Jumbo - QuickStep merger

[QueenStagiaire]

this whole topic is very fishy!

That‘s a real poisson pilot, they might have to sign him to lead out Olav Kooij next year.

 

[Hugh Januss]

I only listed people who could win.

G?

 

[pastronef]

if I were Plugge I'd call Ryad asap

 

[jmdirt]

April Fools!

 

[Armchair cyclist]

His dad literally went over Lefeveres head complaining to Bakala himself.

Literally???

 

[ManicJack]

Where does all of this leave Soudal? They obviously wanted to be associated with a TdF winning team.

 

[Boehmand]

So it was all just to drive Roglic away?

Roglic's got nothing to do with it, he was always leaving, as soon as he realised he was permanently No. 2.

 

[Boehmand]

Oh yes, they do. Refusing the stupid merger. Respect for Evenepoel refusing to go to the team of Plugge.

All riders and staff keep their jobs. Fantastic news. Well done, Remco !

Dude, as late as yesterday he said he had no idea what was going on, get a grip on the Remco hype, please

 

[Boehmand]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but sponsors are 'merging', not the teams (they are still two separate licenses).

The talk has constantly been about the teams merging.

If it was just the question of a sponsor pulling from one team for another, none of the past 55 pages of debate was necessary.

 

[jmdirt]

The talk has constantly been about the teams merging.

If it was just the question of a sponsor pulling from one team for another, none of the past 55 pages of debate was nevessary.

45 pages of the debate was about riders so that is irrelevant to the team issue that was at hand. But, I would agree that much of it was unnecessary. I never read anything about PL selling his license or his license going away somehow. IMO merging was not the correct terminology for what was happening.

Its over at this point...at least for now.

 

[fmk_RoI]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding, but sponsors are 'merging', not the teams (they are still two separate licenses).

It was the lead investor in Quick-Step, Bakala, buying a stake in TJV with the sponsors and riders as the consideration for his investment.

From what Lefevere said, this was about Bakala and his OneCycling project. Quite what the OneCycling project is - Velon 2.0? - is the great unasked question of the moment.

TJV's gain would have been two sponsors with a track record in the sport, not just in for a three- to five-year spin of the marketing wheel, as well as a billionaire investor. Plus Evenepoel, whatever worth he has to a team like TJV (Monuments? Another GT hat trick?).

In the last few days, Lefevere staying behind in the rump Soudal-Quick-Step team emerged presumably as a way of getting some value from the WorldTour licence and not just surrendering it, with the possibility opening of Adams or one of the other wannabe WT outfits - Ryder etc - merging into the leftovers of the current team.

As it is now, Bakala-Lefevere may have shot themselves in the foot, ruining the cohesion of the WolfPack by acting like lone wolves. TJV have suffered no real damage, Roglič's departure is a separate issue.

 

[Boehmand]

anyone knows any big Danish canned fish company willing to step in?

I get the joke, but it got me thinking of the biggest Danish companies:

Maersk:
Very much focused on BtB and a few high end sports that attract business decisionmakers.

DSV:
Trucking and cycling is not a logical connection.

Novo Nordisk:
They already have a team of diabetics and outside of that it doesn't make sense to sponsor cycling.

Oersted:
Green energy and cycling makes sense, but they are not big on sports sponsorships.

USTC:
Also very BtB focused and oil/gas transports and cycling is not a good fit.

Vestas:
Windmills and cycling makes sense, same case as Oersted, but again they are not big on sports sponsorships.

Arla:
Dairy products and cycling is not a good fit and most their marketing is geared towards female shoppers.

ISS:
Very much BtB focused as the largest facility management business in the world.

Carlsberg:
Most their products can't be promoted in sports.

Salling Group:
As a predominently Danish group of supermarket chains, it doesn't really make sense with a global sports sponsorship.

 

[fmk_RoI]

IMO merging was not the correct terminology for what was happening.

It looked more like Bakala divorcing Lefevere.

 

[fmk_RoI]

Its over at this point...at least for now.

Remember that story earlier in the summer about American investors buying Bakala's stake in Soundal-Quick-Step? We're back to that, with the idea having gained a lot more publicity. Guy's basically put a For Sale sign up.

