Do doping controversies make team sponsors look bad, or is it just more publicity?

[gregod]

my two cents...

for me the scandals do not hurt the sponsors. I am grateful that they sponsored teams to keep pro cycling alive. i don't like it when the cycling journalists refer to the (sponsor name) scandal.

I think a good way to insulate sponsors from scandals, and therefore encourage more sponsorship, might be for the teams to have names like "high road" and the sponsors names just adorn the jerseys, team cars, websites, etc.

 

[gregod]

Can't think of too many people that have gone, or have wanted to go to Kazakhstan, but that could just be the part of the world I'm in.

I have been to Astana. Wonderful people, food, culture. I also have been to Semipalatinsk and Almaty. All three cities have things to recommend them.

 

[Anonymous]

I think a good way to insulate sponsors from scandals, and therefore encourage more sponsorship, might be for the teams to have names like "high road" and the sponsors names just adorn the jerseys, team cars, websites, etc.

This may insulate sponsors from scandals, but I think the sponsorship money would dry up very quickly.

The name is everything in this sport. Hearing your company (ie Saxobank) over and over and over during a race, and having the news reports say Andy Schleck from Team Saxobank podiums in the tour, is a huge incalculable benefit.

In addition, the first name is way more important than the second, given commentators often just say Silence, or Quick Step, or Lampre (they rarely say 'lotto' 'innergetic' or 'NGC'). This to me suggests why the second sponsor often urges to be the first (i.e. CSC-Saxo becoming Saxo-IT factory, or HTC saying they want to be the main name in the future)

In this sport, sponsors want coverage, coverage and more coverage, and being a behind the scene sponsor of Team "Belgian Bikers" or the "Spanish Speedsters" will, well at least I think, provide a lesser incentive for a sponsor to sign up than the current situation

I think the reporters should refer to the actual riders name when talking about doping, and have the decency to leave the team name out of it, but naturally, they are free to write what they want, and im okay with that