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Would you turn pro?
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Would you turn pro if you were able?
Yes
71%
 71%  [ 59 ]
no
28%
 28%  [ 24 ]
Total Votes : 83

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martin smith
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:09 pm    Post subject: Would you turn pro? Reply with quote

As a follow on from the 'salary of a pro cyclist, Would you, if you had the ability to turn pro but not be a top road rider earning 6 figures, swap what you have now for life as a pro cyclist? so perhaps world track medals and a TDF stage league and have to have another career lined up afterwards.

I couldn't care less how serious the replies are, i'm just making conversation.
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JONNO
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Me mum wouldn't let me, or I would have. Shocked
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Richard
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If I could follow the Roger Hammond Programme - decent degree from Brunel then turn pro and be as good as he is - then yes. The bloke's intelligent enough to have been able to earn more in a "normal" career than going down the Collstrop route but he knows he has an education to fall back on.
Top 3 in Paris Roubaix, respected professional, top 10 in the cyclo-cross Worlds, top 3 in Gent-Wevelgem, multi-national cyclo-cross champion and did it all without any help from the BC / BCF in the early days. Shining example to everyone else
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martin smith
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

always looked like a very hard and unreliable way to earn a living to me. obviously i'm in a minority here.

could explain why i'm not very good of course Shocked
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Zippy
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Joined: 10 Jul 2004
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Can't think of a better way of spending a few years of your life personally.
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RoCkET
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

if i thought i could have a good career then yes . i would not want to be come a journeyman domestique changing teams every year for penuts. but then again ... getting paid to ride your bike Laughing

Possibly a Keirin racer in Japan though , thatd be cool

What Hammond did was good although perhaps he stepped up to old? do you reckon it is still possible to do what he did. how many people are traveling to Belgium at the weekends?
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Joursans
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dunno really. It looks like an awfully hard way to make not that much money - but then I am a bit of a wimp and have a reasonably good job. There seems to be a lot of danger and hardship compared to the life of riley that your average footballer must lead.

Back in t'olden days I suspect the sport was very much an opportunity for those from poorer backgrounds e.g. rural France, to earn a bit of dosh which they might otherwise have struggled to but I'm not sure the rewards since then have increased at the same rate (other than for those at the top of the game) as much as general economic prosperity. Those that do it today do it as much for the love as commercial reward compared to those in the past - mebbe. Rolling Eyes.

Despite all the slagging that pro cycling gets I still look upon your average pro as vaguely "heroic" compared to most other sportsmen who I mainly consider to be lucky bastards.
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DNAse
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

There's a guy called Flavio, manages a coffee shop near me. He was a pro in the eighties and second KoM Giro d'Italia 1984. Now he's riding local events for fun. Don't think he regrets much, has plenty of great stories to dine out on, huge respect from all the local cyclists, in fact he's become a local legend! Money cannot be everything...
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one man army
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It is a tough way to make a living but if you manage to get some qualifications behind you before you start, you still come out the other end 'young' in relative terms so could still have another long career ahead.

If you play your cards right, all sorts of other opportunities can open up such as media work etc

so, yes, I would
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Billy Boy
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:47 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I wouldn't, much too much like hard work.
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Rich Hill
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:51 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Richard wrote:
If I could follow the Roger Hammond Programme - decent degree from Brunel then turn pro and be as good as he is - then yes. The bloke's intelligent enough to have been able to earn more in a "normal" career than going down the Collstrop route but he knows he has an education to fall back on.
Top 3 in Paris Roubaix, respected professional, top 10 in the cyclo-cross Worlds, top 3 in Gent-Wevelgem, multi-national cyclo-cross champion and did it all without any help from the BC / BCF in the early days. Shining example to everyone else


Not sure how much the degree would be a fall back these days. It must be 10+ years since he did anything with that area of his life. Could be wrong.
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mattr
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 1:32 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rich Hill wrote:
Richard wrote:
If I could follow the Roger Hammond Programme - decent degree from Brunel then turn pro and be as good as he is - then yes. The bloke's intelligent enough to have been able to earn more in a "normal" career than going down the Collstrop route but he knows he has an education to fall back on.
Top 3 in Paris Roubaix, respected professional, top 10 in the cyclo-cross Worlds, top 3 in Gent-Wevelgem, multi-national cyclo-cross champion and did it all without any help from the BC / BCF in the early days. Shining example to everyone else


Not sure how much the degree would be a fall back these days. It must be 10+ years since he did anything with that area of his life. Could be wrong.


It's still a degree, might take a dip in salary for the first year or two till hes back up to speed, but for gods sake, the last time i seriously used any knowledge gleaned from my degree was during my finals.

And i've been working in the same field for the last 13 years (oh my god i'm getting old)

And i'd love to have been able to follow the Hammond plan.

So yes.

I mean, a palmares and memories like that are worth a lot.

And as martins original statement goes on about 'top road rider' and '6 figure salary', sounds even more inviting.
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Matteo
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Joined: 23 May 2003
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 1:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

DNAse wrote:
There's a guy called Flavio, manages a coffee shop near me. He was a pro in the eighties and second KoM Giro d'Italia 1984. Now he's riding local events for fun. Don't think he regrets much, has plenty of great stories to dine out on, huge respect from all the local cyclists, in fact he's become a local legend! Money cannot be everything...


Just done a bit of googling; he was also 12th in Milan-San Remo and 18th in Paris-Roubaix in the same year. Is this the same guy who is now riding time trials for Oxford Uni CC?
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Holly
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:13 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Could I loiter around David Millar more often? Confused Laughing
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KJ
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Are the potential rewards for women equal with the men. No.

So as a woman you'd have to really love your sport to turn professional.
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team welwyn
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

KJ wrote:
Are the potential rewards for women equal with the men. No.


Are the races just as equal in terms of how hard they are? No.
Is there strength in depth in those races? No.
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Fluffy
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:26 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Tim Cooper wrote:
KJ wrote:
Are the potential rewards for women equal with the men. No.


Are the races just as equal in terms of how hard they are? No.
Is there strength in depth in those races? No.


Following on....

Women should be seen and not heard.
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team welwyn
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Fatt Charity wrote:
Tim Cooper wrote:
KJ wrote:
Are the potential rewards for women equal with the men. No.


Are the races just as equal in terms of how hard they are? No.
Is there strength in depth in those races? No.


Following on....

Women should be seen and not heard.


Steady on
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Billy Boy
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

team welwyn wrote:
KJ wrote:
Are the potential rewards for women equal with the men. No.


Are the races just as equal in terms of how hard they are? No.
Is there strength in depth in those races? No.


I think the answer to both your questions is 'yes', however that is irrelevant. The issue is the return a sponsor can expect to get back from their investment, which will be substantially less for women's racing.

Most sports are no different.
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Lillywhite
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rich Hill wrote:


Not sure how much the degree would be a fall back these days. It must be 10+ years since he did anything with that area of his life. Could be wrong.


I agree. He's 34 now and even if he packed up pro bike racing tomorrow he would be competing in the market place with recently graduated guys.
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