Teams & Riders EF Pro Cycling

[biketheroad]

Re: Cannondale-Drapac

Maybe there's another American-based/registered program that would benefit from C-D's collapse, in that they could make a bid for transfer of the WT license and buy-up necessary infrastructure on-the-cheap - without triggering the UCI's WT licence team dissolution clause (articles 2.15.009 et seq.).

Heck, maybe Slipstream's phantom sponsor actually still plans to invest in cycling, except by supporting the other team? That would be a twist!

Actually that would be my preference ( so long as JV is out ). I think the concept of begging Joe-Average to donate money to bail out a multi-million dollar sports team is absurd, though it may appeal to those easily mislead into interpreting it as some kind of act of social justice. Let the road sort out the winners and losers.
I would not be unhappy to see JV add one more DNF to his list

 

[Orvieto]

Re:

Not surprising if true that Cannondale doesn't want to be lead sponsor. They have had financial difficulties in the pst and almost went under a few times. If they are really paying more than $7 million (that amount plus bike sponsorship) I can think of better uses for their marketing dollars. (for example, hire social media experts and more videographers and blast out instagram/fb/snapchat shorts etc...) Remaining as a bike sponsor will give them the same ROI I suspect.

Cannondale (the bike maker, not the team) is not an independent company. They are a brand owned by Dorel, who also own the Schwinn brand. As many have noted, Cannondale signaled their desire to downscale their sponsorship long ago. It's even alluded to in Dorel's annual report.

"The segment is also working on reducing costs by exiting or reconfiguring non-core businesses, streamlining leadership and taking a fresh look at sponsorships."

http://www.dorel.com/eng/CMS/DII_AR_2016_ENG_VF.pdf

 

[nedhill]

Re: Cannondale-Drapac

Maybe there's another American-based/registered program that would benefit from C-D's collapse, in that they could make a bid for transfer of the WT license and buy-up necessary infrastructure on-the-cheap - without triggering the UCI's WT licence team dissolution clause (articles 2.15.009 et seq.).

Heck, maybe Slipstream's phantom sponsor actually still plans to invest in cycling, except by supporting the other team? That would be a twist!

With all due respect, the budget of the world tour team versus Conti is substantial. As an approximation, for US teams, the example might be WT - $14-18 million, PCT $2-$3 million, Conti - $500K-$1,000M. If Slipstream were to drop down, their sponsorships would no longer be valid. The vast majority of staff 50-100 full and part-time staff would not be needed.

As has been pointed out elsewhere, Cannondale decided to spread their sponsorship dollars around more. Basically, Specialized went big enough on sponsorship to ensure the teams they supported could sign strong teams. Trek went for one good team. Cannondale is now going to be sponsoring a few continental and pro-continental teams, in addition to Slipstream. Specialized and Trek have much stronger market share positions in the US.

 

[joe_papp]

Re: Cannondale-Drapac

Maybe there's another American-based/registered program that would benefit from C-D's collapse, in that they could make a bid for transfer of the WT license and buy-up necessary infrastructure on-the-cheap - without triggering the UCI's WT licence team dissolution clause (articles 2.15.009 et seq.).

Heck, maybe Slipstream's phantom sponsor actually still plans to invest in cycling, except by supporting the other team? That would be a twist!

With all due respect, the budget of the world tour team versus Conti is substantial. As an approximation, for US teams, the example might be WT - $14-18 million, PCT $2-$3 million, Conti - $500K-$1,000M. If Slipstream were to drop down, their sponsorships would no longer be valid. The vast majority of staff 50-100 full and part-time staff would not be needed.

As has been pointed out elsewhere, Cannondale decided to spread their sponsorship dollars around more. Basically, Specialized went big enough on sponsorship to ensure the teams they supported could sign strong teams. Trek went for one good team. Cannondale is now going to be sponsoring a few continental and pro-continental teams, in addition to Slipstream. Specialized and Trek have much stronger market share positions in the US.

