carleton

Looks like things are getting started:

https://worldcyclingleague.com/teams-landing/

WCL rosters:

California Wave:
John E. Walsh, Manager
Andreas Mueller
Zane Torre
Missy Erickson
Zach Kovalcik
Nate Koch
Korina Huizar
Alissa Maglaty

Colorado Cyclones:
Peter Maharaj, Manager
Giddeon Massie
Dana Feiss
Justin Williams
Kate Wilson
Patrick Jones
Christina Birch
Dean Hass

Connecticut Nor’Easters:
Tim Roach, Manager
Matthew Rotherham
Anissa Cobb
Patrick Kos
Tela Crane
Matt Gittings
Sera Ferrara
Luke Momper

Dublin Thunder: (IRELAND)
Hugh Byrne, Manager
Eamonn Byrne
Con Collis
Fintan Ryan
Eoin Morton
Eimear Moran
Lydia Gurley
Susie Mitchel

Pennsylvania Lightning:
Gil Hatton, Manager
Kwesi Browne
Stephen Hall
Michael Chauner
Tyler Nothstein
Anita Yvonne Stenberg
Colleen Gulick
Charline Joiner

Mexico Heat: (MEXICO)
Omar Lozano, Manager
Guy East
Daniela Gaxiola
Roberto Serrano
Antonieta Gaxiola
Ignacio Sarabio
Teresa Casas
Ignacio Prado

First Event: March 18-19, 2016 Velo Center, Carson CA


There's even talk of live telemetry!!
https://velonews.competitor.com/2016/...nounced_395687


This is really exciting! If you folks would like for stuff like this to continue and grow, please support this and help it get off to a great start.

TrackMonkey7

I hope this goes really well! I'm very excited for Chris Birch in particular, she raced at the NH track back in her collegiate days and was easily one of the strongest riders there.

And how do I get a spot on the Connecticut team?

dunderhi

I'll be rooting for Gibby's Pennsylvania Lightning.

queerpunk

I'm a little bit conflicted.

On one hand, organizers that are committed to really trying to make competition that takes a step up in funding and as an entertainment opportunity - that's great.

I'm a little bit suspicious of funding for 'offshoot' competition - this Trak format isn't exactly going to become a World Cup event. On the flip side, it's track racing, and these fall into the same category as six-days. Somebody racing endurance events in these can race any other type of endurance event.

I'm also slightly suspicious if the fairly generous stipends for riders are based on the "buy tickets and enter my rider code when you do" thing that i've seen going around facebook from everybody on that list. I spend a long time in bands where you were paid based on the number of YOUR people you brought in the door - and that's a sucky, sucky model.

Despite my reservations, I'll definitely watch this (they'll livestream it, right? i hope?) - even if I'm a little bit sour-grapey about them not selecting my application. But based on the riders they DID choose, that's okay - i'd definitely be in the scrub zone!

carleton

OK, please explain what's going on here? I'm not on FB anymore.

Trackliche

Before anyone asks,

A scrub is a guy that thinks he's flyin'
And is also known as a buster
Always talkin' 'bout what he wants
And just sits on his broke ass

queerpunk just needs a little TLC.

carleton

queerpunk

The athletes are encouraging people to buy tickets. That's good! They are asking people to buy tickets with a promotional code that is linked to each individual athlete - maybe the buyer gets a discount. That's also good! Or fine! But it also sounds like perhaps the athletes get a cut of whoever buys tickets with their promotional code. Which is a double-edged sword. It can be good for the athlete, but it can also be a sort of cheap way for a promoter to force the athlete (or band) do to the promotion.

I'm not saying that's what's happening here, but I've seen that approach abused way too often in the music scene. Promoters call themselves promoters, but really they just book shows, and force bands to do the promotion - it's a pointless machine that doesn't expose anybody to any new audiences.

hahahahaha - thank you!

carleton

If that's the case, then that kinda sucks. I hope that's not the model. Maybe it's some sort of cheeky prize for the person who gets the most people to come and their pay isn't tied to it.

queerpunk

yeah, i mean, i don't THINK that the pay is tied to it - the application process said pretty clearly that there was a stipend for the March race weekend, and that accommodations will be provided.

but we'll see. I hope WCL is successful and that everything is good for the athletes, good entertainment, and good for the sport as a whole.

Co1Ev

I've played/attended far too many shows where the promotor just sat on the door taking a cut of the tickets and expected everyone else to do their job for them - it's a shame that such a business model is finding it's way into the sporting world (unless of course I'm completely oblivious, but this is the first instance I've really heard of it happening).

This whole 'pay to play' idea has already gone ways towards killing one industry, I hope it doesn't go on to affect any others.

carleton

Let's not condemn WCL if we aren't sure this is happening. It may not. It could simply be something like a bonus for the athlete who brings in the most fans or a big product prize from the sponsors.

Co1Ev

It does seem a bit suspect and maybe I'm just being a little pessimistic, but I'd be more than happy to be proven wrong!

Trackliche

For sure. On a positive note, it looks like these riders are finding a way to monetize their otherwise notoriously-underfunded sport. It's a tough go for trackies in the U.S. I know a few events will pay out some promo fees to national stars for showing up/making the racing exciting, but those opportunities are few and far between (big shout out to the guys at Burnaby for using this model, BTW. Super exciting to see some big names show to their four-day events, and it's always a blast watching Kovalchik [sp?] race).
It seems like that most of these WCL racers are track-oriented. IOW, it looks like most of them aren't semi-pro road guys that are doing track to fool around. Hopefully by getting bon-fide trackies and giving them a little money to race, WCL is keeping their riders around for a little while.

TC

Crazybikerdude

Sadly I have an event at work during the March race, otherwise I would have loved to go.
Is the WCL offering online viewing via subscription? If so, I will gladly give them my money.

SprintzNKiloz

I feel like they could use this to support track racing at other tracks so I hope this blossoms and they do the occasional race at tracks around the country. Would be nice to see our local guy and part time moto driver do his thing without having to find my way to LA.

queerpunk

Luke?

carleton

SprintzNKiloz

Ha. Matt Gittings.

queerpunk

oh right - i forgot he's from there too. he's fast.

MarkWW

Looks like there's another future of track cycling: speedtrak!

SpeedTrak World Launch at Mattamy National Cycling Centre ? Feb 23*|*Pedal Magazine

TrackMonkey7

It kind of boggles my mind that anything needs to be done to track cycling to make it more popular to watch other than televise the crap out of it, and how a multi-day stage race like the TdF can get so much coverage and at least people have heard of it. Three weeks of skinny Europeans making pain faces up the side of an Alp for three hours is somehow more popular than sprints every five laps, lapping fields, 45 MPH sprints and razor-thin victories. And how is this Speedtrak thing now a game? Just because there's telemetry on a big screen? *grumble*

/rant

MarkWW

Is a new fan-friendly track cycling event stolen goods? - Canadian Cycling Magazine