Grumpy McTrumpy

Forces everyone to take drugs to level the playing field?

Is that really what people believe? At a GF?

globecanvas

Whenever I hear this phrase I imagine that there is a playing field that is lumpy because of drugs lying all over it and the game can't be played until everybody picks up the drugs and takes them in order to make the field level.

Ygduf

GFs are basically races at this point.

"forces" is a poor word choice. I think he means it more like "allows people to justify it to themselves..."

TheKillerPenguin

At SUNY New Paltz the field they used for Ultimate Frisbee was pretty lumpy, and your explanation would explain why they were all smoking weed like all the time...

rubiksoval

I don't even understand how people think a GF is even a race. And an out of competition test? WTF?

This is all just so amusing to me.

rubiksoval

Are they, though?

The headline for the gfny site is:

"BE A PRO FOR A DAY"

That's... well, that's not bike racing.

It's making money off appealing to massive delusions of grandeur.

Edited to add: 229 bucks + 11.25 processing fees for a 50 or 100 mile route! HAAA. Gran fondos are vying to become a hobby jogging marathon equivalent. If they can figure out an mdot tattoo or the like maybe then they can start jacking the price up to 600-700 dollars like the tripeople.

TheKillerPenguin

GFNY does get "raced" by many of the elites in my area. The pointy end is fast, and there is perceived prestige to doing well there, even if it's mostly bragging rights.

The $$$ cost is what has kept me away for sure, that's like most of a stage race entry, or like 30+ chipotle burritos.

Ygduf

https://gfny.com/results/

you do a thing and they keep track of who wins. that's a race.

hubcyclist

I've been eyeballing a few granfondos in Portugal, notably this one Gerês Granfondo since it's near by parents' hometown. Looks like they only cost like 35 euros to ride and from videos I've seen it looks like it's done on closed roads and is well supported Not sure if I'd try to approach it like a race, it's over 10k feet of climbing, that may kill me lol

globecanvas

Something like 3500 people participated in GFNY this year. It's like a top tier road race with 3400 other people behind them playing "pro for a day" on the same course. I think that's basically the business model, an elite race funded by hundreds of participant-trophy types. The top 10 this year was entirely euro pros and fast cat 1s.

topflightpro

I would argue that any event that has a certain set of rules and a recognized "Winner" is a race. Gran Fondos are typically timed events, and someone is in fact a winner.

It's different from a cookie ride, where people often complete different distances and roll in when they want.

Grumpy McTrumpy

Grumpy McTrumpy

they do have a lot of pull now with regards to Masters Worlds, since all (I think) of the qualifiers are GF events.

Unless you do the "other" worlds (in Austria). I guess both champs get to wear the rainbow jersey now.

rubiksoval

With 3400 bike racers? And the winner is the world champion?

Eh,

rubiksoval

So this was a world championship? And there's a masters in Austria?

And my teammate just won some gran fondo in Alabama last month and is going to France to do a "world championships", too.

That's a lot of rainbow stripes.

Grumpy McTrumpy

No I don't think it was a WC. According to the UCI site, the only US qualifier was in Jacksonville in May https://www.ucigranfondoworldseries.com/

The WC will be in France according to the same site. The "other" WC is World Masters Cycling ? Event Manager | Quality Safety Overall Event Experience

I've seen people wear rainbow jerseys after both of these.

TheKillerPenguin

I would feel really, really silly wearing WC strips if it wasn't for winning one of the real events (jr, u23, elite, ITT, etc...)

rubiksoval

Yeah, Jacksonville, AL. That's the one.

Ah, it must be for 2018, then, the website says "Campagnolo GFNY World Championship, New York City", at the top, but the video actually gives the 2018 date.

Woo. Something to start training for!!

Grumpy McTrumpy

If I could actually win one, I would very proudly wear the jersey from one of those. I know a few of the guys who have won, and it's far from easy.

TheKillerPenguin

I'm not saying it's easy, I imagine it's probably among the hardest races anyone does. But it's like...ehh...i mean c'mahhhhhn.

rubiksoval

So the jerseys you get for winning your age group at the qualifier also have rainbow stripes...

https://www.cheahachallenge.com/asset...ersey-2017.png

But they're spaced out, so I guess that makes them okay...

miyata man

This mirrors my feelings about the US scene exactly, but the on the ground situation in Europe is far removed. The level of corruption in the lower echelons of the amateur cycling are legendary. Which ultimately led to the fondo circuit being turned into a semi-pro feeder league for UCI level teams with less outward appearance of illegitimacy. Drugs and drug related suspensions are rampant due to the lack of sophistication and fierce competition to get a good starting position. Same story as all the rest; I'd rather stand on the podium in front of the 3499 other people who lost and test positive than finish second clean.

Footnote; I can assure you those defending GF's would turn tail if they knew where the money and power needed to thrust them onto the world stage came from.

TheKillerPenguin

WTF?! You're kidding, right?

miyata man

Is that not a decent summation of what nearly every LA, Floyd, and nobody who got caught said? It appears you are viewing the bolded text from another angle than how drug cheats justified their behavior in disgrace.

globecanvas

I think there was an implied "one can imagine the winner saying" in front of that.