http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug=ap-germany-telekom&prov=ap&type=lgns

I am sure they will pay for the 2008 season as the contract was till 2010. Still replacing one of the biggest sponsors in cycling will be very hard in today's climate.

I hope that George and the rest of the guys will have a team this year. Apart from the colour of the clothes, they were one of my favorite teams this past year do to the personalities on the team and the no doping policy of Stapelton.



In the end i think all the sponsors pulling out will be a good thing for professional cycling as it will "force" riders to stay clean, if they dont they just wont get paid for doing what they do.

The article I read on Velonews states that they will continue on has "Team High Road."

Sad to see such an "old" sponsor leave though. The one thing I don't like about cycling is the transient nature of team names / sponsors. It's difficult to "root for a team" when they keep changing.

In the end i think all the sponsors pulling out will be a good thing for professional cycling as it will "force" riders to stay clean, if they dont they just wont get paid for doing what they do.Unless,of course, it kills the sport.

Unless,of course, it kills the sport.

Sponsors pulling out is not what is killing the sport.

At least George may not have to wear pink as I assume there will be a new team kit.

Sponsors pulling out is not what is killing the sport.We had to destroy the village in order to save it.

This is a huge blow for Cycling in general as cycling' biggest sponsor has decided to pull out.
Since 2000 all these sponsors have left the sport.
Discovery
T-Mobile
Gerolsteiner (End 2008)
Davitamon
Mapei
Unibet
Wiesenhof
Chocolade Jacques-Topsport
Lampre (Title sponsor leaving end of 2008)
Domina Vacanze
Fassa Bortolo
Festina
Kelme
Mercatone Uno
Phonak
Saeco
Vini Caldirola.

Add to that Quick-Step (If all these rumours keep coming), Astana (Nobody getting paid), Team Milram (Almost bit the dust thanks to Petacchi-Zabel double doping act), Rabobank (Rasmussen affair).
The sport is killing itself.

[QUOTE=enemyte]This is a huge blow for Cycling in general as cycling' biggest sponsor has decided to pull out.
Since 2000 all these sponsors have left the sport.
Davitamon


Davitamon did not pull out. The sponsor is actually Omega Pharma, Davitamon Vitamins is one of their brands. Last year they focused their marketing efforts towards the Predictor brand of home pregnancy tests. Next year they will be promoting Silence, an anti-snoring drug. The team will be Silence-Lotto.

The quote from first line of the cycling news story:

"Deutsche Telekom AG has stopped its sponsorship of T-Mobile Team, effective immediately, it announced Tuesday afternoon."

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2007/nov07/nov28news

That doesn't sound like money for 08 salaries.

Why rename the club now before looking for a new major sponsor? Have they thrown in the towel as far as finding something for 08?

How do they pull out of a contract that was set through 2010?

I'm sure there is some sort of morals or ethics clause. It wouldn't even have to be T-mobile related. It could be some clause about pro cycling not living up to expectations,,,,,

How do they pull out of a contract that was set through 2010?

Doping. I am sure that if there was to be a doping scandal within the team, they would be able to pull the plug.

Of course new sponsors have joined as well but that would not be nearly as gloomy to write about would it.


This is a huge blow for Cycling in general as cycling' biggest sponsor has decided to pull out.
Since 2000 all these sponsors have left the sport.
Discovery
T-Mobile
Gerolsteiner (End 2008)
Davitamon
Mapei
Unibet
Wiesenhof
Chocolade Jacques-Topsport
Lampre (Title sponsor leaving end of 2008)
Domina Vacanze
Fassa Bortolo
Festina
Kelme
Mercatone Uno
Phonak
Saeco
Vini Caldirola.

Add to that Quick-Step (If all these rumours keep coming), Astana (Nobody getting paid), Team Milram (Almost bit the dust thanks to Petacchi-Zabel double doping act), Rabobank (Rasmussen affair).
The sport is killing itself.

