Jul 06, 2023

THE NCL'S FLAMEOUT

I READ TODAY ABOUT THE DEMISE OF THE NCL. What else would I do when I've programmed myself to take a break from training this week?...

... but, nitpick someone else's effort.

Am I wrong?

The NCL.

I heard about it,
but not enough to be interested.

Maybe because the main thing I heard was that Legion, the dominant crit racing team in the USA, had no interest in being part of the NCL.

Anyway, when I read they were flaming out during their first season I thought I'd check out their website.

What NCL offered:

With a vision to make bike racing more understandable for the average American, they came up with a format experienced racers couldn't easily understand.

If you can't get Legion, you can't get sponsors. The NCL sponsor list looks like something a local promoter would be slightly ashamed of.

Their values are weak, bland and tired: diversity, equality, sustainability, community.

The promotional video's top hits were crashes, which I think stemmed from a poorly laid out course.

What would have I done?
This, because I'm not on my bike right now:

Keep it simple, the existing crit format obviously works as it's the last bastion of US road racing.

Do whatever it takes to get Legion involved. They have the money, the fans and the sponsors.

Values: badass racing, enough money for racers to make a living, grassroots racing feeders to the league, race on restricted bikes so it's a level playing field and affordable to race.

Promotional videos shot from cameras on every bike, on every helmet, on every corner, from every angle featuring the insane handling that allows pros to corner and rub shoulders without crashing.

The real innovations should have been in payouts and promotion and equipment.

Which NCL do you think would survive?

Nobody Cares without Legion vs gNarly Crit League

In the end, to me it looks more like some smart people figured out how to rip off professional ball players' hard earned cash...

... and that's shame.