Sponsors who did it twice
 

Anyone know if any teams have had a sponsor move on then re-sponsor after extended absence?

Great question,.... er the only answer I can come up with is UK Car and 'Bike' shop Halfords sponsored a few riders in the late 90's (I Think) and next season will sponsor Nicole Cookes team in Europe,... but I'm trying to remember European mainland based ones...... tough... :)

Did Systeme U/Super U pull out then come back (not as title sponsor)?

Lampre had left for a couple years before they came back.

I dont remember exactly, but I think GAN had also had an absense between the 70's and the 90's

I think KAS was around in the Merckx days (they sponsored one of his "rivals") then they came back in the Sean Kelly days (actually they were minor sponsors for a while, not a headliner).

cdr

Speaking of Kelly. He used to ride for Skil-Shimano. They are back for another go round right now. But they are a 2nd or 3rd tier continental team.

Lets not forget Bianchi too. They put together that team around Der Kaiser a couple years ago as a title sponsor. I think their previous go round as a title sponsor was back in the '60s with the guy who won the tour before Merckx. I cant remember his name. Then of course there were the Coppi years.

I was going to mention Skil-Shimano as well, but they are actually at the top of the 2nd division, or whatever they call it now-a-days. Did a number of ProTour races to boot. Good team.

Jan Janssen.

I think Renault has come and gone and returned at least once.

Bianchi as a title sponsor....

The Celeste kits came back for 2003 in the Pro peloton, only to disappear after that year again...

Gan

Systeme U had a team in the early 80's, then took over sponsorship of Guimards team (ex-Renault) in 86-89.

Yeah, I didn't start paying attention until about 1990...

The SKIL team that Sean Kelly rode for was quite a different setup than the current SKIL-Shimano team. It was simply a case of Skil sponsoring the team that Jean de Gribaldy ran. Shimano was not involved at that time.

That's okay. I don't think we are being too picky. Just wondering if certain sponsors came back for a second go-round, even if it was with a different org.

I know there are more out there, but my old noggin is playing forgetful.

mapei

huh?

Italian team started in 93ish for like 10 years.

They now sponsor the South Australia AIS Conti team.

not the same thing at all.

Yes, but they sponsored all kinds of extras. A weekend warrior team in South Florida got some money for a few years. I rememeber a Mt Bike team they did as well. I think we may be a bit off track bringing in AIS or any teams not associated with the higher level Pro racing circuits.

Liquigas sponsored a team in the mid to late 90's and recently returned.

Mapei still sponsors that South Florida team. Dude in a Mapei kit at a race with me at SuperWeek got pulled from the break for going over the yellow line. I looked him up later and he was listed as racing for Mapei-SomethingOrOther.

7-Up did it twice.

Small US domestic pro team / 7-Up-Gios w/ the infamous John Eustice in 1983
Small US domestic pro team / 7-Up-???? w/the infamous John Lieswyn in 2003