SportsPageFair

USA Cycling doesn’t get it.

In announcing the country’s roster for the upcoming the UCI World Championships the sport’s governing body, and one of the most political sports organizations around, opted for youth, particularly on the men’s elite squad.

Kristin Armstrong

Christian Vande Velde, Tyler Hamilton and George Hincapie, three of the country’s most veteran and accomplished riders, all declined participation. And it’s the riders’ prerogative.

But my hunch is that three riders opted not go to the Italian event next week based on family responsibilities and a long season, for sure. And, of course, a spokesman for the organization was quick to rationalize the three riders’ decisions.

But more to the point: USA Cycling is a great organization when it comes to touting its athletes — when they do well.

But where is USA Cycling in its efforts to market and promote the sport and athletes to the mainstream sporting public? Cycling insiders know what’s going on; it’s the public that needs to be educated. USA Cycling doesn’t do much to showcase its athletes on a year-round basis.

In fact, I’ve reported on cycling for nearly 25 years, and I’ve always been amazed how little the riders’ national governing body does to promote and market, particularly in its national championships.

Where are the results? Why doesn’t USA Cycling contact the Associated Press to at least get the results filed on the national wire service?

Andy Lee is USA Cycling’s media relations representative, and he distributes a lot of press releases, often about sponsors and new programs. He works hard. But where was Lee at the Tour of California, Tour de Georgia or Tour of Missouri — the country’s three largest races? He wasn’t at any of them.

So, it’s no wonder Hamilton, Hincapie and Vande Velde declined. And what did USA Cycling do? It offered the spots to young pros Craig Lewis, Steven Cozza and Lucas Euser.

If USA Cycling wanted to show some respect to riders, it could have offered two of the spots to Bobby Julich and Mike Sayers.

Julich, a long-time veteran who won many races in hiscareer, recently announced his retirement after a rekindled few seasons with CSC. Sayers, who rode on the world team twice, was an unheralded team rider for much of his 15-year career. He rode in the recent Tour of Missouri as his last race.

But USA Cycling didn’t make the offer, and it came as little surprise.

How many broadcasters does it take to do on NFL football game?

I’m no NFL fan, but I just spent a week in Missouri and visited a few sports pubs along the route of the Tour of Missouri. Either college or NFL games were on most of the time, including last Sunday night on ESPN.

Chris Berman, ESPN announcer

The sports pub in the hotel had about 20 flat screen televisions, most broadcasting the NF pre-game show. There was Chris Berman, Mike Ditka, Tom Jackson, all long-time NFL broadcasters, sharing opinions and then asking for the opinions of Keyshawn Johnson and Cris Carter.

Five guys reporting on the pre-game show? What could all five possibly have to say that three guys couldn’t say or most likely what two guys couldn’t say?

And as if the five NFL opinion-makers (all trying to outdo each other with their respective suit-and-tie coordination), didn’t have enough to say, the producers opted to go to a Stuart Scott, a sixth broadcaster, who was stationed on the stadium sidelines. He had an opinion, too.

Six announcers, not one down played yet, lots of opinions. That’s one good reason I gave up watching Monday Night Football years ago and now Sunday Night Football, too — unless, of course, I’m on the road in a hotel sports bar with nothing better to do.

Tour of Missouri organizers did something nice Sunday afternoon. They called Michael Sayers to the award ceremony podium and wished him farewell after his decade-and-a-half in the peloton.

Mike Sayers

Sayers, 38, finished 38th in the main field in the final stage of the race Sunday and 77th overall in the last race of his career.

Sayers didn’t win many races in his career, but he was a consummate team rider who rode long and hard and endured the typical laments of aging pro cyclists — fast speeds, crashes and weary bones.

When he was asked to speak, Sayers of Carmichael, Calif., thanked a handful of teammates and team directors. He broke down in tears a few times and concluded by saying that he rode hard in every race in which he rode.

It was a nice send off for an unheralded, long time pro. He waved to the crowd for a few seconds and then left the stage to join teammates. Good on you, Mike. Bravo.

Christian Vande Velde is on the verge of winning the Tour of Missouri, but the cycling world and even the Vande Velde family has a unique identity crisis.

Christian Vande Velde

Vande Velde’s name on his race number in the Tour of Missouri is spelled Vandevelde. And it’s also often spelled as one word in other races. But the 32-year-old cyclist and everyone on his father’s side of the family, spells the family’s last name as two words, both words capitalized . . . Vande Velde.

But there are also family members in Belgium, including Christian Vande Velde’s cousins, who spell the name correctly as three words.

