rangerdavid

New merger!~

https://www.leopardtrek.lu/news/leopa...-main-sponsors

bbattle

Maybe Johan can teach Andy how to time trial.

I was hoping to see Brajkovic be the RS gc rider next year in the TdF. Now he won't get that chance.

embankmentlb

Bout time for Armstrong Out of Retirement 2.0.

androidtt

I hope they stick with the Leopard colors.

bianchi10

I heard rumor of this. I'm interested to see how they will compete with the power house of BMC now. This will be interesting!

canam73

With HTC closing up and this merger it seems there is a shortage of Pro team sponsors.

Peter_leo

Trek cycling team!

rangerdavid

with the riders now left without a team, RS and HTC riders mainly, there has to be another sponsor, somewhere.........

phee

No mention of Levi in that press release. How do you manage to leave his name off the list unless he has already decided to depart.

rangerdavid

yeah, reports are that Levi has already made a move;


https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/repo...arma-quickstep

patentcad

This is very bad news you imbeciles. Try to figure it out.

rangerdavid

its bad news for Alberto, but I see your point. I just hate that HTC is folding. Now this merger? There will be new teams though............. won't there?

phee

Ahh, missed that. Thanks.

phee

While you are correct that this is bad news, imbeciles? Make a point, but don't bludgeon people with it.

patentcad

It's another major sponsor leaving the sport, it will drive down pro salaries and further reinforce the message that the big companies with deep pockets want nothing to do with the tainted sport of high level pro cycling. It sucks pretty hard. Pro cycling is in very tough shape. Hopefully recent positive trends like the Amgen ToC and this stage race in Colorado that drew big crowds and attention to the sport will help heal the damaged image. That's all pro cycling has at the end of the day - its image, which it sells to big companies who want the positive exposure. It costs $12-$20 million annually to sponsor a big time cycling campaign, which in big corporate marketing budget terms is relative chicken feed, considering the maximum publicity such an investment gets these firms. And yet they're not exactly lining up - HTC, the most successful team in the sport couldn't rustle up a new sponsor. That's pretty spooky boys.

It's disturbing and depressing, and one can only hope it turns around as the sport (hopefully) cleans up. But all it takes to set everything back is one high profile positive test. What if this guy Cobo who stormed to the GC lead in the Vuelta tests positive? Another black eye for pro cycling even if the other riders in the Vuelta are clean. The whole situation is part of the painful process of really cleaning up a pro sport, and frankly, the only pro sport that's actually making an all-out honest effort at this appears to be pro cycling.

LowCel 

You have to realize that you are talking to pcad. He doesn't have a point, but he would probably try to bludgeon himself with a wet noodle.

patentcad

Oh no. Did I hurt your feelings?

patentcad

This is the 41. I don't need a point.

DropDeadFred

team BF41?
I got $5 on it

LowCel 

That's the best news I've heard all day. Guess that means I can stick around a bet longer.

patentcad

This Cobo guy will test positive @ the Vuelta. Stay tuned. You heard it here first.

phee

45k posts and that's how it's done people.

patentcad

I wuz robbed too you know. More than once.

crazyarm07

Colors....whatever. Team kit design....I hope they keep it simple (as they did with Leopard's).

However, since the team name is apparently Radioshack-Nissan-Trek, I'm not getting my hopes up. "The Shack" is going to have to plaster its circle-R thing in the gaudiest way possible.

rangerdavid

Wouldn't hurt my feelings if they got rid of that big R either.