End of taking the High Road?

[KuotaRocket]

Why is the status of Team HTC High Road under the radar
Nothing, not even a rumor.....
Surely, this means that this team is going to survive...
or
Surely, this means that the "deal" is too fragile?

 

[joy118118]

I think a few days ago cn said they were talking with some sponsors?

 

[skippy]

Professional Outfits like HTC should not be finding themselves in this position if the "Perception of Cycle Road Racing " was "CLEAN " !
A few " ROTTEN APPLES elsewhere has down graded this Sport ( Road Racing ) in the eyes of too many people !
With the talent that HTC has both in their Racers and the support staff whoever comes in for 2012 will be on "Easy Street" since the victories will continue to roll !
Even if " King Cav " was not there , the team would still do amazingly well in comparison to other " Protour Teams " !
Sponsors that pass up this Opportunity will regret their shortsightedness in years to come .

 

[TERMINATOR]

Why is the status of Team HTC High Road under the radar
Nothing, not even a rumor.....
Surely, this means that this team is going to survive...
or
Surely, this means that the "deal" is too fragile?

Stapleton ran out of bro deals from his cell phone company buddies.

You have to remember, this is a guy who took over the Telekom/T-Mobile team on a righteous anti-doping sales pitch and then proceeded to hire the two doctors to administrate the team's internal anti-doping program who were later fired for running the blood-doping program at the Freiberg Clinic!

So you're not talking about an abundance of management talent here. Maybe smoke and mirrors...along with team management that did not win a single Grand Tour and seems to base its entire existence on a scrappy caveman who wins races in the last 10 seconds of 4 hour road race.

 

[TERMINATOR]

Professional Outfits like HTC should not be finding themselves in this position if the "Perception of Cycle Road Racing " was "CLEAN " !
A few " ROTTEN APPLES elsewhere has down graded this Sport ( Road Racing ) in the eyes of too many people !
With the talent that HTC has both in their Racers and the support staff whoever comes in for 2012 will be on "Easy Street" since the victories will continue to roll !
Even if " King Cav " was not there , the team would still do amazingly well in comparison to other " Protour Teams " !
Sponsors that pass up this Opportunity will regret their shortsightedness in years to come .

HTC never won a Grant Tour and their entire marketing hype is a guy whose stardom lasts all of 10 seconds in a 4 hour road race. I can totally understand why sponsors aren't buying into that scam.

Stop drinking the KoolAid, skippy.

 

[palmerq]

hello, please leave the doping talk out of the pro road race forum, or meet with the consequences :S

 

[hector5950]

Professional Outfits like HTC should not be finding themselves in this position if the "Perception of Cycle Road Racing " was "CLEAN " !
A few " ROTTEN APPLES elsewhere has down graded this Sport ( Road Racing ) in the eyes of too many people !
With the talent that HTC has both in their Racers and the support staff whoever comes in for 2012 will be on "Easy Street" since the victories will continue to roll !
Even if " King Cav " was not there , the team would still do amazingly well in comparison to other " Protour Teams " !
Sponsors that pass up this Opportunity will regret their shortsightedness in years to come .

It's not that simple. Maybe Bob wants too much money for the honor of being the sponsor. The rumors of Cav leaving aren't helping. Anyone who ponies up now has to look at next year's roster, not what they did this year.

 

[Damiano Machiavelli]

Stapleton should call Bruyneel for advice on taking the low road.

 

[Aleajactaest]

Stapleton should call Bruyneel for advice on taking the low road.

Bruyneel took a team with no superstars and got a two year extension. HTC has a team with 5 stage wins and has bupkiss. I think you've got the wrong people talking. Stapleton needs advice on how to run a team, not how to take any road.

 

[Havetts]

Stapleton needs advice on how to run a team, not how to take any road.

Actually stapleton needs something else than a one trick pony, cause when that pony leaves he's got nothing anymore.. Seemingly he can run the team fine when his team has 6 wins, 5 cav and tt for martin.

 

[El Pistolero]

Actually stapleton needs something else than a one trick pony, cause when that pony leaves he's got nothing anymore.. Seemingly he can run the team fine when his team has 6 wins, 5 cav and tt for martin.