Of course new sponsors have joined as well but that would not be nearly as gloomy to write about would it.

Fair enough, but in proportion to those pulling out, surely it's not enough. The sponsors put more pressure on riders to win races, therefore riders have to take different methods to win, and with this i'm not saying everyone dopes. It's a vicious cycle these days;
No wins = No contract/Less money offered = Pressure on rider = No wins.

And c'mon, even Quick-Step would not be around if it did not have the success of Team Mapei (560+ wins).
Companies are more than happy to sponsor teams if it means they are winning and not having their name dragged through the mud with doping scandals these days.
Why do you think two key sponsors are pulling out next year (Gerolsteiner and Milram(unless Unibet is taken over by Milram)). And two major sponsors are leaving this year?.

Not a bad severance package with $ for 2 more years:

>>
"We have enough money to run the team for the next two years without finding a new main sponsor," he said. "We will continue to look for a new sponsor but we will take our time. It must be the right sponsor, one who is willing to make a long-term commitment to the sport and who will be good for the sport."

Stapleton indicated that these funds come from other sponsors and suppliers, "as well as a couple of well-intentioned investors," who wish to remain anonymous at this time according to Stapleton. He refused to go into financial detail. >>

Fair enough, but in proportion to those pulling out, surely it's not enough. The sponsors put more pressure on riders to win races, therefore riders have to take different methods to win, and with this i'm not saying everyone dopes. It's a vicious cycle these days;
No wins = No contract/Less money offered = Pressure on rider = No wins.

And c'mon, even Quick-Step would not be around if it did not have the success of Team Mapei (560+ wins).
Companies are more than happy to sponsor teams if it means they are winning and not having their name dragged through the mud with doping scandals these days.
Why do you think two key sponsors are pulling out next year (Gerolsteiner and Milram(unless Unibet is taken over by Milram)). And two major sponsors are leaving this year?.
Why did once stop?
USpostal?
gewiss?
7-11?
ariostea?
TVM? (the list is much longer, I just took a few from the top of my head)

Why did slipstream get a bigger budget this year? Astana?
Sponsors come and go, it has always been that way. At some point the marketing return is just smaller than the investment justifies. Part of that is due to doping but to doom the cycling sport before sponsors change is dishonest.

Why did once stop?
USpostal?
gewiss?
7-11?
ariostea?
TVM? (the list is much longer, I just took a few from the top of my head)

Why did slipstream get a bigger budget this year? Astana?
Sponsors come and go, it has always been that way. At some point the marketing return is just smaller than the investment justifies. Part of that is due to doping but to doom the cycling sport before sponsors change is dishonest.

Astana' mechanics are selling team bikes to make up for the pay they have not been receiving, even the riders have not been paid since september. They are in danger of having their licence revoked by the UCI, and even if they pay up, there is still no way of guaranteeing their pro-tour licence.
Slipstream are for the moment a pro-continental team, they are lucky in the fact that the pro-tour system has gone tits-up and are likely to receive a wildcard invite to the tour, more than what can be said for Astana.
And what sponsors are going to come in? As I said, nobody wants to put money into a sport where you can get kicked out of a race for team members dishonesty (Cofidis) (Astana). And the main race of the year (where you get the most publicity) turned into a complete farce, making the results almost obsolete. Where no drug offender gets convicted (Mancebo, Hondo, Hamilton, Rebellin, etc gets banned for 2/4 years, or not as the case maybe), or a former team member confesses to taking drugs along with his team-mates 10 years after the race (Bjarne Riis, you listening!! :mad: ).
Even the worlds were terrible, they wanted Paolo Bettini chucked out (for not signing documents that would give up a years salary but signed the doping accord) but Stefan Schumacher, with a Haemocrit of 50.5% (They MUST enforce a two week immediate ban on racing for a value over 50%, and thats his second violation (he was banned for 6 months before he went to Gerolsteiner ), was allowed to continue and race. And now look, they want Iban Mayo to take a THIRD analysis of a blood sample because, it appears to me, that some labs dont use the same method of testing as others: 1st Positive, 2nd Negative 3rd, Who bloody knows?!?.
And please don't get me started on Operation Puerto :mad2:.

