Discovery team...out!

[rideit]

Discovery Channel Team Calling it Quits


MOORESVILLE, NC (BRAIN)—Tailwind Sports, owner of the Discovery Channel Professional Cycling Team, announced today that the team will cease operations at season’s end.

“This was a difficult decision, not made any easier by our recent Tour de France success," said Bill Stapleton, general manager at Tailwind Sports. "We were in talks with a number of companies about the opportunity and we're confident a new sponsor was imminent. We have chosen, however, to end those discussions."

The team is partially owned by seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong. Discovery Team member Alberto Contador of Spain won this year’s Tour de France.

Discovery has been looking for a new sponsor since last spring when the cable television company announced it wouldn’t re-sign. —Jason Norman

[smmokan]

I was about to say that. I have a feeling a lot of sponsors will be pulling out faster than a high school kid on prom night. Why would they want their names associated with the sport right now?

[Pause]

For the 69 of us in America who are still cycling fans, this sucks. But if I was a CEO of a major corporation I wouldn't sponsor a team now either.

Good luck to Jonathon Vaughters and the new team he is trying to put together. Maybe he can sign a few of the class guys (ie Levi) from Disco.

[mntlion]

more money to be made with "shark week" I guess.

kinda sad that they pulled out, kinda sad why they pulled out.

[InspectorGadget]

Considering some of the riders Vaughter's has already signed, I would think (hope???) he'd have an easier time getting a big time sponsor. Given Vaughter's commitment to riding clean, a sponsor may have more confidence that their good name won't get dragged into a doping scandal.
[/naiveté]

[Trackhead]

Can anyone watch pro cycling anymore (or any other aerobic based sport) without a major burden of cynicism?

[Rideski]

baseball is aerobic?

[Trackhead]

baseball is aerobic?

Did I ever say it was? I could give a shit about baseball.

[rockdude]

I bet another American team will popup for the pro tour

[Franz Klammer]

Can anyone watch pro cycling anymore (or any other aerobic based sport) without a major burden of cynicism?

I certainly can't. I still have some faith that tennis is relatively drug-free (except for those Argentinians ...), but I have given up on most other sports including soccer, basketball, and skiing.

[AKPogue]

As I have heard from the Marines,
"If you ain't cheating you are not trying, if you got caught you ain't trying hard enough"

[chaka]

I could give a shit about baseball.

Trackhead for president.

[powstash]

Was picking a bike up at the LBS last night, owner seemed to think Nike was going to step up to the plate. No ideal were he heard that but it seems a bit to late with guys starting to sign with other teams though.

That wouldn't make sense given that Nike is cutting back a lot of their cycling wear and shoes. My bro-in-law works for them at the campus and mentioned this to me a few months back.

I was looking forward to seeing 2 American based pro teams in the Tour. I'm sure the French would be all up in arms if that were the case....but it won't be so I'll stop speculating.

[fatman]

It sounds like they had a sponsor lined up but thought that the atmosphere around cycling was to volital. It has to be a tough thing to ask a sponser too put up $15 million with the number of doping cases recently. I can't figure out if they are cleaning it up, or if it's getting worse. It really makes me wonder when everyone thinks someone is doping, but ther is no positive test to prove it.

[Benny Profane]

I bet another American team will popup for the pro tour

How much? I'm in. Make it 100 for next year's tour.

[Plakespear]

While I'm not surprised Discovery isn't renewing their sponsorship. Without Lance, cycling is not a good investment from a marketing perspective from an American company, unless they are trying to improve their market share in Europe. And I am also not that surprised that they had difficulty acquiring new sponsorship. Despite their domination of the TdF for 7 out of the last 8 years, they have had a less than remarkable record in other races. Still, to hve a brilliant cycling mind like Johan Brunyeel out of a job is quite a surprise. Hopefully Tailwind Sports can sign enough riders to achieve ProTour status, but they will still need to find a lot of sponsorship money to be able to compete at that level.

[ulty_guy]

If the tour was flat, slipstream would kill it! Have you ever seen a bigger team of rouleurs? Word is they'll get into paris-roubaix and most likey the tour (b/c of their anti-doping policy).

As for lance, nike, and co, every player in the opening day aston villa v liverpool match had on a LAF yellow band and villa were wearing 10/2 style tracksuits.

[Nitro]

I certainly can't. I still have some faith that tennis is relatively drug-free (except for those Argentinians ...), but I have given up on most other sports including soccer, basketball, and skiing.

I hear that. Hockey (NHL) may be the worst.

[Nitro]

How much? I'm in. Make it 100 for next year's tour.

I have to agree. As much as I am pulling for Vaughters, I think the French are excited to know there will be no American team next year. There is no way they elect an American team over a French team for a wild card spot. French teams have been excercising the same drug policy Vaughters' team is doing, but for the past 5 years...so to comment on someones' ealier post, I don;t see this as a clear cut advantage.