January 16 Cancer Council Helpline Classic National event Matthew Goss (AUS) Australia Adelaide
January 18 Tour Down Under, Stage 1 UCI World Tour Matthew Goss (AUS) Australia Angaston
January 23 Tour Down Under, Sprints classification UCI World Tour Matthew Goss (AUS) Australia
February 10 Tour of Qatar, Stage 4 UCI Asia Tour Mark Renshaw (AUS) Qatar Al Kharaitiyat
February 11 Tour of Qatar, Overall UCI Asia Tour Mark Renshaw (AUS) Qatar
February 16 Tour of Oman, Stage 2 UCI Asia Tour Matthew Goss (AUS) Oman Al Wutayya
February 17 Volta ao Algarve, Stage 2 UCI Europe Tour John Degenkolb (GER) Portugal Lagos
February 20 Tour of Oman, Stage 6 UCI Asia Tour Mark Cavendish (GBR) Oman Muttrah
February 20 Volta ao Algarve, Stage 5 UCI Europe Tour Tony Martin (GER) Portugal Portimão
February 20 Volta ao Algarve, Overall UCI Europe Tour Tony Martin (GER) Portugal
February 20 Volta ao Algarve, Teams classification UCI Europe Tour [N 1] Portugal
March 5 Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen, Stage 1 UCI Europe Tour John Degenkolb (GER) Belgium Bellegem
March 8 Paris–Nice, Stage 3 UCI World Tour Matthew Goss (AUS) France Nuits-Saint-Georges
March 11 Paris–Nice, Stage 6 UCI World Tour Tony Martin (GER) France Aix-en-Provence
March 13 Paris–Nice, Overall UCI World Tour Tony Martin (GER) France
March 19 Milan – San Remo UCI World Tour Matthew Goss (AUS) Italy Sanremo
March 21 Volta a Catalunya, Stage 1 UCI World Tour Gatis Smukulis (LAT) Spain Lloret de Mar
April 6 Scheldeprijs UCI Europe Tour Mark Cavendish (GBR) Belgium Schoten
April 9 Tour of the Basque Country, Stage 6 UCI World Tour Tony Martin (GER) Spain Zalla
April 9 Tour of the Basque Country, Mountains classification UCI World Tour Michael Albasini (SUI) Spain
May 1 Eschborn-Frankfurt City Loop UCI Europe Tour John Degenkolb (GER) Germany Frankfurt
May 7 Giro d'Italia, Stage 1 UCI World Tour Team time trial[N 2] Italy Turin
May 17 Giro d'Italia, Stage 10 UCI World Tour Mark Cavendish (GBR) Italy Teramo
May 19 Giro d'Italia, Stage 12 UCI World Tour Mark Cavendish (GBR) Italy Ravenna
May 22 Tour of California, Stage 8 UCI America Tour Matthew Goss (AUS) United States Thousand Oaks
May 22 Tour of California, Young rider classification UCI America Tour Tejay van Garderen (USA) United States
May 26 Bayern-Rundfahrt, Stage 2 UCI Europe Tour John Degenkolb (GER) Germany Bad Gögging
May 27 Bayern-Rundfahrt, Stage 3 UCI Europe Tour Michael Albasini (SUI) Germany Aichach
May 29 Giro d'Italia, Fair Play Teams classification UCI World Tour [N 3] Italy
June 5 Philadelphia International Championship UCI America Tour Alex Rasmussen (DEN) United States Philadelphia
June 7 Critérium du Dauphiné, Stage 2 UCI World Tour John Degenkolb (GER) France Lyon
June 8 Critérium du Dauphiné, Stage 3 UCI World Tour Tony Martin (GER) France Grenoble
June 9 Critérium du Dauphiné, Stage 4 UCI World Tour John Degenkolb (GER) France Mâcon
June 15 Ster ZLM Toer, Stage 1 UCI Europe Tour Patrick Gretsch (GER) Netherlands Alblasserdam
June 19 Ster ZLM Toer, Stage 5 UCI Europe Tour Leigh Howard (AUS) Netherlands Etten-Leur
July 6 Tour de France, Stage 5 UCI World Tour Mark Cavendish (GBR) France Cap Fréhel
July 8 Tour de France, Stage 7 UCI World Tour Mark Cavendish (GBR) France Châteauroux
July 9 Tour of Austria, Stage 7 UCI Europe Tour Bert Grabsch (GER) Austria Podersdorf
July 13 Tour de France, Stage 11 UCI World Tour Mark Cavendish (GBR) France Lavaur
July 17 Tour de France, Stage 15 UCI World Tour Mark Cavendish (GBR) France Montpellier
July 23 Tour de France, Stage 20 UCI World Tour Tony Martin (GER) France Grenoble
July 24 Tour de France, Stage 21 UCI World Tour Mark Cavendish (GBR) France Champs-Élysées
July 24 Tour de France, Points classification UCI World Tour Mark Cavendish (GBR) France

 

[KuotaRocket]

I think a few days ago cn said they were talking with some sponsors?

at this point, I think the debt crisis here in the US, stands a better chance than Bob getting a sponsor.

