Oleg Tinkov €1m Grand Tour challenge

topcat77

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/cycling/29543397

What do we think about this? Is this something cycling needs?

Inquitus

topcat77 wrote: »

http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/cycling/29543397

What do we think about this? Is this something cycling needs?

It would be awesome. You'd have to think it would open up the Tour, and even more so the Vuelta, to other riders as well, given how hard it would be on the best 4 riders in the world to ride 3 GT's back to back.

Lumen

The likely result is that each targets a different GT and they divide the spoils.

€335k bonus for turning up to two races. Thanks Oleg!

lennymc

i think it's great. How many times have people wondered what would happen on a GT if x rider was there. At least now there is an incentive.

neris

Its what cycling needs all the big guys in the 3 major races not just all turning up to do the TDF as it the most prestigous/historic etc.

omri

Let's hope mr Tinkoff has time to run his company (make a hefty profit and continue the sponsorship) as it seems he's spending more time with the riders..

MPFG

I must be th only one that thinks its a terrible proposal....
These riders and their team would need to race 3 3 week Tours.....can you imagine how the rest of the calendar will look Also the strain and potential pressure on riders including doms , not to mention the possibility of injury

And not sure it will answer the question "who is the best overall" as stamina may come to the fore where as climbing ability may be key if just one Tour...its a different set of criteria

Puts cyclists under so much more pressure in a very tough and unforgiving sport as it is ...more potential for burn out, etc

Oleg Tinkov seems to me to have no respect for the difficulty of the sport and is looking for spectacle ......One million is nothing to him (as he constantly reminds us) but I doubt it will sway riders (if they have any sense)....

gordongekko

MPFG wrote: »

I must be th only one that thinks its a terrible proposal....
These riders and their team would need to race 3 3 week Tours.....can you imagine how the rest of the calendar will look Also the strain and potential pressure on riders including doms , not to mention the possibility of injury

And not sure it will answer the question "who is the best overall" as stamina may come to the fore where as climbing ability may be key if just one Tour...its a different set of criteria

Puts cyclists under so much more pressure in a very tough and unforgiving sport as it is ...more potential for burn out, etc

Oleg Tinkov seems to me to have no respect for the difficulty of the sport and is looking for spectacle ......One million is nothing to him (as he constantly reminds us) but I doubt it will sway riders (if they have any sense)....

Ya I think it's just you.

topcat77

I don't think the riders will have much choice.

I think Dave Brailsford will not take the bait. he's more interested in the big team picture as will other sporting directors.

simonrooneyzaga

MPFG wrote: »

I must be th only one that thinks its a terrible proposal....
These riders and their team would need to race 3 3 week Tours.....can you imagine how the rest of the calendar will look Also the strain and potential pressure on riders including doms , not to mention the possibility of injury

And not sure it will answer the question "who is the best overall" as stamina may come to the fore where as climbing ability may be key if just one Tour...its a different set of criteria

Puts cyclists under so much more pressure in a very tough and unforgiving sport as it is ...more potential for burn out, etc

Oleg Tinkov seems to me to have no respect for the difficulty of the sport and is looking for spectacle ......One million is nothing to him (as he constantly reminds us) but I doubt it will sway riders (if they have any sense)....

Fully agree with this so its not just you MPFG.

MPFG

simonrooneyzaga wrote: »

Fully agree with this so its not just you MPFG.

Thnk You Simonrooneyzaga .....Its good not the be alone

topcat77

Does this mean Alberto Contador will be doing all 3? feel a little sorry for him even though i don't like the rider.

gordongekko

It will make for better racing. If the top tier cyclists can't just peak for one race there will be chances for second tier cyclists to decide to just peak for one race and possibly make the breakthrough.

However I would want tinkov to pay the cash upfront before I'd take the bait :-)

MPFG

topcat77 wrote: »

Does this mean Alberto Contador will be doing all 3? feel a little sorry for him even though i don't like the rider.

He is doing 2 Giro/Tour as it is .....and hoping to win both

simonrooneyzaga

MPFG wrote: »

Thnk You Simonrooneyzaga .....Its good not the be alone

Adam Hansen is one man who regularly competes in all 3 GT's in the same season. There have been around 30 in history who have done it. It's rare for a reason. Seriously impressive feat but you're not going to compete at the GC level taking all that on.

