Soooo many agreeables in this thread!
Like most things in life, I doubt there is one single cause of RR decline…it’s just a bunch of factors – some recent, some long time coming – which have created kind of a perfect storm.
Look at the huge boom RR had when L@nce was “winning”…what’s different between now and then?
And, maybe we just have to accept the fact that perhaps RR’s time has come and gone…like arena football.
Totally this! But I’ll add my two cents: BETTER race organizers!
Complete third rate BS organizers were the main reason I quit racing in the first place. In the 25 years I’ve been around bikes and races, I’ve heard exactly ONE organizer say the same thing – R.O. have to step up their game big time. It’s kind of like a ‘build it and they will come’ deal. Organize an awesome race, and pull it off awesomely, and you’ll get the riders to support it. However, and I’ll readily admit, organizing a race is a LOT of work that not many people have the time or inclination to take on. So…???
Just as a reference, scroll through this thread, So tell us about your A Race for 2019. Out of ~170 posts, you’ll find less than a dozen traditional road race events, and I think most of those are regional/national (i.e. they have to be run).
Even personally, after 2020 I can see myself not doing any hyper-competitive RR and just doing uber-fun epic events.