Sure. & to be clear, I wasn't positing that theory. Just sharing something that had been suggested to me, which I found interesting as a story, but unlikely (not least b/c of the budget difference, which is huge as you note, but also b/c of what UCI rules state about WT licenses and how one license can't simply be re-allocated by UCI to a new or existing entity if a team goes defunct w/o having formally transferred said license to an approved entity before dissolution).

 

[jmdirt]

Re: Re:

Not surprising if true that Cannondale doesn't want to be lead sponsor. They have had financial difficulties in the pst and almost went under a few times. If they are really paying more than $7 million (that amount plus bike sponsorship) I can think of better uses for their marketing dollars. (for example, hire social media experts and more videographers and blast out instagram/fb/snapchat shorts etc...) Remaining as a bike sponsor will give them the same ROI I suspect.

Cannondale (the bike maker, not the team) is not an independent company. They are a brand owned by Dorel, who also own the Schwinn brand. As many have noted, Cannondale signaled their desire to downscale their sponsorship long ago. It's even alluded to in Dorel's annual report.

"The segment is also working on reducing costs by exiting or reconfiguring non-core businesses, streamlining leadership and taking a fresh look at sponsorships."

http://www.dorel.com/eng/CMS/DII_AR_2016_ENG_VF.pdf

They own several bike "names" Cannondale, Schwinn, Mongoose, GT, Caloi, Sugoi (I think one or two more maybe...). When they bought those up, they could have made any one of them their premier brand. Rumor has it that they narrowed it down to CDale and Schwinn, and the deciding factor was that the CEO had a Cannondale (received in the exchange). Several years ago it was rumored that they were going to bring the Schwinn name back to the level it once was, but that obviously didn't happen. GT still makes good stuff, but their sales/marketing model is strange if I remember correctly. EDIT: CDale might have been the first one that they purchased, and some of the others might have come together in one deal.

Anyway, I hope that either CDale/Drap figures it out at WT/PC level or that a new team moves in so that there is no/little loss.

 

[Der Effe]

Re:

I don't think it's WT or fold, I think Vaughters would try and make sure something keeps going, be it at Conti level or whatever. But it would just be a virtually unrecognizable squad from what it is now; all the big names and WT-level talents will take other offers (including Rolland). The whole Exercise will pencil out completely differently.

I meant for the current sponsors, obviously.

 

[Leinster]

Rumor has it that they narrowed it down to CDale and Schwinn, and the deciding factor was that the CEO had a Cannondale (received in the exchange). Several years ago it was rumored that they were going to bring the Schwinn name back to the level it once was, but that obviously didn't happen.

I had a Schwinn Fastback from '06, it was a quality bike (for its price point and spec level). A few years later I looked up the then-current version, and it was just at the price/spec level below where Cannondale's CAAD/Synapse lines started. Which is a shame, because for an Al frame, it was better than some carbons I've ridden from other brands. But I can understand Dorel not wanting their different lines stepping on each other's toes.

I'm sure whatever the Slipstream organization wear on their jerseys next year, they'll have Cannondales under them. Be a shame to see Cipollini's old brand disappear from the peloton.

 

[Anderis]

Re: Cannondale-Drapac

Just saw the news about Talansky's retirenment.

Even if Vaughters somehow manages to save the team, their 2018 roster will likely be a bit meh. I don't think there is enough good riders on the market to cover the losses they've already endured. Well, maybe there is, but Slipstream would have to sign all of the best riders still available which is surely not going to happen.

The fact that riders like Vanmarcke still haven't announced to join another team keeps me hoping that the team is going to continue.

 

[telencefalus]

i don't know why in america there is nodody willing to invest in cycling

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Re:

i don't know why in america there is nodody willing to invest in cycling

Simple: other sports give more exposure...

 

[dirkprovin]

Re:

i don't know why in america there is nodody willing to invest in cycling

Other sports offer greater return on investment when it comes to sponsorship. The peak market for most US corporates is the US domestic market and pro-cycling is well down the list as regards exposure/media air time in mainstream media markets. Therefore, that's where the overwhelming bulk of the US corporate sports sponsorship $$$ will go.

