st0ut

I think there are various industries that should consider sponcering teams to get there message out.

Information Technology: AMD was in this and actually did a ad spot for how Team Discovery and Trek used AMD processors
Why Engineering and environmental benefits.

Green Energy Companies: GE makes the majority of wind turbines. A number of smaller unknown companies are out there.
Why: get your ad out there in a enviromentally friendly competition.

Shipping companies: CSX, UPS FEDEX Rember there used to be a USPS teamm
Why you dont need to get in your car to goto the store our truck will bring it to you while you ride your bike.

Agriculture: They seem to get it. eat out food and you'll be heatly to arace a bike.

Sports companies: Nike adidas I think they are in there already...

ok Now companies i dont understand why they sponser cyceling:

Auto manufactures: Almost EVERY car manufacture sponsers a cyceling team.


Any other ideas?

Az B

Drug companies?

Az

st0ut

I thought about that.. and currently there are some but with the doping scandels do hey want there name associated with that?

spoke50

What about Viagra? or maybe Prep-H

st0ut

Do we want to send the meassege that if you ride a bike you need Viagra or Preperation H?
the products should be pro-cycelsing (for cycelting) not contribute to the sterotype that men cycelist are someonhow less masculaine that other sports.

Do you see a golf player wear Centrum multivitaim silver hats?

MrCrassic 

Bank of America

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jaxgtr

Coffee companies

jsmithepa

Who wants to be associated with yet (per sure) another dopping scandal?

StephenH

I think the Drug/Prep H/ Viagra suggestions were by way of humor.

I don't see the TdF really associated with "green". I mean, there's always a whole mess of motorized vehicles around the bikes, all those people flying in and out probably burn enough oil to fill a tanker by the time it's done. Exxon might make more sense as a sponsor...and they can afford it!

luxroadie

Viagra is a doping product now apparently. Gerol rider was nixed from Giro when his dad was stopped by (cops/border/customs/not sure which) with A LOT of Viagra and syringes hidden in toothpaste tubes.

The Eurosport UK commentators (David Harmon and Sean Kelly - the best two commentators of any sporting event ever and I grew up listening to Phil Rizzuto and Howard Cosell) noted that Viagra is used by dopers who need to maintain high performance and have faster recovery when racing at altitude and they 1) have not been able to acclimate and 2) are there only for a few days (meaning their body can't acclimate via riding).

Point being that a rider who needed a boost to tackle two to four days of mountain stages could greatly benefit (15 - 20% was what Sean Kelly noted) by injecting Viagra. In short term use (less than 5 days) it will dialate blood vessels at altitude (noticably less affect at sea level he mentioned) helping with race output and muscle recovery.

Amazing how these guys can research this stuff and come up with "new" approaches to drugging pro riders.

Keith99

I'd go with Espresso machine companies and sausage makers. But then I'm a bit old school.

JPradun

Amgen (Tour of California) makes EPO. WasteManagement (garbage collecting company) sponsors a local team.

st0ut

Waste Managent does have an alt energy arm and a recycling arm as well. so i can see that as a grenn compnay sponcering a grenn event. they also sponser NASCAR.

zac

Doesn't 53x11? Not a major company, but don't they sponsor a conti team?

sbouge

general motors, ford and chrysler

TBatty

Columbia Sportswear just picked up High Road. AFAIK, Columbia has never produced cycling attire, but we shall see what happens.

malkin

What companies should support cycling?
All of them!

Tourmalet

Microsoft. Sponsoring a pro team is something along the lines of 10 million dollars. That is loose change for them. Microsoft willingly loses billions per year with their MSN and XBox divisions, with a faint hope they can capture the market lead in the future. But their other divisions make tens or hundreds of billions (Windows and Office mostly), so they have money to throw away.

bbattle

Just look at all the companies that sponsored or currently sponsor a team. Runs from A to Z and they sponsor a cycling team for the same reasons other companies sponsor NASCAR or golfers or tennis players, etc.

Any company that wants to be associated with top athletes and be assured of lots of free advertising when their riders are on tv should sponsor a team or rider.

hos13

I would like to see mans best friend sponsor a team in the Tour this year, or at least provide some wheels.

dobovedo

All companies should support cycling - pro racing, amateur racing, recreational, commuting... just cycling.

JoeMan

How about Narcotics Anonymous (NA)?

bac

European companies.

... Brad

Trevor98

Every company should sponsor cycling but no company should sponsor professional cycling teams- their money is better spent on other ways of advertising. Why bother?

punksurfer024

i think drug companies definatly should sponsor cycling, scandals or not. lets face it, cycling target audience is middle aged men.......perfect target audience for pharm companies. besides i think the average person looks at doping as drugs made in the basement of a drug house by a guy with a bad accent looking like tony montana....... specially with star athletes getting the boot for cocaine