I see that Apple has more cash than the US Government. I say Bob tosses his HTC phones and goes with Apple for the money....

It just seems really bizarre that this sponsorship drama would be this non-dramatic...? Somebody has to be talking somewhere, and it seems like the forums would have some inside information...

 

[diggercuz]

Surely this has to be good for greenedge if HTC are gonna fold... Would love to see gossy and renshaw riding for an aus team and they would bring a few points with them also...

In regards to the sponsor issue surely it's getting a bit late to hold onto his team as they (the riders) would have to be getting nervous considering it's august now..

 

[skippy]

" El Pistolero " has shown how Proficient the team is , even without " King Cav ",who only started featuring half way through the "Victory list "!

Certainly the "World Economy " will affect "borderline teams" but i doubt that it can stop " Heavy hitters " from seeing the value this Team offers !

 

[hfer07]

Ironically-I thought Riis was in deep sh!t last year & suddenly he got not only a safe line, but a jewel along the road......on the other hand- Stapleton always relied on his one-man-show to keep the sponsors checks coming in, but now that they've had enough of it, Stapleton has just run out of options....
and as some folk here mentioned- HTC ain't nothing but Cav & eventually Martin pulling off something-the rest are Cav's helpers-so I hope the talent of Goss & Renshaw get develop elsewhere-so they can achieve their own goals...

 

[kurtinsc]

Not sure where the idea that it's all Cav comes from

HTC in the tour is just about Cav (and Martin in a TT).

But the winner of MSR was from HTC and not Cavendish .
They had three Dauphine Libere stage wins from someone not named Cavendish.
Thay have two Paris-Nice stage stage wins and the overall win from someone not named Cavendish.
They have a TDF stage win from someone not named Cavendish.
They have GC winners from Qatar, Algarve and Jayco Bay... none named Cavendish.

Honestly... even without Cav there are probably only 5 or so teams with more success. Losing Cav would obviously hurt the team, but they have plenty to interest a sponsor even without him.

 

[craig1985]

at this point, I think the debt crisis here in the US, stands a better chance than Bob getting a sponsor.

I see that Apple has more cash than the US Government. I say Bob tosses his HTC phones and goes with Apple for the money....

It just seems really bizarre that this sponsorship drama would be this non-dramatic...? Somebody has to be talking somewhere, and it seems like the forums would have some inside information...

I have no idea how your economy works, it's in so much debt, yet there is no problem in paying LeBron James a 6-year contract worth $110m, or whatever he earns. A-Rod is nearly halfway through a 10 year contract worth $270m

Sorry to be OT.

 

[kcbworth]

I honestly thought Michael Rogers was a potential GT winner a few years ago. Seems illness and injuries have caught up with him though

 

[El Imbatido]

I honestly thought Michael Rogers was a potential GT winner a few years ago. Seems illness and injuries have caught up with him though

Rogers was never a GT contender..... That was just Phil and Paul anglophone hype.......yes he was in a break in 07 Tour but seriously he would have been no where near Rasmussen on the final climb

But yes i do agree that illness has hampered him though...would have been nice to see him in races like Tour of Cal and there for Wiggins in Tour even if he did crash out.

 

[unsheath]

Love to see HTC gutted and GE snipe all the best talent. Goss, Renshaw, Degenkolb, Howard, Velits.

 

[spalco]

At this point it does look like HTC/High Road is done, however until there's an official announcement of Cavendish leaving I think there's some slim hope left. Certainly would be a shame for such an incredibly successful team to fold and not a good sign for cycling.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Love to see HTC gutted and GE snipe all the best talent. Goss, Renshaw, Degenkolb, Howard, Velits.

GreenE are in the same boat as HTC. No main sponsor, just a personal guarantee.
They sound a lot like Pegasus 2 to me and may find it hard to secure riders of the quality, such as those on your shopping list.

 

[FignonLeGrand]

Actually stapleton needs something else than a one trick pony, cause when that pony leaves he's got nothing anymore.. Seemingly he can run the team fine when his team has 6 wins, 5 cav and tt for martin.

There one of the strongest teams overall, you even quote Martin. Forgotten about Goss winning MSR?

 

[greenedge]

And Martin for Paris-Nice/ Velits for Vuelta GC. I think these riders work well together it would be a shame to see them broken up. But we shall find out tomorrow,

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Absolutely ridiculous that a team as succesful as HTC has trouble finding a sponsor :s