You'd want to have some seriously strong Jungle Juice in your water bottle to have a shot.

As Shane Stokes suggested, perhaps Oleg would be better off donating his 1 million to the anti doping effort!

MPFG

gordongekko wrote: »

It will make for better racing. If the top tier cyclists can't just peak for one race there will be chances for second tier cyclists to decide to just peak for one race and possibly make the breakthrough.

However I would want tinkov to pay the cash upfront before I'd take the bait :-)

Except alot of second tier riders will be riding domestique role (Aru, Valverde, Majka, Porte, Martin,etc)
and if possible it would be the final Tour surely ...so it would only be a race for top 4 in first 2 GTs then ???

Lusk_Doyle

MPFG wrote: »

Except alot of second tier riders will be riding domestique role (Aru, Valverde, Majka, Porte, Martin,etc)
and if possible it would be the final Tour surely ...so it would only be a race for top 4 in first 2 GTs then ???

How is that different from the way it is now?

Mefistofelino

simonrooneyzaga wrote: »

Adam Hansen is one man who regularly competes in all 3 GT's in the same season.

h t t p s://twitter.com/HansenAdam/status/519430224149483520

(cos I can't post proper links yet)

MPFG

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

How is that different from the way it is now?

??

Because now the top cyclists do not race all 3 GTs so the 2nd tier gets a chance as leader in at least one

Tinkov's proposal wants the top 4 to race all 3 GTs not just turn up or otherwise that defeats the purpose ??

Junior

Look lets be honest, we all know what happened last time round there was a Million put up for three races.. and look where that led us.

outfox

1 million. Hmmmmm. Maybe I'll give it go myself.

pelevin

I think the 3 GTs thing of going for victory in each is too much on the riders - & heads sharply in the direction of what riders would have to do to be able to cope - but I think particularly a Giro Tour shootout between the big guns is a very attractive idea, & I think very good for cycling in helping de-centralise pro-cycling away from excessive TdF focus.

Otoh in relation to Stokes's request for Tinkov to give a million to anti-doping, I think that's a fairly cheap shot in itself. Giving Tinkov the benefit of the doubt in that he is not essentially & knowingly making 'extra-curricular' activities necessary to riders in this 3 GT notion, he is still putting his money where his mouth is in funding a team to start with, & he is doing this for pleasure, as with the 3GT idea. Bit rich & easy for someone else to self-righteously tell him he should put a million instead into anti-doping. Well Shane, why don't you put lets say, five thousand into anti-doping? Maybe Shane is for all I know, but it's not my place to make the suggestion. Easy to tell someone else what to do with their money.

gordongekko

MPFG wrote: »

Except alot of second tier riders will be riding domestique role (Aru, Valverde, Majka, Porte, Martin,etc)
and if possible it would be the final Tour surely ...so it would only be a race for top 4 in first 2 GTs then ???

Martin for instance would probably ride domestique for giro skip the tour and lead the vuelta. If the top lads were riding all three he'd have a great chance in the vuelta.

godtabh

Didnt Condator say recently he wanted to win all 3 Grand Tours in one season? HE was in good form for the tour, better form in Spanin (given his crash). Same as Froom.

I reckon it could be done but given its Tinkoff I'd take what his offering with a pinch of salt. Dindt he promise some a Porsche? How did that work?

MPFG

gordongekko wrote: »

Martin for instance would probably ride domestique for giro skip the tour and lead the vuelta. If the top lads were riding all three he'd have a great chance in the vuelta.

Ah but that demonstrates my point

The top 4 will/may not be competitive in the last Tour if a second tier rider is fresh ( a tactic for a 2nd tier rider to employ as you suggest) so it does not (may not) demonstrate the best climbers in all 3 GTs at full power so then detracts from the "top 4" competition because the criteria change and thus then becomes a race between top 4 in first 2 GTs or a race of stamina across 3 GTs, etc


If on the otherhand the top 4 do 'race' all 3 to win as Tinkoff wants it pushes the 2nd tier riders out of competition ...well at least those in the same team as the top 4

It also recks havoc with the other races as the big teams will have to have the best Doms in the 3 GTs so they will not be competitive in other races

And finally if it becomes the norm it makes the stronger richer teams more competitive as they will concentrate alot more of the best riders (as is happening) as teams will need alot of the best ...

