pretty awesome mellow persona. Uran is also allowed much more sponsor leadway than almost any other pro in the UCI peloton. He promotes his own rides and fondo (which Froome is riding) and a most crazy amazing sharp gorigogo clothing line.
(that's Rigo w/ Colombian Mariana Gomez, who I believe raced cyclocross in the US a few seasons ago)
Aug 22, 2018 at 01:18 PM
Looks like Nothstein is going to have some trouble in his bid for congress.
https://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2018/08/20/nothstein-calls-sexual-misconduct-reports-’smears-election-approaches
https://www.bicycleretailer.com/industry-news/2018/08/20/nothstein-calls-sexual-misconduct-reports-’smears-election-approaches
Aug 22, 2018 at 01:30 PM
This is why refs are looking for missing handlebar plugs at races. It may seem small and insignificant but it could save a life.
If you're at a race and missing a handlebar end, I usually have a spare one in my magic peanut butter jar.
Aug 22, 2018 at 08:04 PM
Well that is both horribly tragic and a good explanation why those damn grips are so difficult to get off.
Aug 29, 2018 at 10:20 PM
Surprised this hasn't gotten mentioned yet.
https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2018/08/27/a-single-car-is-ruining-the-citys-brand-new-ninth-street-bike-lane/#comments
Turns out the culprit is the editor in chief of Women's Health magazine.
http://gothamist.com/2018/08/28/park_slope_bike_lane_blocker.php
Or maybe it's really the city, for not towing cars that are blocking the implementation of the lanes.
https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2018/08/27/a-single-car-is-ruining-the-citys-brand-new-ninth-street-bike-lane/#comments
Turns out the culprit is the editor in chief of Women's Health magazine.
http://gothamist.com/2018/08/28/park_slope_bike_lane_blocker.php
Or maybe it's really the city, for not towing cars that are blocking the implementation of the lanes.
Aug 30, 2018 at 12:46 AM
How probable is it that the city didn't tow the car when they're implementing the bike lane? I feel like it would have been towed if it was in the way of city crews. Probably the only time too that a car would be towed in a bike lane.
Sep 07, 2018 at 04:20 PM
Sep 13, 2018 at 10:11 PM
Vittoria Bussi broke the hour record today. So much fire!
https://www.velonews.com/2018/09/news/vittoria-bussi-breaks-evelyn-stevenss-hour-record_478746
BTW she is sponsored by Giant/Liv. Just like you.
https://www.velonews.com/2018/09/news/vittoria-bussi-breaks-evelyn-stevenss-hour-record_478746
BTW she is sponsored by Giant/Liv. Just like you.
Sep 18, 2018 at 12:23 PM
128ft/revolution, 184mph. Damn yo.
https://www.bicycling.com/news/a23281242/denise-mueller-korenek-breaks-bicycle-speed-record/
https://www.bicycling.com/news/a23281242/denise-mueller-korenek-breaks-bicycle-speed-record/
Sep 18, 2018 at 02:28 PM
That's insane.David Yang said:128ft/revolution, 184mph. Damn yo.
https://www.bicycling.com/news/a23281242/denise-mueller-korenek-breaks-bicycle-speed-record/