This is Part 2 to yesterday’s already updated blog post where I lamented the lack of media coverage for the 2014 Missoula Pro XCT race. I’m still lamenting, but to show that I am not just sitting around bitching about how our National cross-country race series gets roughly the same media coverage as a community college intramural volleyball match, I am updating that post with some links and a photo I stole from the Sho-Air Cannondale Team Twitter feed (I await contact from their lawyers as I type).
As I mentioned in my update yesterday, CyclingNews.com did put up brief recaps and results (thank you CN) from the Men’s and Women’s Elite race. CanadianCyclist.com (Canada!) also published the full results from the race. As of 9:35 PM, Tuesday, USA Cycling (you know, the USA in the USA Cycling Pro Cross County Tour) has yet to publish the result or any photos or recap. However, I am sure they will in time.
In addition to yesterday’s updated post, I tracked down a few blog posts, mostly from various racers:
- XC race winner Howard Grotts published a blog post at howardgrotts.blogspot.com combining his Go Pro Games race and the Missoula race. There are no photos from either race, even for the winner.
- Short track winner and third place XC finisher Todd “don’t be jealous of my beautiful thick, dark lashes” Wells also recapped his short track and XC races in a blog post published today at toddwells.com. Shockingly there were no photos of the race. Just one of a cinnamon roll and one of his dust-covered face… and of course his beautiful thick, dark lashes.
- Elliot Reinecke also published a race recap on his on his blog elliotr.com/blog. Amazingly enough there is one photo from the race on his post!
- Team Luna Chix posted a race recap complete with photos at teamlunachix.com.
- Payson McElveen has a blog post up about his race and travels at paysonmcelveenracing.com.
- Chris Baddick has a blog post up (with photos) at paysonmcelveenracing.com.
- NBC Montana published not only a recap, but also included some video. Woot! Way to go! I smell Emmy award! In all seriousness, it was cool of them to devote some web page space and video to the race. Check out at www.nbcmontana.com.
If you have any interest in the Proc XCT series, #proXCT on Twitter is a pretty good way to find links to recaps and photos, mostly on various racer or team blogs.
Long live the cycling blog!
As of tonight’s 9:35 post time there has been no coverage from Bike, Bicycling, Dirt Rag, Mountain Flyer, Mountain Bike Action, USA Cycling or VeloNews, who oddly enough DID host the live video feed. I will do what I can to update as they post the stories and photos on their sites.
The series moves on to Colorado Springs this weekend for the final US Pro Cup race. According to USAC, the race will be broadcast live on the internet. No word if there will be increased race coverage or photos provided to the news hungry cycling media or not.
A morning update of sorts
After last night’s post, I tweeted around Twittersville before bed, I noticed that I was not the only one questioning the lack of mountain bike race coverage by some in the American cycling media. Neal Rogers of VeloNews responded to one persons tweet about the lack of results and mountain bike coverage at VeloNews.com by saying “…our edit staff is significantly smaller than it was in the past. We do what we can with what we have.”
I can respect that, XXC had a super small, full-time editorial staff of one and it was extremely hard to cover everything. There were many endurance races I just didn’t have the time (or money) to give coverage to on xxcmag.com AND still work on the digital/print magazine. Of course the magazine was not owned by a “group,” any money I DID get from ad revenue or merchandise I spent on content (photos, words & mag editing by people who knew what they were doing) and I never had to waste precious time with things like running to the bank to cash a paycheck. I know the mag was small potatoes but to this day I think there is not magazine (at least in the U.S.) that gave mountain bike racing the coverage it deserved. I still believe it was a good idea, just hatched at the wrong time, by a guy who was interested in the wrong part of cycling (mountain bike racing) with no interest in selling people the latest and greatest gear.
OK, that’s enough of that, that is all in the past now, time to let go and just have fun with this blog.
Thanks for allowing me to post this stuff. I sort of miss doing this stuff and as it turns out, I get paid the same. (one last zinger)