MPFG

However I do understand the wish of fans to see the top riders go head to head thru the year

This can be done by nominating a selection of (current) races as a league that the top must ride to be in the competition ...and the winner of this competition gets the million

Say Catulunya, Dauphaine, Tour ,etc..(.maybe any one of the Vuelata/Giro)

Lusk_Doyle

MPFG wrote: »

??

Because now the top cyclists do not race all 3 GTs so the 2nd tier gets a chance as leader in at least one

Tinkov's proposal wants the top 4 to race all 3 GTs not just turn up or otherwise that defeats the purpose ??

Sorry, I misread your post.

MPFG

Lusk_Doyle wrote: »

Sorry, I misread your post.

No problem...guess this kind of proposal opens the debate on which way cycling should go

Like the Premiership with a few teams concentrating all the top players or should policy try to ensure a more even distribution of resourses, ie top riders

I know money talks but policy can try and spread the field...

quozl

Is there not talk of introducing salary caps to teams along the lines of those applying to NFL franchises?

Or was that just Carlton Kirby pie-in-the-skying on me?

Lusk_Doyle

quozl wrote: »

Is there not talk of introducing salary caps to teams along the lines of those applying to NFL franchises?

Or was that just Carlton Kirby pie-in-the-skying on me?

Do you reckon the riders would lose the publicity battle if they behaved the same way that the NHL players did when they brought in caps?

slap/dash

Feck the gt. Monuments all the way

topcat77

Spring classics are amazing to watch. just love them.

NeedMoreGears

MPFG wrote: »

Oleg Tinkov seems to me to have no respect for the difficulty of the sport and is looking for spectacle

Once a sport becomes professional it's emphasis shifts ,substantially in my view, towards entertainment and unfortunately participants and their exploits become goods to be consumed. For me the extreme example is professional soccer. Not only are the games consumed, but so are the players' private lives and those of their families. Respect for all sorts of things can often move well down the list of priorities. All a bit sad really and I'd hate to see cycling go too far down that route.

MPFG wrote: »

One million is nothing to him (as he constantly reminds us) but I doubt it will sway riders (if they have any sense)....

I was wondering is a million all that much money when divided across the domestiques and whoever else gets a share? I suspect not. The other drawback is the emphasis on the 3 big GTs. If a million is enough (I doubt it), then four teams effectively have a three race nine week season. The rest get to fight it out for the minor tours and monuments. Brailsford's decription of the proposal as intriguing is pretty accurate.

PS - MPFG I hope you don't me quoting bits of your post. It just prompted some thoughts in me

MPFG

NeedMoreGears wrote: »

.

PS - MPFG I hope you don't me quoting bits of your post. It just prompted some thoughts in me

I welcome your thoughts ...which luckily coincide with mine

Reading between the lines I think Brailsford , et al are being polite about Tinkov's proposal

It is a pity in some ways for cycling that Tour de France gets all the attention...would love to see more made of the Monuments ( to attract new fans)

Also GT riders like Contador & Froome are brillaint but so are riders like Cancellera , Kittel, D Martin, A. Hansen.......its just their brilliance is different and means that they cannot win the Tour ( let alone 3 GTs)

REBELSAFC

MPFG wrote: »

It is a pity in some ways for cycling that Tour de France gets all the attention...would love to see more made of the Monuments ( to attract new fans)

Maybe the answer is in the marketing of these events....maybe a UCI World Cup.
Possibly a bit like the Golden/Diamond League in athletics.

MPFG

Vincenzo has spoken :

Nibali: Tinkov should use €1million to create a development team. And tells @tuttobiciweb_it 3 GT challenge "isn't human, at least for me."

Nibali: "It's about goals, plans, lifestyle choices, not just money. We already neglect our families to race & spend long periods at camps."

TheBlaaMan

I see from various discussions of this subject online that Tinkov apparently didnt honour his promise of an Aston Martin to Majka after his second stage win in the Tour, commenting that he was only 'joking' about the offer .......Is that the case? It seems like a very poor joke and would put others on guard for what might come off this latest ' offer '.....