jbhowat

Beaten.

Spunkmeister

Another related press release:
1/10/06
Medion Corporation, the developer of e load™, EMEND™ and Zone Caps™, the first nutritional products designed for athletes performing in the heat are pleased to announce their sponsorship of the Professional/Elite men’s cycling team Abercrombie & Fitch presented by Inferno Racing. Jim McLarnon, C.E.O. of Medion Corp. said that the relationship initially developed at Interbike 2005. Chad Thompson, President and G.M. of A&F/Inferno stated, ”We have been using e load™, EMEND™ and Zone Caps™ since September. After some great discussions with Jim and his team at the Medion booth, we got a call asking us if we would be interested in using their brands for the upcoming season. Needless to say we were very excited. A&F/Inferno is in the unique position of being able to actually choose the products we wish to use/endorse. We made the right choice with Medion Corp. All fourteen riders unanimously rank e load™ and EMEND™ as the most effective and best tasting sports drinks they have used since riding. Thank you Medion!”

Medion Corporation’s brands have been sold in Canada since 2000 and have gained a broad reputation as the serious athlete’s sports drink of choice. Now that a test market has been completed in Texas and shown the brands to be overwhelmingly popular, Medion Corp. is looking to establish a distributor for the remaining U.S. market. John Joyoprayitno, owner of 360 Cycleworks of Austin, Texas is quoted as saying, “I am amazed at how these products have dominated our energy food sales. The fast customer loyalty to this brand is unlike anything I have seen in this segment. It definitely has changed our energy food buying habits”


Medion Corporation
Toronto, Ontario
Canada
www.eload.net
“Engine coolant for your Body”™

Masiguy

I've been buried with work lately, so I haven't been able to throw a comment in to this until now.

I'll keep it short;
Abercrombie, or any sponsor putting money in the sport should be applauded. I know I blasted Amgen (maker of EPO) for sponsoring the Tour of California, but I am ultimately happy they are putting money in a sport that gets very little. The fact that A&F is doing this shows some signs of hope for the sport in this country. Do we really want the sport to remain only popular with those of us who ride/ race? A broader audience is what we need if we want to see the sport grow. Otherwise we can just keep coming here and whining about how pathetic the sport is treated in this country and complain about the Euros kicking our asses all the time.

The team is going to be doing a great job and I am very excited to be the frame sposnor. These guys are going to race well, but more importantly they are nice guys who will actually be able to give a little back. That is part of their model and one of the reasons A&F was interested in them. I got emails from the guys on the team thanking me/ Masi for working with them. They were sincere in their words and actions and I am already seeing the return on the involvement with them. As a sponsor, I couldn't ask for much more.

Masiguy

icantclimb

I had to think a few days before responding to some of the words that I have read regarding this A&F team. I actually HATE “blogging”, - no control or accountability - but just cannot resist posts like these. While a few of you wrote some pretty positive comments, the most of you wrote negative and unfounded postings. The condescending tones and arbitrary rhetoric reminds me of all the Amgen/TOC talk . . . Who cares?!!! They are all helping cycling!
So, it is me that "doesn't get it!"

Q: What does A&F have to do with cycling?
A: Again . . . Who cares? The sport has been trying to thrive in a country that ignores it. So, THANK YOU A&F for supporting a team and our great sport.

Q: (Actually comment) It’s a regional team with ____ and ___ as strong guys.
A: While not too negative, I found (after some VERY simple research), Team A&F has athletes in Ohio, North Carolina, California, South Carolina and Georgia. So, what "region" are we speaking of exactly (i.e. Mid-West?, West?, South-East?)?

Q: (Another comment, actually, and my favorite at that) "Posers & Wanna bees needed . . . NO race experience required."
A: Wow . . . witty. Again, after some VERY simple web time and a phone call: the team has 3 former pros, 3 former National Champions (multiple disciplines and time frames – last being in 2004), 2 riders approached by pro teams for 2006 (opted to stay with the A&F team), 2 guys in the top 20 at U23 National Championship RR in 2005, etc. etc.? “Posing?” “Wanna Being?” Hmmmm . . . . how is that?

So you can see my disappointment at the cycling community and this forum (not all, just the majority on this topic.) This all sounds like a lot of hard work with some VERY positive prospects. Good luck to Team A&F . . . see you at the NRC!

icantclimb

I could not agree more, Tim (Jackson - MasiGuy). After reading this, I checked out your "blog" site. Very entertaining. Keep up the good work. And, where might I find Masis in the Mid-West/Eastern area?

Jaco

From the press release, first line...

They are based in the midwest, and from what I have heard will race predominatly in the midwest/east coast area. They might do some bigger, national races, as Georgia is hinted at in the article, but they will do most of their racing within a reasonable distance from Columbus, where they are based. There's no "knock" by calling a midwest elite team "regional." I think it's more of a question of where a team races than where its members are from anyway.