So let’s let Christian Vande Velde explain:

“When my grandfather went to war, they messed it (the family name) up and said it was Vande Velde,” he said. “But his brother put it back to Van de Velde, but my side of the family is all Vande Velde. But it should be three words.

“I’ve said it a thousand times. When I got back to Belgium (the family’s ancestry is Belgian), they always, ‘This is how it should be spelled. It’s weird. All my cousins still spell it with three words.”

Vande Velde’s father, who also was an accomplished pro cyclist, signed the family name with two words, both words beginning with uppercase letters. And it’s been that way for about 50 years, which is why Christian Vande Velde also signs his name as two words.

And yet, the name is really three words. And what does the name mean? Its translation: “From The Fields.”

The confirmation of Lance Armstrong’s return to cycling brought immediate reaction from cyclists and others gathered at the Tour of Missouri.

Lance Armstrong

I’m in Missouri reporting on the event for several news organizations, and here are some of the reactions I compiled:

Mark Cavendish of Great Britain, winner of the first two stages and the race leader:

“I’ve never had the opportunity to race against Lance; I don’t know different it would be, When I was growing up and starting cycling that was when he (Armstrong) was winning the Tour. So, yes, it’s quite special. And I know (teammate) George Hincapie rode seven tours with him, so that’s impressive.

Chann McRae, Armstrong’s boyhood friend, former cycling pro and team director of Garmin-Chipotle, one of the teams in the race:

“One thing I’ve learned over the years with Lance, if he commits don’t count him out it to get results. He’ll be 37, that’s not that old. After you retire and you hang out for a while, you see what it’s like in normal society and you start to think about how fun it was when you were a bike racer. That’s a lot of adrenaline every single day. So that’s why I think a lot of people come back.”

Steve Hegg, Olympic gold and silver medalist track cycling in 1984, a former national pro road titlist and former Armstrong teammate:

“Michael Jordan made a comeback, didn’t he? Look at what he (Armstrong) has been doing the last few years. He’s run marathons and he’s lived the South Beach and Hollywood lifestyle.

“You know what? Now, he’s coming back to his people. Look at this sport, eventually everyone somehow gets sucked back into it. Maybe this is how he will launch his new bike line, something that hasn’t even been talked about yet.”

The possibility of Lance Armstrong returning to the professional road cycling brought quick reaction from around the globe.

Immediate reaction was that it’s a good thing. But one of the possible shortcomings is that if Armstrong returns it may neutralize the accomplishments of other cyclists who have received their share of the spotlight since Armstrong’s retirement in 2005.

Bobby Julich

In the same vein, with the news of Armstrong’s possible return was pending, the retirement of two long-time American pro cyclists didn’t quite get the appropriate attention.

Nether Bobby Julich nor Michael Sayers succeeded at Armstrong’s level. Then again, nor has any other cyclist. But Julich of Reno, Nev., and Sayers of Sacramento, Calif., deserve some major farewell props.

Julich, 36, who finished third in the 1988 Tour de France, came through the amateur ranks with Armstrong, but took his own path on the international circuit. He won his share of race and had late-career success, including a time trial bronze medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics.

Julich had rough years, including a disheartening departure from the Tour de France in 1999 when he crashed in the time trial in Metz. But Bjarne Riis revived his career in 2004 with the CSC and he became a respected cycling elder statesman. He rode as a pro for 15 years.

Sayers, 38, rode in the pro peloton for 14 years, primarily racing in the United States. He won a handful of races and twice represented the U.S. in the world championships. Mostly, he rode unselfishly for three teams helping younger riders learn the ways of the peloton. He’s riding this week in the Tour of Missouri, his last race.

Farewell, Bobby Julich and Mike Sayers, and fare well.

With the exception of the Olympics and World Championships, professional cyclists compete for international teams sponsored by global banks to mobile phone manufacturers, carpet makers to athletic apparel manufacturers.

Mark Cavendish/Courtesy Wikipedia

So, for the casual observer, it might be difficult to understand why British star Mark Cavendish won’t be competing in his country’s national tour, the Tour of Britain.

Cavendish, arguably the world’s best sprinter, won four stages of the Tour de France in July. But instead of the competing in the Tour of Britain, Sept. 7-14, Cavendish, who is employed by the American-based squad Team Columbia, will compete beginning Sept. 8 in weeklong Tour of Missouri.

Cavendish will race for individual stage wins, but he’ll also ride in support of American George Hincapie, the team’s captain. Hincapie is the defending titlist in the 623-mile Tour of Missouri, a second-year race.