Fernando Alonso buys Euskaltel's license

[Arnout]

Probably for Italy its true. But, F1 has lost viewers too sadly.

 

[Gloin22]

Considering how boring it is lately, no surprise it's losing its audience a bit.

 

[manafana]

great for cycling, he has rescued a team and ensured spain at least has a 2nd team at protour level. Also great for his corporate image.

 

[Arnout]

Considering how boring it is lately, no surprise it's loosing its audience a bit.

Yeah I've been losing interest again during the current season. The tires are just too ridiculous. Gonna give it another chance in 2014 with the new engines, let's see.

 

[roundabout]

The tires are reasonable, it's the drive-by DRS that is annoying me.

 

[search]

whoever thinks F1 is boring now clearly hasn't watched it in the years of Schumacher dominating the championship.

they have gone a step too far with the DRS thing and less reliable tyres, but generally it was the right direction

 

[Christian]

I read that the team might be called "Banco Santander". If you think Sky is evil, look these folks up.

La poesía
es un arma
cargada de futuro.

Y el futuro
es del Banco
de Santander.

-Roger Wolfe

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I'm not sure how much that's gone beyond rumours as Santander are personal sponsors of Alonso. There's also been talk of Banco Herrero because of their ties with Samu, but obviously being sponsored by another bank (Herrero are owned by Banco Sabadell) would tread on Santander's toes, and I'm sure Alonso would be careful about that.

 

[StyrbjornSterki]

I don't think 'Nando would have done this if he and Pinto didn't already have a 'gentleman's agreement' for Bertie to join the team. Those two are thick as thieves.


F1 racing cars are carbonfibre boxes with tested and approved crash structures, raced on padded and blunt-edged "nerf" circuits. No F1 driver will ever run his car off a cliff, get crowded off the circuit and left dangling by his petard from some farmer's barbed wire fence, or crack his skull on a stone bollard standing at roadside.

As late as the 1970s, F1 undeniably was as dangerous (or moreso) as professional road racing. But no more. Not even close.

whoever thinks F1 is boring now clearly hasn't watched it in the years of Schumacher dominating the championship....

Average competitive overtakes during Schumey's heyday was fewer than 20 per race. The lowest season average since the adoption of the disinte-Pirellis was 57 overtakes and change per race (in 2011). Thus far in the current season, they're averaging 58 and change per race. Compared to fewer than 20 from ~1995 to 2009.

But a lot of folks find DRS-enabled overtakes anticlimactic, non-sporting and boring. And the disinte-Pirellis are so limiting, Jenson Button calls this the era of "After you, Sir" racing ("let him go, you aren't racing him."). Regardless, next season will be a fuel economy contest (by design), so overtakes should be more routine. So if you thought the Schumacher era was a snooze-fest, prepare to get caught up on your Zs in 2014.

 

[murali]

I don't think 'Nando would have done this if he and Pinto didn't already have a 'gentleman's agreement' for Bertie to join the team. Those two are thick as thieves.

....
if you thought the Schumacher era was a snooze-fest, prepare to get caught up on your Zs in 2014.

Please check the in-race overtakes in F1 racing. one of the reasons i shifted to cycling is because of the actual points and means of overtakes.

regarding bertie, i think it is already said that he will honour his contract. so, i think alonso will take two years to build a team; and then dominate the racing scene with the arrival of bertie. Right now, the team lacks enough riders to properly support a major GC rider.

 

[pastronef]

http://www.elperiodico.com/es/noticias/deportes/alonso-empieza-fichar-2655873

Cervelo, Checu, Fiat Automobiles, Horner

rumours

 

[icefire]

http://www.elperiodico.com/es/noticias/deportes/alonso-empieza-fichar-2655873

Cervelo, Checu, Fiat Automobiles, Horner

rumours

And good ol' Manolo scouting junior races to find new talents

 

[Beech Mtn]

So what exactly, or who, is the holdup? Deadline is Sept 30 to have paperwork in order to submit to UCI to be in World Tour.

Alonso squad “waiting for Euskaltel” to clinch deal: New management denies reports that negotiations have reached a standstill

 

[The Hitch]

@CiclismoVIP
#LaVuelta // Samuel Sánchez liderará el nuevo proyecto de @alo_oficial en 2014.

As great a rider as Samu is, hes going to be 36 next year and this season showed he aint all that at 35. If the team goes ahead, it can't be that good if Samu is the best rider.

 

[Pippo_San]

The thing with Samu is he's yet to reach his peak. He needs another 6 years or so.

 

[hrotha]

I thought this would have been bumped to mention the whole project seems to be about to go kaputt.
http://ciclismo.as.com/ciclismo/2013/09/22/mas_ciclismo/1379886133_641799.html

 

[ElChingon]

I thought this would have been bumped to mention the whole project seems to be about to go kaputt.
http://ciclismo.as.com/ciclismo/2013/09/22/mas_ciclismo/1379886133_641799.html

Well Euskatel owners are not just going to hand it over, Alonzo should instead just start a Conti team with hopes of moving it up in a few years after gaining a few top riders (if he can). By not going with the deal at least Alonzo can do what he wants instead of having to bring on who knows how much baggage which I'm sure he has no intent of doing.

 

[hrotha]

Well Euskatel owners are not just going to hand it over, Alonzo should instead just start a Conti team with hopes of moving it up in a few years after gaining a few top riders (if he can). By not going with the deal at least Alonzo can do what he wants instead of having to bring on who knows how much baggage which I'm sure he has no intent of doing.

Euskaltel owners can either hand it over, or get nothing for their licence while still being unable to get a team out there. Alonso knows this, which is probably why the news was leaked in the first place. It's his way of reminding Basque Pro Cycling Team that they're not in a position to make any demands.

 

[Arnout]

Euskaltel owners can either hand it over, or get nothing for their licence while still being unable to get a team out there. Alonso knows this, which is probably why the news was leaked in the first place. It's his way of reminding Basque Pro Cycling Team that they're not in a position to make any demands.

Yeah I think this is just part of the game. Someone in the Alonso team "leaks" that it will be difficult now etc and next week deal is done.

 

[jens_attacks]

so out the window heh? alonso didn't take them
a team led by sammy sanchez didn't make too much sense anyway. let's see if at least alonso will make his own team from zero

 

[Ferminal]

Looks like incompetence on behalf of both parties. If Alonso wants a team he should spend 18 months sorting it out and doing it properly.

 

[Eshnar]

It's a shame

 

[hfer07]

agreed- Alonso came on board too late to meet the deadlines from the UCI to keep the team at the Pro Tour level afloat.....

 

[Christian]

Too bad! Sucks for the riders who lost valiuable time to look for a new team!

 

[hrotha]

I don't think that's it, honestly. More like a handful of leeches at Basque Pro Cycling who basically want Alonso to fund their escapades and absolutely don't want an audit.