Masiguy

The team does have plans to cover a lot of the midwest races, but they also intend to do nearly all of the NRC calendar, so it is hard to call them a "regional team" as mentioned by icantclimb (by the way, thanks for the mention).

The riders will compete in events near their geographic base, whether Georgia or Ohio, and then as a team compete in the NRC events as well. With 14 very strong riders, they will be able to have a strong presence in more than one location.

As a sponsor of the team, I am thrilled. However, as a sponsor of the team and looking to my co-sponsors for their reactions to these kinds of negative rants, it helps to showcase why more people from outside of the industry do not get involved. If we really want to see the sport grow, we have to show a little more respect to the folks who ultimately finance these teams. I know that sounds a bit condescending, but it is a truth. I've given Amgen a hard time in my comments about the Tour of California, but I have also complimented them and thanked them for being involved at all. Knowing the kind of flack they would receive, they have shown great class.

Tim Jackson
Brand Manager
Masi Bicycles

Jake B

Dont mean to start this thread back up, but last Sunday I was at a race where a few of the A&F guys were racing(Wake Forest Crit-in NC), and one of their guys won it in a one man break

cslone

Here's a short video of their training this past week.

It's less than 4:00 long. It was made by a couple of their sag guys from one of our local teams. IF the first link doesn't work, click the second one and on the right the movie is "Tingler goes to A&F camp"

https://www.savagehillcycling.com/movies/A-FCamp.wmv

www.savagehillcycling.com

Joe Dog

In Alaska they call it "Aber-clone-me"

cslone

That's what they call in in Ohio too. But recently we've been calling it a local organization that stepped up and sponsored a great cycling team, so it all evens out.

feltdude

The CEO of A&F is a cyclist.

Good for Andy Applegate.

DrWJODonnell

Actually, I WANT to see them sponsor a team...perhaps they would send along some angels (alessandra perhaps) for inspiration!

AtlAllez

I saw a guy with their logo on his Kit at a time Trial. I couldn't believe it. Hey maybe now high school kids will finally accept cycling as a sport.

AtlAllez

actually it's not that rediculose... Think about it.. a hearing aid Company (Phonnak) cell phone companies ( T-Mobile)(Bouygoues Telecom) a Tv channel (Discovery) all sponsor pro-international teams

Veloduo

Jumping in late, but A&F used to actually be a classy sporting goods/sportswear concern. Now they're thieves who sell ratty-assed, overpriced jeans, tees, shorts, etc. to young adults with more dollars than sense.

Hmmm. Come to think of it, sounds a little like contemporary cycling's target market.

And as far as making their kit look like Abercrombie rags, remember the old Carrera Jeans teams of the 80s-90s, with those bogus bibs that "looked" like denim? Maybe A&F can take a page...

Veloduo

Actually, more power to A&F and all like them. Spread the wealth, support the sport, and all that. Now, regarding Victoria's Secret sponsoring a team, just imagine the TV coverage...

Masiguy

I can't begin to tell you guys how cool this team actually is. After spending a week with them during their last training camp, I feel fairly qualified in saying that they have a well run and energetic team. These guys are going to make some noise. It might be modest noise to some folks, but it is going to be a lot of fun all the same. We (Masi Bicycles) are extremely happy and proud of these guys already. I was there at the race in Winston-Salem and watched "my team" ride to victory and take 8th and 10th with the other two riders. Mark Hekman won, Jered Gruber was 8th and Reid Peacock was 10th. Remember those names people; you'll see them again... I promise.

I've been in this sport for nearly 25 years now and I have never met a group of guys more ready to race and work for each other. These guys are amazingly cool, modest and ready to work for a team win. As a sponsor, I really couldn't ask for more. Sure, a Pro Tour team would be great, but I don't have the million(+) dollars to make that happen. Chad Thompson is the team director and a rider on the team as well. This guy is amazingly dedicated to getting his team ready to win and really puts his riders ahead of himself.

Go A&F/ Inferno!

PolishPostal

There were a handful of them at the race in Reily OH this past weekend.

Masiguy - Any chance they will be doing race reports on their website. I know several of them did race reports on when they were with the Savage Hill team. I read your blog. I hope that the wife appreciated your last post because that was pretty mushy. But I'm sure in her eyes... YOUR THE MAN.

Masiguy

I think they are planning to do reports. I am planning to post their reports on the blog and also on the corporate Masi site under the Team News section. They are funny guys, so the reports will be fun...

I do believe Masiwife was happy enough- she was still there this morning when I woke up. I hope she thinks I'm HER man at least. So far so good...

Masiguy