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Date Posted: 14:44:15 09/02/04 Thu
Author: JOJATK
Subject: You folks do understand that...
In reply to: perseguidor 's message, "Re: ToB vs. TdG coverage" on 13:59:31 09/02/04 Thu

>
>Hear, Hear. The T<b>de</b>G name just makes me cringe
>with embarassment. It's not really anything to do with
>it being american but more an immature, jokey, even
>rustic type name that be OK for a genuinely local
>event but not for one on the UCI calendar. I think
>that kind of name would be (and probably is) possibly
>in any english speaking country but it's embarassing
>on a "real" event.

Everything done in the US, for the most part, regarding road cycling is to garner interest in the sport from the NON-fanatics, right? The people who put these events on do it in order to get people who aren't already cycling fans interested in the sport, not to interest the people who will go to the event and patronize the sponsors already.

So with that in mind, and that's who these events are marketed to in the US, what's an easy way to get people in the US to understand that the thing you're putting on is a bike race and not something else? Identify it easily with something they already know. And when you say Tour de France in this country most people know it is a bicycle race. When you say Giro d'Italia or Vuelta a Espana most people here have no clue what you are talking about. In fact if you said Tour OF Georgia most people would have no clue that it is a bicycle race.

But if you say Tour "de" Georgia, even as subtle a clue as that is, then more people will understand, just from the name itself, that it is a bicycle race. The idea is that you want the name of the event to be such that people know what it is just from the name. Is it kitchy and silly? Probably. But guess what. Everyone in Georgia knew that the Tour DE Georgia was a bicycle race, even the ones who didn't give a rat's patoot about bicycle racing. And it has raised the level of interest in the sport quite a bit.

No question that this year Lance had more to do with that than anything else. But last year everyone I spoke with knew what the Tour de Georgia was and Lance wasn't in it then.

So if it makes you feel big to be embarrased by the name then that's fine. But understand that it is things like that that get companies like OLN to broadcast what little they do, not the rabid interest of the meager few folks who are already huge fans of the sport. They are marketing to the masses. If they weren't then the Vuelta would still be getting televised. But it isn't, and that's because there aren't more things in the US to get the viewing public interested in the sport. There needs to be MORE races like the Tour de Georgia in this country and if naming it something silly like Tour de Texas is what it takes to get others interested and get the Vuelta televised then I'll take that little wince I got when I heard the name gladly in return as payment for getting what I want, which is more coverage and interest in the sport.

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Replies:

  • Re: ToB vs. TdG coverage -- TT, 14:46:52 09/02/04 Thu
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