My name is Maciek and it's the 3. term I am posting on this blog. As always, my posts will concern my passion: cycling. This time, I will focus on the influence of technology advancement on sport results.
It is not a surprise for me, that for most people watching road cycling on TV is extremely boring (except crashes) and the only valuable thing there, is the landscape they pass - as the race is supposed to be country promotion. Just check this promotional movie for Tour de France (it was really great in IMAX - makes you want to visit France):
For some years now, watching whole race became boring for nearly everyone. In my opinion it was caused mainly by introducing radio communication between cyclists and their staff. It killed all the spontaneous runaways. There is no point in trying to overtake the group, as it knows exactly how fast to ride, to get the leader just before the finish line. It made most of the races look the same - cyclists ride in pelethon together and seconds before finish, supported by team-mates, they sprint. The essence of this strange situation was presented on the last TdF where TV presented information: "The pelethon will overtake the leader in X seconds". It is like watching football game, when you know, it will finish with penalties. If you saw this year's Tour de Pologne in Warsaw, there was similar situation: two cyclists had a big advantage before the rest for 7 of 8 rounds, and on the last one they got caught up.
Dear UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale), please get rid of it, as it was before, or all the races will end like this:
I realize that it is probably impossible. Nowadays cyclists became more important than people who watch the competition. Everything is made for their security and to improve the results (riding in big group is way faster and more comfortable than solo). I will explain this in the next post, which I hope will be more interesting, because of the great videos i prepared. However I would really like information, cyclists receive, to be limited somehow.
I can't totally agree with you. Other technical advances are making competition more boring and unfair than that the some information that a intelligent cyclist can infer on his own. What is more the advances I'm talking about like improvements suspencion and breaking continously make biking safer, easier and more comfortable. Furthermore it is in the field of materials science where the real impact is felt. Such gains of materials are incomparably more important than other aspects of the problem.
ReplyDeleteIm not really interested in cycling (let's say not much enough to watch it in tv), so my knowledge of it is quite small. But I noticed that cycling nowadays have a lot in common with Formula 1 - technology and team strategy is more important than muscle power and skills of competitors.
ReplyDeleteMaybe that's the unavoidable future of that kind of sport disciplines?
Heh, I've never been thinking why these competitions are actually boring. I can only remember that as a child I really enjoyed them. Maybe you're right. Maybe use of technology in this way really kills the spirit of competition thus killing the whole joy of watching it.. Comparing to other sports such use of technology seems to be ridiculous. What's the point in watching something which is almost totally predictable ? Hope, the UCI will manage this problem or at least notice it.
ReplyDeleteI probably won't stand out by saying that I don't enjoy watching cycling on tele. However, I'm quite sure I would enjoy watching the rivalry live at France, or Spain, or even Poland.
ReplyDeleteMaciek is right that cycling has changed since it's beginnings although I find it hard to believe that there is a sport competition that did not. Maybe snooker? I'm not saying I agree with most of the changes in sports, I sometimes find them inevitable.
Cheers,
Michal
Im totally not interested in cycling, but my brother loves it. However, I think that cyclists jeopardise the safety of polish roads. They are invisible for many drivers and for that reason give rise to number of deadly accidents. They should stay at home with their bikes and don't threaten the drivers. Especially they have some special events as Masa. The rest time belongs to the drivers including me =)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Katarzyna. There is some kind of connection between nowadays cycling and Formula-1. Technology, very advanced calculations and trying to break another limits it is really impressive. Im not sure is it alright to call it sport discipline rather than technology race.
ReplyDeleteEven though cycling is a very popular sport wchich has many supporers like yourself, I have never found it interesting enough. I'm a tennis fan, can't blame me :)
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the technology advancement, it is quite sad what you are saying. You sound like a big fan of cycling, yet for some time you find it boring to watch. There has to be something wrong with the way it develops then. However, some changes cannot be avoided, as cycling is one big business for the companies supporting and sponsoring it - therefore the competition needs to provide some new concepts and technological innovations just to keep the viewers excited. I too don't fully support it and I agree that it kills the spirit of the sport.
Still I think advancements are just inevitable and in fact have already happened in most sports I follow - g.e. slow motion, graphical ball trajectory, showing exact spot where the ball landed.
Next time I'll see a cycling competition on tele, I'll check out those technological innovations myself.
I think that popularity of "Professional Cycling" is not wery big... , but "Cyciling Trips" nowadays is largely due to the fact that trails run through forests, mountains, along various water- ways and roads with flat grades and little car traffic. Cyclists can profit from all sorts of visitor's facilities, including hostels, mountain huts, rural accommodations, hotels, and bike hire from special rental centres..
ReplyDeleteI've never interested Cycling before.
ReplyDeleteI know that this sport is very good for our health.
Professional Cycling is everlasting fight with your own limitation.
When your body says stop but your hurt doesn't want to.I understand people who are like it but I'm not fun of this sport discipline.
While I enjoy cycling myself, I'm far from doing it professionally, or even regularly, but each summer I try to have a few cycling trips with friends or by myself.
ReplyDeleteWhen it comes to watching the cycling runs though, I find them rather boring and too long...