 

[Kwaremonster]

I get the joke, but it got me thinking of the biggest Danish companies:

Maersk:
Very much focused on BtB and a few high end sports that attract business decisionmakers.

DSV:
Trucking and cycling is not a logical connection.

Novo Nordisk:
They already have a team of diabetics and outside of that it doesn't make sense to sponsor cycling.

Oersted:
Green energy and cycling makes sense, but they are not big on sports sponsorships.

USTC:
Also very BtB focused and oil/gas transports and cycling is not a good fit.

Vestas:
Windmills and cycling makes sense, same case as Oersted, but again they are not big on sports sponsorships.

Arla:
Dairy products and cycling is not a good fit and most their marketing is geared towards female shoppers.

ISS:
Very much BtB focused as the largest facility management business in the world.

Carlsberg:
Most their products can't be promoted in sports.

Salling Group:
As a predominently Danish group of supermarket chains, it doesn't really make sense with a global sports sponsorship.

All of this and you don't mention Lego or hans Cristian andersen? #legoVisma

 

[Samamba]

Literally???

Yes, what people don't know is that Patje Evenepoel was an NBA prospect in his days and is able to jump over Lefevere.

 

[Boehmand]

All of this and you don't mention Lego or hans Cristian andersen? #legoVisma

Just picked the 10 largest ones by revenue.

Lego does almost no sports sponsorships (if any?), and at any rate there is no logical connection to cycling.

 

[Volderke]

Just picked the 10 largest ones by revenue.

Lego does almost no sports sponsorships (if any?), and at any rate there is no logical connection to cycling.

It would sell Lego, no?

And Novo Nordisk + cycling would be a perfect match now they have Ozempic, if only they could sign actual riders in the peloton that are similar to Jan Ullrich, Carlus Betancur, Salvatore Commesso back in the days....

 

[Boehmand]

It would sell Lego, no?


And Novo Nordisk + cycling would be a perfect match now they have Ozempic, if only they could sign actual riders in the peloton that are similar to Jan Ullrich, Carlus Betancur, Salvatore Commesso back in the days....

It would not sell enough Lego to justify the investment, no.

As for Novo Nordisk there aren't enough diabetic riders of quality to justify a much larger investment into cycling.

 

[Volderke]

It would not sell enough Lego to justify the investment, no.

As for Novo Nordisk there aren't enough diabetic riders of quality to justify a much larger investment into cycling.

Ozempic seems to have as much revenue these days for weight saving, rather than for diabetics...!

 

[shadowrider]

Dude, as late as yesterday he said he had no idea what was going on, get a grip on the Remco hype, please

He had only a little idea on what was going on, after a short discussion with the Jumbo-Visma team. But he made clear he wasn't interested riding in the same team of Vingegaard. That's the main reason the deal didn't go to the end. So, well done Remco. Also the teammates and staff are grateful.

 

[shadowrider]

Roglic's got nothing to do with it, he was always leaving, as soon as he realised he was permanently No. 2.

Not true. Bohra confirmed today that the merger story was the reason why Roglic came to Bohra. They heard the news of the possible merger during the Vuelta (yes, quite long before the press). Subsequently they noticed that Roglic was "pissed" during the last week of the Vuelta. So, 1 and 1 give two. They contacted Roglic (not the inverse) and started negociations.

 

[RedheadDane]

All of this and you don't mention Lego or hans Cristian andersen? #legoVisma

H. C. Andersen is not a brand. He's a person.
Also, he's dead!

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Also, he's dead!

Sounds like a perfect sponsor for this merger then (allegedly).

 

[Red Rick]

Fantastic news. A heavy blow to the provocative Dutch forum Wielerflits.nl and the many Evenepoel, Lefevere and Soudal-Quickstephaters on that forum. They (the average haters on that forum) all knew better. Evenepoel should serve for Vingegaard. So no. Vingegaard will have to fight hard against Pogacar... and Evenepoel in the 2024 Tour.' As it suits sports.

After all, a takeover (and therefore the formation of a far too strong super team) and the disappearance of Lefevere's team would be catastrophic for the future of cycling.

As one of the Mt Rushmore of Evenepoel haters, this is fantastic news, as I get to watch Evenepoel flail around at a subpar team a few years longer