Professional Cycling For the Fans - What about the money?

Will sponsorship start to dry up as a result of this year's bloodbath?

ugggh.

My head is spinning as I'm reviewing todays coverage on my dvr.

it has previously when it's hit the fan. Italian teams seem to fold en masse. :/

It'll be interesting to see who replaces Discovery. They'll probably have 2 of the 3 podium spots this year, and they may still have trouble. I imagine it'll be even more difficult for them to pick up an American sponsor.

Yes, I'd think that no German company will sponsor a team for sure. American buisness already consider pro cycling largely irrelevant, this and a non-american winner won't help. Especially if it is a tainted non-american winner like Contador.
Additionally I wonder if Versus will drop the Tour for next year? If they do, it likely won't be on american tv as Versus is the last refuge for any sport on american TV, i.e. hockey

Here is what Austin Murphy of Sports Illustrated wrote today about Team Disco:



"The team will have won its eighth Tour in nine years; will win team classification, and the white jersey bestowed upon the Tour's best young rider. And unless some deep pocket entity steps up in the very near future, Discovery will have roughly two weeks to enjoy its accomplishments. Then it will commence disintegrating.

Discovery Channel has chosen not to renew its sponsorship of the team. As of this week, no one has phoned with good news. If it doesn't happen by mid-August, those riders and soigneurs and mechanics who haven't done so already will have no choice but to begin their searches for employment.

That leaves nearly three weeks! True, the sport is a bit compromised right now. But look on the bright side: no one was booted from the race today, let alone arrested. Every day, in every way, cycling is getting better and better.

But check back in an hour, just in case."


By the way, I wish Murphy would focus entirely on cycling for his writing versus covering College Football. He is a more polished writer than any of the guys at Velonews. Oh well, the money is in College Football, I know.

Sponsoring a team has proved to be a downright liability for companies. Man, who'd want to gamble their name like that? On the up side, maybe some will see a good advertising value moving forward.

Or, they just follow the Slipstream model. INSIST on rigorous testing for your team.

It'll be interesting to see who replaces Discovery. They'll probably have 2 of the 3 podium spots this year, and they may still have trouble. I imagine it'll be even more difficult for them to pick up an American sponsor.

I think they (the team) will be gone next year regardless of who wins le Tour. You could already see the writing on the wall BEFORE the doping scandals hit.

... Brad

Rumor is floating around (Source: Velonews race minutes), that HP/Oracle is being coveted as the new key sponsor for the current Disco team.

Sponsoring a team has proved to be a downright liability for companies.

I'd be interested to find out if this really is true...yes, a companies name gets associated with negative press ("Rabobank's Rasmussen dismissed by team", "Cofidis' Moreni admits doping" etc), but does it, in the end, equate to a loss in stock, etc?

Rumor is floating around (Source: Velonews race minutes), that HP/Oracle is being coveted as the new key sponsor for the current Disco team.

They sponsor America's Cup yachts right?

Maybe they could get a drug company to sponsor them? why not?

Maybe they could get a drug company to sponsor them? why not?

Link (http://www.rhvilla.com/montanovelo/)

[FONT="Arial"]
That leaves nearly three weeks! True, the sport is a bit compromised right now. But look on the bright side: no one was booted from the race today, let alone arrested. Every day, in every way, cycling is getting better and better.
/FONT]


Hilarious after 2 days without boot/arrest.

7/11 would make a good sponsor... why did they drop out anyway?

Maybe they could get a drug company to sponsor them? why not?

Like Amgen?

Wonder if Larry Ellison will be the lead rider of the team.