Doping and Teams Clarification

[DirtyWorks]

I see a whole lot of comments where, for example, Phonak and BMC are viewed as 'different' teams. In many cases they are not. The graphics on the jerseys change as do the riders, but the franchise that does all the anonymous work of running the teams does not.

I thought it might be helpful then to make a list of the franchises running UCI sanctioned teams. Viewing doping violations from this perspective rather than from the individual rider puts the systemic nature (and UCI's suspected complicity) of doping in proper perspective.

I don't know the Pro Cycling 'plumbing' well at all, so a couple to get started.

Phonak/BMC is a Jim Ochowicz organization.
Postal/Discovery/Astana/Retired Shack is a Brunyeel organization.
It seems the UCI kicked out Hans-Michael Holczer prior to the book.
Bjarne Riis has fielded a bunch of teams.


What are some others?

 

[NashbarShorts]

Astana and Postal/Tailwind are totally separate.

Astana is Kazahk cycling. They hired Johan b/c after the Vino scandal, they needed to reboot and present a new image. Johan was 'retired' at that point but came back for the money. When La-La announced his return, it was only logical he would ride for Bruyneel, but rode for free as the rider budget was already gone by that point.

Also, Tailwind is not run by Bruyneel. Bruyneel was hand-picked by Lance in '96 as the coach, b/c Johan has extensive knowledge of....meds. The peloton nicknamed him "Hog" b/c he would ingest any med put in front of him.

My understanding is Tailwind is run by folks like Thomas Weisel, Gorski, etc. Lance is a part-owner who recently had a senior moment and now claims he is simpy an hourly worker who has no idea of any doping perpetrated by management.

Phonak/BMC is financed by Andy Rihs rather than Och, I think. Rihs is that elderly saint who after '06 said he had been "betrayed" by Floyd/Tyler and was leaving the sport w/ his heart-broken.

 

[this_is_edie]

the BMC team was started by Gavin Chilcott and BMC was a title sponsor only - and had no other links to Phonak. in 2009, Och & Rhis controlling stake of the team, brought big money and that's how they were able to hire Hincapie, Evans and al. Och was named president.

 

[DonTickles]

Isn't HTC-Columbia also TMobile/Telekom? Different GM in Stapleton but how much of the rest of the support staff/management is the same?

 

[gruppetto]

Also, Tailwind is not run by Bruyneel. Bruyneel was hand-picked by Lance in '96 as the coach, b/c Johan has extensive knowledge of....meds. The peloton nicknamed him "Hog" b/c he would ingest any med put in front of him.

Slightly offtopic:

Source
CNA: How did you get the nickname ‘The Hog’?

JB: (laughs) That's a good question. I guess when you win 9 Tours in 11 years, some people think you are hogging it from other teams. I get a good laugh from the nickname and in the end, as strange as it may sound, it's a compliment.

So, which version is true?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Ag2r = Prévoyance = Casino/Petit Casino = Chazal
Bbox = Bouygues Télécom = Brioches la Boulangère = Bonjour!
Caisse = Illes Balears = Banesto = Reynolds
Rabobank = Wordperfect = Buckler = Superconfex = Kwantum
Shack = Discovery = Postal = Subaru
Astana ≈ Liberty Seguros = ONCE
HTC = Columbia = T-Mobile/Telekom
...and so on, and so forth.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Slightly offtopic:

Source
CNA: How did you get the nickname ‘The Hog’?

JB: (laughs) That's a good question. I guess when you win 9 Tours in 11 years, some people think you are hogging it from other teams. I get a good laugh from the nickname and in the end, as strange as it may sound, it's a compliment.

So, which version is true?

Question should be which version do people say to his face.

 

[DirtyWorks]

Ag2r = Prévoyance = Casino/Petit Casino = Chazal
Bbox = Bouygues Télécom = Brioches la Boulangère = Bonjour!
Caisse = Illes Balears = Banesto = Reynolds
Rabobank = Wordperfect = Buckler = Superconfex = Kwantum
Shack = Discovery = Postal = Subaru
Astana ≈ Liberty Seguros = ONCE
HTC = Columbia = T-Mobile/Telekom
...and so on, and so forth.

This is what I was after. I got my names/organizations 100% wrong. In the Shack narrative, is Weisel is the key figure?

 

[NashbarShorts]

CNA: How did you get the nickname ‘The Hog’?

JB: (laughs) That's a good question. I guess when you win 9 Tours in 11 years, some people think you are hogging it from other teams. I get a good laugh from the nickname and in the end, as strange as it may sound, it's a compliment.

So, which version is true?

Jokehan was nicknamed the Hog during his days as a rider, not in 2009 as he implies.

So Bruyneel would be absolutely lying in this instance. Shocking.

Also HTC -- yes, was former TMobile. If I remember, TMobile basically had enough bad publicity after Operation Puerto fallout, Jeff D'Hont's book, and former riders like Aldag and Zabel coming forward and admitting PED use. Also revelations that a German university clinic was used for the team's systematic doping. TMobile Corp. decided to end its sponsorship early, via a buyout clause to the tune of several million dolllars.

Stapleton came into the picture the season before. He was an American (?) TMobile marketing exec who knew nothing about cycling (??), but was good at PR. They put him in charge, in a last ditch effort to clean up the team image.

When that didn't work, he took over the team and used the $$$ from the buyout to keep the team operational. At that point it was called Team Highroad. It had no sponsor for that next season and was just living off the TMobile money. If I remember, Stapleton at that time said the money was enough to last 2 seasons w/o a sponsor. In season 2, Columbia came in, and then in season 3, HTC as title sponsor.

Not sure if this correct. If anyone knows better, fill in the blanks.

 

[fatandfast]

Most US based cycling teams are 501(c)(3) or LLCs the companies and corps change sometimes more than 1 time in a calender year. If you have seen insurance certs for a team the number or additionally insured certs is amazing. BMC and Phonak have nothing to do with 1 another. Rabo and Buckler are even more distant. This is taking 6 degrees of separation a little too far. I would love to see Jelly Belly tied to Wheaties or Subaru Montgomery

 

[Mambo95]

Stapleton came into the picture the season before. He was an American (?) TMobile marketing exec who knew nothing about cycling (??), but was good at PR. They put him in charge, in a last ditch effort to clean up the team image.

When that didn't work, he took over the team and used the $$$ from the buyout to keep the team operational. At that point it was called Team Highroad. It had no sponsor for that next season and was just living off the TMobile money. If I remember, Stapleton at that time said the money was enough to last 2 seasons w/o a sponsor. In season 2, Columbia came in, and then in season 3, HTC as title sponsor.

Not sure if this correct. If anyone knows better, fill in the blanks.

Stapleton wasn't a marketing executive, he was President and CEO of a company called VoiceStream which was sold to T-Mobile for $50bn and turned into T-Mobile USA. Stapleton himself is reportedly worth about $500m.

Soon after the sale he left telecommunications and took over the running of the T-Mobile women's team for three years before moving to the Men's team, ultimately becoming owner when T-Mobile pulled out.

They only went six months without a sponsor.

 

[joe1265]

fatandfast Most US based cycling teams are 501(c)(3) or LLCs the companies and corps change sometimes more than 1 time in a calender year.

While they may be LLC's, they are not 501(c)(3) organizations. That designation indicates a non-profit, charitable organization and it one of the most difficult to be awarded by the IRS and if you do receive it, expect extra IRS scrutiny. Just thought i'd throw that out there.......