 

[Leinster]

*hangover from previous national brands who sponsored TdF "winning" teams*

 

[Irondan]

http://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/3406/...ports-reportedly-saved-by-mystery-new-sponsor

Looks like someone saved JV from the scrap heap....

 

[jarvo]

Good news for the team and the staff, I have a soft spot for the team in green, although new sponsorship most likely means new colours next year

 

[Irondan]

Re:

Good news for the team and the staff, I have a soft spot for the team in green, although new sponsorship most likely means new colours next year

They're just going to use all the old Tinkoff kits... :lol:

 

[yaco]

I think if I was a rider for Cannondale and I had a good offer on the table now, then i would leave - The team is still on shaky ground.

 

[Irondan]

Re:

I think if I was a rider for Cannondale and I had a good offer on the table now, then i would leave - The team is still on shaky ground.

With JV at the helm, it will always be a sinking ship. He's been on the brink of folding almost every year except for maybe last year. Slipstream sports has had to merge with what, three other teams in the past 8 years?

I would leave too if I had a good spot somewhere else.

 

[Anderis]

https://twitter.com/Vaughters/status/905852878350405634

I guess the team is saved.

 

[TMP402]

Cannondale-Drapac on Thursday told riders and staff that the US WorldTour team will enforce its 2018 contracts, according to an email leaked to VeloNews.

"As of right now, I am informing you that if you have a contract with Slipstream Sports for 2018, we are enforcing your contract. More to come,” Vaughters said in the email, according to VeloNews.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/report-cannondale-drapac-tells-riders-it-will-enforce-2018-contracts/

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Re: Re:

I think if I was a rider for Cannondale and I had a good offer on the table now, then i would leave - The team is still on shaky ground.

With JV at the helm, it will always be a sinking ship. He's been on the brink of folding almost every year except for maybe last year. Slipstream sports has had to merge with what, three other teams in the past 8 years?

I would leave too if I had a good spot somewhere else.

The other way of looking at that is that Vaughters has been extremely good at finding new small to medium sized sponsors, keeping a shoestring team going when it would probably have died at the end of one of those sponsorship periods without him.

There are not many companies interested in making a $10 million plus per annum, 10 year long, commitment to a US cycling team. In the absence of that kind of reliable, big money, long term sponsor, the name of the game is finding many smaller, short term ones and trying to do so in quick succession.

It will be interesting to see who stays whoever. Presumably some will have found new homes over the last few days. And presumably the team won't offer every rider on this year's books a new contract.

 

[Moviefan1203]

Wonderful news!

 

[Anderis]

Re: Re:

And presumably the team won't offer every rider on this year's books a new contract.

6 riders already confirmed to be leaving and not many to choose from the market (I guess the sponsorship trouble might have caused to break some promising negotiations and it might be too late to bring them back)- I wouldn't be surprised if Vaughters offered a contract extension to all of the current riders that didn't sign with other teams or retire. Apart from Craddock, nobody was completely out of depth this season and Craddock himself is young and talented enough to not write him off after one year like that.

 

[nedhill]

Congrats to JV for getting something done !

 

[Leinster]

Re: Re:

I think if I was a rider for Cannondale and I had a good offer on the table now, then i would leave - The team is still on shaky ground.

With JV at the helm, it will always be a sinking ship. He's been on the brink of folding almost every year except for maybe last year. Slipstream sports has had to merge with what, three other teams in the past 8 years?

I would leave too if I had a good spot somewhere else.

...and each time it's been the team they merged with that disappeared. Probably better to be one of the Slipstream riders who got to stay with the same team, rather than any of the Cervelo Test Team or Cannondale (that was Liquigas) riders who got let go. Or indeed the IAM, Tinkoff, HTC etc etc riders whose teams just stopped existing.

 

[proffate]

good thing that crowdfunding campaign had a "flexible" goal so that JV can still take the fans' money and run even though presumably it's no longer needed. The whole thing reeks of a publicity stunt/money grab, how could JV have responsibly assume $7m was incoming when it's not confirmed?