Ink

We don't get to see too many of these rolling cigarette billboards in the U.S.

https://swrt.com/cpimages/473579.jpg

I don't know why Subaru doesn't bring some over and feature them in their advertisements with Lance???

slvoid

You mean like this 240mph cigarette billboard?

Ink

Wow, Lance has signed up with Ferrari, too? How much? 20 million???

slvoid

LOL no just another cigarette ad.

DieselDan

Subaru's WRC team is sponsered by a cigarette company? Since when? Is that "555" logo a tabacco company?

operator

Lmfao.

Ink

British American Tobacco. "555" brand cigarettes. A big brand outside of the US. Long-time sponsor going back to the 90s. Subaru dropped the relationship in 1999, I think, but then resumed BAT/555 promotion in 2002. Why? Go figure...

They seem to take some care to keep this out of sight of US market.

live311

So are you saying that Lance is a hypocrite because one of his primary sponsors has a WRC program (which is a racing series barely heard of in the U.S.), and one particular team happens to be sponsored by a Eurpoean cigarette brand that is not sold in the U.S.?

I hope you don't know any cancer patients/survivors that are NASCAR fans (their top series was called the Winston Cup for 33 years, after all). In fact, anyone who has lost someone to a drunk driver or has an alcoholic family member/friend shouldn't have anything to do with NASCAR, because many teams have beer/liquor companies as sponsors.

And Nike uses Malaysian child slave laborers to make their shoes. How dare Lance endorse their products!

And so what if you don't see much about the 555 car on this side of the pond? Maybe Subaru is afraid people like you will overreact. Go figure

slvoid

There's the BUSCHE series. There's the WINSTON cup. Hmm.. you'd think now with NEXTEL cup, do cell phones cause cancer?

Feltup

Subaru had J-Lo in a few adds in Japan.

https://car-cm.zdap.jp/subaru/legacy-sedan.htm

Barren

Um..

Here's a Lance sponsored car.



and a pic I took... not sure why the livestrong isn't visible.. maybe it wasn't there during qualifying when I took the pic..

slvoid

What is that, a CART or indy car?
I was under the impression F1 used grooved slicks. Plus I'm not sure if lance is enough money to throw around to sponsor a F1 team for several seasons.

slvoid

Well it can't be IRL. This car can make right turns.

Barren

LOL.. it's cart! The 2nd pic is one I took at the Champ Car race @ Road America this year.

IRL is lame.. only turning left... *losers*

slvoid

JOKE: So what happens after you win the race and the podium's on the right side? 3 left turns. Haw haw haw.

apple_quit

geez...Ferrari and Michael Schumacher win too much...it makes me sick. and they pay him so much too. Schumacher salary

slvoid

I know, it's sad. And the people who really make a difference like the scientists, researchers, and other professionals who pour their hearts and souls into their work get relatively little.

closetbiker

For me, it's a matter of principles vs. money.

I'll give you Lance can make his own decisions on his own priorities but my thought is, how much does Lance need the money? Can't he make enough to get by without his Subaru sponsorship or does his increased exposure though Subaru bring his story to a wider audience and make it worthwhile for his causes and less about the money?

Since I'm well aware of Lances story, the ads do little for me and I wish he wouldn't dirty himself for cash.

DieselDan

Lance is also sponsered by Bristol Meyers-Squibb, which is being targeted in a new Micheal Moore mockumentry as a corrupt corparation operating outside of the law.

LA is sponsered by Nike as well, long known to have underaged children working in sweatshops.

Feltup

Who gives a ****. He rides a bike and gives millions to cancer research. He isn't worried about every little possible, maybe bla bla thing his sponsers are doing. Hell you could find something about every company that a group of people are against.

closetbiker

Well clearly, some do and some don't.

What I don't like is it takes a wonderful, inspirational story that was pure into a commercial transaction. After winning his first tour, did he not have enough in his bank account to move on? If he would have walked away from racing after that first tour win, he would have shown that there are bigger things in life than racing bikes. He'd shown what could be acheived by survivors and been a cancer survior first, bike racer second.

That said, his contribution to charities he has made since his first win has been substantial and it's a debatable point if he could have made the same had he walked away from racing or refused certain sponsorships in the last 5 years.

As someone who has had cancer touch my life closely, there was no greater moment for me than after his first win. Had he walked away after that, I would have had more admiration for him than I do now after his 6 wins.

GreenFix

I read that Lance does not keep the money he wins at the tour, but splits it up and gives it to his team.

I do not understand closetbiker's last statement. Why is an extremely successful cancer survivor less inspiring than a successful cancer survivor?

I think his commitment to the LA foundation continuosly shows that he feels there are bigger things in life than racing bikes.

I am no Armstrong apologist or sycophant. I do think it is refreshing to see an athlete of his stature contribute as much as he does.

closetbiker

After winning his first tour he said, "I think that the illness is a good thing in some ways. I wouldn't want to do it again. But the time away from cycling and the time to think about what's really important in life was great. I've come back with a new perspective and a whole new list of priorities."

To me, I thought he meant that winning the tour was a big deal, but life is a bigger deal. After squeaking by death, maybe racing shouldn't be the most important thing in life, maybe other things are. I now wonder what his new perspective and whole new list of priorities are.

Feltup

He is 34 years old. He has a long time to do other things. You comments are really sad. Lance has the endurance and drive to win 6 tours and you make it sound like he is less a man for it.

closetbiker

I have tremendous respect and admiration for what he has done. It's truely staggering.

I just think it would have been a more difficult and a much more profound thing to do, to just walk away after he won the tour once. His own comments suggested a different path for the future based on different priorities. His path since then has been pretty much as it was (aside from the foundation work) before he was diagnosed.

Still, as I said, it's a valid argument that continuing on may have brought more benefits to cancer foundations.