Impact..
Is cycling destined to remain on the sidelines of American sporting?
By: Josh Wagner.
Two out of 22 teams starting this year’s Tour de France are American sponsored teams. Each team brings 8 riders for a total of 176 riders competing. One would logically conclude that at least a handful of those riders would be American, right? The answer, sadly, is no. Americans represent 1.7% (just 3) of the total riders. Of the two teams with American Sponsors, EF Pro Cycling and Trek-Segafredo, only EF Pro Cycling is bringing any American riders. Our third American, Sepp Kuss, is on Dutch superpower Jumbo-Visma.
What gives? Probably the largest contributor to the lack of American participation in the Tour stems from the lack of Americans who know and/or care about the sport of cycling. Having a large populace who cares about a sport encourages sponsors who want to reach those people and therefore brings money to develop young talent and allows them to be competitive at a World-Tour (the equivalent of the Major League) level.
I could drop in all kinds of statistics here comparing professional American sport revenue to cycling, but the most anecdotal and effective comparison I can think of is simply asking any American to name one professional cyclist currently competing -doesn’t even have to be an American. More often than not, this question will be met with blank stares or replies of, ‘Is Lance still racing?’.
Is cycling destined to remain on the sidelines of American sporting? Unfortunately, I think the answer is, for the foreseeable future, yes. Convince me I’m wrong.
Jumbo-Visma
Sepp Kuss
Age: 25
Speciality: superdomestique, climber
Notable wins:
GC The Larry H.Miller Tour of Utah ('18)
Stage La Vuelta ciclista a España ('19)
Stage The Larry H.Miller Tour of Utah ('18)
Stage Critérium du Dauphiné ('20)
2nd GC Tour of Alberta ('17)
6th GC Colorado Classic ('17)
10th GC Critérium du Dauphiné ('20)
5th Japan Cup Cycle Road Race ('19)
8th GC Tour de La Provence ('20)
9th GC The Larry H.Miller Tour of Utah ('17)
EF Pro Cycling
Tejay Van Garderen
Age: 32
Speciality: superdomestique, TT,
Notable wins:
2x GC USA Pro Challenge ('14, '13)
GC Amgen Tour of California ('13)
4x Stage USA Pro Cycling Challenge ('14, '13, '12)
2x Stage Volta Ciclista a Catalunya ('15, '14)
Stage Giro d'Italia ('17)
2x 2nd GC Critérium du Dauphiné ('19, '15)
2x 5th GC Tour de France ('14, '12)
2x Stage Amgen Tour of California ('18, '13)
2nd GC Amgen Tour of California ('18)
Stage Tour de Suisse ('16)
EF Pro Cycling
Neilson Powless
Age: 23
Speciality: superdomestique, climber
Notable wins:
GC Joe Martin Stage Race p/b Nature Valley ('16)
4th GC The Larry H.Miller Tour of Utah ('17)
G.P. Palio del Recioto ('17)
2nd Stage Tour de Pologne ('19)
7th GC Volta ao Algarve em Bicicleta ('19)
7th GC Ovo Energy Tour of Britain ('18)
4th GC Jayco Herald Sun Tour ('20)
9th GC Amgen Tour of California ('16)
7th Japan Cup Cycle Road Race ('19)
2nd Stage The Larry H.Miller Tour of Utah ('18)