Welcome to the Tue, 08/07/2014 – 06:00 edition of Off Topic! You are looking at the next step in the evolution of VCN, the Off-Topic page. Have you ever been frustrated because you had a burning desire to call someone a sandbagger and could only hope to be timely by posting your comment to a photo gallery page or on a page describing a charity ride?
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I highly doubt that costs have increased at any where near the rate of entry fees. Do you have any real numbers Noaln Swage?
Dieter revolutionized pricing and expectations for profit from local and regional races. The entrepreneurs went after an opportunity
Local and regional races used to be put on by clubs as a public service. Now so called “entrepreneurs” are taking over with the aim of making a profit.
and your point is that racing is pricing itself into oblivion? Everyone knows this. Not the promoter’s fault – blame the municipal officials soaking them for permit costs. This will continue to kill off races.
tokeneke 2011 – 542 registered $35 entry fee – 2014 286 registered $60 entry fee.
I think that’s at the heart of the “unattached rider rule” and stipulation that USAC clubs are supposed to host a “home” race. However, when clubs cannot/do not step up and put on races, then professional promoters are left to fill that void. It takes a brick-ton of work and financial risk to put on an event, especially one worth racing, so why wouldn’t a promoter try to make some money for their troubles? Heck, I’d bet that if someone added up all the hours of effort put towards making an event happen and worked them at a modest-wage job, they’d make more money than any bike race promoter would at the same event…or they’d at least have less stress to go with their time.
Guys… Tokeneke is put on by the Cafeteros Cycling team. They’re not entrepreneurs, they’re a CT based master’s team. Dieter isn’t running this event. The permit fee issue is the same thing that killed off Pawling and Housatonic. During the recession, these municipalities started jacking up their permit fees to help fill budget holes, and this has continued ever since. Notice how the West Side Highway is closed for triathlons constantly, while (to my knowledge) it’s never once been closed for a bike race? That’s because high entry fees x high attendance = real money.
Tokeneke was taken over by bob Guatelli as a business enterprise