Good for T-Mobile!!! The message is clear in pro cycling, the sponsors do not want doping. All the dopers better clean up or the end is near.....

Ride Clean in 2008!!! Somebody should make up some braclets or something with a ride clean message, sell for a buck each and give money to a good cause.... hmm...

Good for T-Mobile!!! The message is clear in pro cycling, the sponsors do not want doping. All the dopers better clean up or the end is near.....

Ride Clean in 2008!!! Somebody should make up some braclets or something with a ride clean message, sell for a buck each and give money to a good cause.... hmm...
what an innovative idea.
http://www.rideclean.net/site/?q=product

what an innovative idea.
http://www.rideclean.net/site/?q=product


or <a href="http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/isupportdrugfreesport/index.php">these</a>. I think I got one free last year with a jacket from WCP.

<center><img src="http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/images/drugfree.jpg">

or <a href="http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/isupportdrugfreesport/index.php">these</a>. I think I got one free last year with a jacket from WCP.

<center><img src="http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/images/drugfree.jpg">


Those are cool!!!

Now if we could just see the entire pro peloton wearing white wrist bands!!!!

Those are cool!!!

Now if we could just see the entire pro peloton wearing white wrist bands!!!!
That would be awesome, just as effective as when they all deny doping until caught :D

Those are cool!!!

Now if we could just see the entire pro peloton wearing white wrist bands!!!!

theyre actually sort of translucent, like fogged glass. I took it to mean support for a transparent system but maybe I overthought it. wristbands are stupid anyways. if you want to support something, just support it. you don't need a bracelet to do that. just one <i>more</i> thing I blame on LA....man that list is never going to end.

This is huge. What the corporate marketing world is telling pro cycling is that funding $15 million and up annually (see, e.g., Discovery, T-Mobile, I-Shares) is no longer a good marketing investment because of the high degree of reputation risk that cycling poses to multinational firms. Unless you're bankrolled by an Eastern European local government (e.g., Astana), the market will no longer tolerate paying high salaries to have a "stacked" team like Discovery and T-Mobile. Yes, CSC is still around, but going forward it will be very, very difficult to get a multinational sponsor to fund a big budget team.

Good for T-Mobile!!! The message is clear in pro cycling, the sponsors do not want doping. All the dopers better clean up or the end is near.....


Well, the end is near - but not for doping.

Sponsor don't care if their riders dope, they only care if they get caught and cast their name in a negative light.

WADA needs to clean themselves up and start testing the pants off the riders. They also need to start performing accurate tests (so they don't get any more false accusations).

If riders didn't think they could get away with doping they wouldn't do it. Pretty simple.

What a mess.

Sponsor[s] don't care if their riders dope, they only care if they get caught and cast their name in a negative light.

Word.

WADA needs to clean themselves up and start testing the pants off the riders. They also need to start performing accurate tests (so they don't get any more false accusations).

If riders didn't think they could get away with doping they wouldn't do it. Pretty simple.

What a mess.

+1

i mean we all seen the movies... the owners want the team to win.... the coach feels the pressure... players see others doping and do whatever it takes to win... coach turns the other cheek.... owners play dumb until something happens...

i always been saying it.. testing is keeey... needs to me more consistent and they need to be able to test everything... and they need to clean up their system of how things are run.. hell im still trying to follow the whole landis case... :mad2:

Yeah... This sucks... (and Pink always stood out in the peloton too)

Anybody have any ideas on doing what the Green Bay Packers have always done??
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP of the team??? Could that work???
I'm just throwing the idea out there... I don't know if it would work or not, but at least it's another way of looking at building and financing a team. And what guy wants to let down his entire fan base (the owners) or his teammates by doping if the fans are paying his salary...?