Thursday, October 13, 2005
Quo Vadis, Discovery Channel?
King Lance is dead. Long live King Lance.
Armstrong’s retirement at the end of his record seventh Tour de France victory leaves a huge void in the pro peloton. Ironically enough, the last time the defending Tour champion did not start La Grand Boucle was 1999, when the Texan took his first win. As noted before, Jan Ullrich may well be regarded the heir to the throne, but it will not be an uncontested succession.
But perhaps more tumultuous will be the changing of the guard at Team Discovery Channel. Who there will take on the mantle of leadership that Lance leaves behind?
On paper that should fall to the young gun Yaroslav Popovych, who gave a glimpse of his promise in an impressive supporting role at the Tour. Giro-winner Paolo Savoldelli also has the pedigree to ride for an overall position in the major races as his second Giro win confirmed.
But can either really lead the team? Much was made of Lance’s win as being the first win by an American riding for an American team. With this formulation, rather than positioning Lance as the legitimate heir to Greg Lemond as the face of American cycling, the USPS and Discovery Channel teams were setting themselves up as the successors to the storied 7-11 squad that really did carry the U.S. flag into the mainstream of European racing. But a closer examination of the teams supporting Lance showed more similarities to the Roger Legay French teams headed by Lemond than the true-blue American squads Jim Ochowitz fielded. Indeed, in the last few years, George Hincapie was the only other American wearing Lance’s colors.
Certainly there is nothing wrong with USPS and Discovery Channel fielding international teams. If anything it shows just how mainstream American cycling has become, fulfilling the promise 7-11 showed. At least as far as racing in Europe is concerned.
But there is a deeper question if a foreign-led American team will hold the interest of the U.S. public – and through them U.S. sponsors. Certainly anyone – even a top U.S. pro – is going to have a tough time filling Lance’s spot not just in the sporting world, but also in popular American culture. He had the great story lines of the underdog American overcoming all odds to triumph. And in true Hollywood fashion, to triumph beyond even the wildest expectations.
So, who would ever want to succeed that? No single rider could live up to that hype. (And recall that in the beginning of his career, Lance struggled to shake “the next Lemond” label.) But through into the mix a rider whose name would make most Americans ask to buy a vowel. So, will Hincapie be asked to present the public face of the team? Perhaps that would pass muster for the commentary team at OLN, but for those of us residing in the real world, that seems a laughable proposition.
Calling home some of the American legionnaires might be another option. But who is available. Levi Leipheimer seems to have found a happy home with Gerolsteiner, ditto Floyd Landis at Phonak. The one other American rider who had some recognition among the larger public was your Olympic time trial champion Tyler Hamilton. But, uh, well, he’s been a bit, umm, “distracted.”
The 2006 season for Johann Bruyneel will be one of seeking to find a new identity or a new team structure. Certainly a CSC-type arrangement (an American sponsor of a European team) would be viable. But especially in terms of continuing to carry the flag of cycling to the American public (rather than the American flag to the European peloton) a European-led squad unfortunately isn’t likely to do the trick. Americans don’t want a winner. Americans want an American winner.
Armstrong’s retirement at the end of his record seventh Tour de France victory leaves a huge void in the pro peloton. Ironically enough, the last time the defending Tour champion did not start La Grand Boucle was 1999, when the Texan took his first win. As noted before, Jan Ullrich may well be regarded the heir to the throne, but it will not be an uncontested succession.
But perhaps more tumultuous will be the changing of the guard at Team Discovery Channel. Who there will take on the mantle of leadership that Lance leaves behind?
On paper that should fall to the young gun Yaroslav Popovych, who gave a glimpse of his promise in an impressive supporting role at the Tour. Giro-winner Paolo Savoldelli also has the pedigree to ride for an overall position in the major races as his second Giro win confirmed.
But can either really lead the team? Much was made of Lance’s win as being the first win by an American riding for an American team. With this formulation, rather than positioning Lance as the legitimate heir to Greg Lemond as the face of American cycling, the USPS and Discovery Channel teams were setting themselves up as the successors to the storied 7-11 squad that really did carry the U.S. flag into the mainstream of European racing. But a closer examination of the teams supporting Lance showed more similarities to the Roger Legay French teams headed by Lemond than the true-blue American squads Jim Ochowitz fielded. Indeed, in the last few years, George Hincapie was the only other American wearing Lance’s colors.
Certainly there is nothing wrong with USPS and Discovery Channel fielding international teams. If anything it shows just how mainstream American cycling has become, fulfilling the promise 7-11 showed. At least as far as racing in Europe is concerned.
But there is a deeper question if a foreign-led American team will hold the interest of the U.S. public – and through them U.S. sponsors. Certainly anyone – even a top U.S. pro – is going to have a tough time filling Lance’s spot not just in the sporting world, but also in popular American culture. He had the great story lines of the underdog American overcoming all odds to triumph. And in true Hollywood fashion, to triumph beyond even the wildest expectations.
So, who would ever want to succeed that? No single rider could live up to that hype. (And recall that in the beginning of his career, Lance struggled to shake “the next Lemond” label.) But through into the mix a rider whose name would make most Americans ask to buy a vowel. So, will Hincapie be asked to present the public face of the team? Perhaps that would pass muster for the commentary team at OLN, but for those of us residing in the real world, that seems a laughable proposition.
Calling home some of the American legionnaires might be another option. But who is available. Levi Leipheimer seems to have found a happy home with Gerolsteiner, ditto Floyd Landis at Phonak. The one other American rider who had some recognition among the larger public was your Olympic time trial champion Tyler Hamilton. But, uh, well, he’s been a bit, umm, “distracted.”
The 2006 season for Johann Bruyneel will be one of seeking to find a new identity or a new team structure. Certainly a CSC-type arrangement (an American sponsor of a European team) would be viable. But especially in terms of continuing to carry the flag of cycling to the American public (rather than the American flag to the European peloton) a European-led squad unfortunately isn’t likely to do the trick. Americans don’t want a winner. Americans want an American winner.
