By John Considine
"Get out the chequebook and pay them." These were the instructions that Sean Kelly gave to Pat McQuaid when the latter wanted the former to encourage cyclists to put in greater competitive effort. It was during a cycling race in Ireland decades ago. This was how Kelly helped explain events yesterday during the live commentary of Stage 6 of the Giro d'Italia 2022. Kelly's example came from the last century when he loomed large in world cycling - he topped the world cycling rankings for years after they were first introduced in the 1980s. McQuaid's cycling days were behind him at that time and he was talking to Kelly as the administrative director of the race.
McQuaid dominated the administrative side of world cycling in the same way that Kelly dominated the road. McQuaid features in one of the early papers on the economics of cycling. Daniel Larson and Joel Maxcy quoted McQuaid in their 2014 Journal of Sports Management paper (see below). The quotation shows how TV producers can set the agenda for the sport.
McQuaid dominated the administrative side of world cycling in the same way that Kelly dominated the road. McQuaid features in one of the early papers on the economics of cycling. Daniel Larson and Joel Maxcy quoted McQuaid in their 2014 Journal of Sports Management paper (see below). The quotation shows how TV producers can set the agenda for the sport.
Yesterday's stage of the Giro was fascinating viewing for economists. Channeling their inner-McQuaid, the commentators bemoaned the lack of a breakaway. The discussion of economic incentives associated with professional cycling was informative, entertaining, and fascinating. It was in this context that Kelly explained his statement to McQuaid from decades earlier.
Yesterday, as the flag was dropped to start the stage, one rider pretended to attack but slowed within seconds and smiled at the cameras. A few kilometres later, two different riders did something similar. This is where Kelly comes into his own. As the "senior" analyst in the Eurosport stable, he has seen and done so much. With 187km to go in the stage, the cameras showed one of the older riders. This was Kelly's opening to explain how the sport had changed over recent decades. He suggested that the older rider would remember the days when nothing would happen for the opening 100km of a stage. A few kilometres later, Kelly suggested that Mauro Vegni (Director of the Giro) would be talking to the smaller teams encouraging them to attack and to form a breakaway. Eurosport's lead commentator, Carlton Kirby, chipped in with an explanation of the importance of breakaways for TV broadcasters and their willingness to pay for content. McQuaid could not have put it better.
Eventually, a rider from a smaller, invited team set off on his own - a team invited to the Giro by Vegni and his colleagues! Kelly bemoaned the decision of the smaller team to sacrifice one of its better riders and possibly the chance for that rider to win a stage later in the race. A sporting chance reduced by economic realities.
That is not to say that there are no economic incentives for attacking and getting into a breakaway. The previous day on Stage 5, Kirby and Kelly explained the monetary rewards. Kirby explained how the two riders who formed the breakaway in Stage 1 earned €2,000 for their team. Kelly listed the prize money for some of the intermediates scattered within the race, e.g. the winner gets €500 and second place €400 and so on. This then sparked a discussion of the balance between salaries and prize money. You can listen to all this while viewing the Italian countryside. Sport and economics in the glorious Giro.
Yesterday, as the flag was dropped to start the stage, one rider pretended to attack but slowed within seconds and smiled at the cameras. A few kilometres later, two different riders did something similar. This is where Kelly comes into his own. As the "senior" analyst in the Eurosport stable, he has seen and done so much. With 187km to go in the stage, the cameras showed one of the older riders. This was Kelly's opening to explain how the sport had changed over recent decades. He suggested that the older rider would remember the days when nothing would happen for the opening 100km of a stage. A few kilometres later, Kelly suggested that Mauro Vegni (Director of the Giro) would be talking to the smaller teams encouraging them to attack and to form a breakaway. Eurosport's lead commentator, Carlton Kirby, chipped in with an explanation of the importance of breakaways for TV broadcasters and their willingness to pay for content. McQuaid could not have put it better.
Eventually, a rider from a smaller, invited team set off on his own - a team invited to the Giro by Vegni and his colleagues! Kelly bemoaned the decision of the smaller team to sacrifice one of its better riders and possibly the chance for that rider to win a stage later in the race. A sporting chance reduced by economic realities.
That is not to say that there are no economic incentives for attacking and getting into a breakaway. The previous day on Stage 5, Kirby and Kelly explained the monetary rewards. Kirby explained how the two riders who formed the breakaway in Stage 1 earned €2,000 for their team. Kelly listed the prize money for some of the intermediates scattered within the race, e.g. the winner gets €500 and second place €400 and so on. This then sparked a discussion of the balance between salaries and prize money. You can listen to all this while viewing the Italian countryside. Sport and economics in the glorious Giro.
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