And now, they're almost irrelevant. But, to turn a phrase, "Who cares, they did it to themselves?"

I am not understanding your reply. Please explain.

To clarify, my comments are meant in a historical context, as in, even when it was going on I did not care that much about it. I used to have some of the products but reverted to Nuovo Record a long time ago.

These days, Suntour only interests me because they are C&V. I still have a Suntour Cyclone rear derailleur in my parts box. I also have a 1st gen Dura Ace brake set but the Shimano Crane derailleurs are long gone.

That's OK. Forget I even wrote it.

Americans vs Japanese cyclists on French bikes? American cyclists on American bikes vs Japanese cyclists on French bikes? Japanese cyclists racing each other on American and French bikes?

Campy is still very relevant. Their gravel groupset, Ekar, is a selling very well. They also own Fulcrum wheels.

One team in the Tour? Out of 18? I'm calling irrelevance. Or if it helps you, how about way, way less relevant that Shimano?

Jumbo Visma needed a scapegoat for a few tours ago- their lead rider dropped and jammed his Campagnolo chain, a painful wait for another bike. They still had issues later and I recall migrated to Shimano and now SRAM.

this year Astana has had multiple component issues. Cavendish having trouble holding a cog this tour and one other GC blow.

which leads to a commentary of pay to play.
at one time Campagnolo did not have to do much to be used by the pros. The pockets of Shimano and SRAM are I would think much deeper to pay to be used. Takes more than tech support and free goods.

too bad that Campagnolo is not more used, sad that the Colnago Supplied tour bikes no longer use Campagnolo, but Ernesto sold out, all for the bean counters now. Historical alliances mean little.

Gone are the wheel changes, now it is just swap bikes- so much for through axle serviceability and disc alignment.

Waiting for a microshift supplied team, only a matter of time.

maybe after a fiend hacks into a bike and the rider loses control of shifting, the return of cable shift. Analog to the rescue.

Astana is using Shimano Dura Ace according to Bike Radar. In fact, just about everyone is using Shimano. I see only one Campy team and three SRAM teams.