Fernando Alonso buys Euskaltel's license

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pastronef

Aug 19, 2011
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Sin embargo, Euskaltel ha apretado en las negociaciones y quiere que Alonso asuma el resto de contratos, lo que incluiría auxiliares y directores, además de proveedores como Orbea (bicicletas) y Bioracer (ropa), que tienen firmado un año más. Ese es el gran punto de divergencia, porque el piloto ya ha designado al exciclista Kiko García (ahora representante de las gafas Oakley) como mánager y pretende formar su propio cuerpo técnico.

Euskaltel wanted Alonso to buy the entire team structure (buses, cars, service course) and keep the management guys. And keep the contracts with Orbea and Bio-Racer (these contract are valid for 2014)

Alonso just needed the WT licence and the riders, having chosen Kiko Garcia as the new manager
 
Afrank

Afrank

Aug 16, 2011
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From what I can gather, Alonso offered a new opportunity to Euskaltel, their riders, and their staff. But it would have to be under the guise of a new and completely different team. Euskaltel didn't want that though, they wanted someone to pay the bills and continue going on for the most part as they had been; with the same basic sponsors/suppliers and same way of doing things.

They should have just gone with what Alonso wanted the new team to look like. At least that way most of the riders (and staff?) would have had a job for next season secured.
 
Libertine Seguros

Libertine Seguros

Feb 20, 2010
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del1962 said:
So what happens now, does Alonso set up a new team, or does he walk away?
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Most recent rumour is he looks at ProContinental from scratch. He has a bit more time on that front but it's still a bit last minute and he'd probably end up having to cobble it together from leftovers from Euskaltel and journeymen in the Spanish scene anyway. Must be honest, it seems unlikely and more likely 2015 if he does come in, though he still seems fairly upbeat about entering the sport.

Updated earlier today from Fernando's Twitter:

https://twitter.com/alo_oficial/status/382212426181009409/photo/1
 
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Beech Mtn

Oct 6, 2009
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hrotha said:
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.
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This. Sounds like Alonso has good business advisors, and will be better off forming his own team from scratch, without the financial baggage. And definitely new guys he can trust to run the team, since he's going to be gone all the time doing his own races.

Thought the press release from Euskaltel seemed a bit self-serving too, definitely an attempt to shift public blame to Alonso.

Libertine Seguros said:
Most recent rumour is he looks at ProContinental from scratch. He has a bit more time on that front but it's still a bit last minute and he'd probably end up having to cobble it together from leftovers from Euskaltel and journeymen in the Spanish scene anyway. Must be honest, it seems unlikely and more likely 2015 if he does come in, though he still seems fairly upbeat about entering the sport.

Updated earlier today from Fernando's Twitter:

https://twitter.com/alo_oficial/status/382212426181009409/photo/1
Click to expand...

2015 - Isn't that when Contador's contract with Riis is up? Maybe Alsonso can take some time, take his 4-year sponsor, plus whatever else AC brings to the table, and really build a solid setup.

Feel bad for the riders who may lose a job next year, though not so much for GdG.
 
ElChingon

ElChingon

Mar 10, 2009
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Libertine Seguros said:
Most recent rumour is he looks at ProContinental from scratch. He has a bit more time on that front but it's still a bit last minute and he'd probably end up having to cobble it together from leftovers from Euskaltel and journeymen in the Spanish scene anyway. Must be honest, it seems unlikely and more likely 2015 if he does come in, though he still seems fairly upbeat about entering the sport.

Updated earlier today from Fernando's Twitter:

https://twitter.com/alo_oficial/status/382212426181009409/photo/1
Click to expand...

Yea, here's one story: http://ciclismo.as.com/ciclismo/2013/09/23/mas_ciclismo/1379962783_306406.html

Glad to hear he will start from scratch as he seems to have his own idea(s) how the team should go (not that he's right or wrong, just wants it his way).

This leaves Euskatel to go out in flames with no one to even give them one Euro for their ProTour license, gotta hand it to them they know how to exit with nothing to show for their old team, crash and burn.

Supposedly Alonzo has a major sponsor lined up but they will only be satisfied with the big time if the ProTour and of course le Tour, sponsor is not named.

Gotta give it to him, he's doing it right lining up the big money first then getting the rest to work out with the money pushing his way through.

I'm thinking the team kit will be in red, a fast red :cool:
 
hfer07

hfer07

Mar 17, 2009
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pastronef said:
Sin embargo, Euskaltel ha apretado en las negociaciones y quiere que Alonso asuma el resto de contratos, lo que incluiría auxiliares y directores, además de proveedores como Orbea (bicicletas) y Bioracer (ropa), que tienen firmado un año más. Ese es el gran punto de divergencia, porque el piloto ya ha designado al exciclista Kiko García (ahora representante de las gafas Oakley) como mánager y pretende formar su propio cuerpo técnico.

Euskaltel wanted Alonso to buy the entire team structure (buses, cars, service course) and keep the management guys. And keep the contracts with Orbea and Bio-Racer (these contract are valid for 2014)

Alonso just needed the WT licence and the riders, having chosen Kiko Garcia as the new manager
Click to expand...

It means it was no clarity from day 1 on behalf of both parties-perhaps even more from EE to realize what the team should retain from the existing infrastructure and "sacrifice" in order to fit Alonso's vision onto the team's setup. Perhaps the "Basque identity" influenced too much on Alonso's decision to pull out, since he was looking "beyond" the regionalism attached to the team, and wanted to bring a broader international setup, having at his disposal the sponsors & the money in place to secure the project, specially the WT Licence..
 
hrotha

hrotha

Jun 10, 2010
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No. First of all, Alonso made his vision clear from day 1: he wanted an international WT team at the top level, he wasn't going to continue the Euskadi project. Secondly, the current Basque Pro Cycling owners had already done away with the philosophy at the end of last year, when they signed a bunch of random foreign riders with UCI points. The owners don't care one bit for the "Basque identity" - that's why currently there's a separate Conti Fundación Euskadi team.

People should wonder why last year Euskaltel was said to be assured for the next 3 or 4 seasons, with the company increasing the budget significantly, before it being revealed this year that they were actually contributing like double the money they should, and that therefore they would pull out. Where did that money go? Why does Galdeano prefer to shut down the team completely and to have fun with his useless WT licence rather than to sell that one asset he still has and which is marketable? Who wins here? The people who don't want Basque Pro Cycling's accounting to be looked at.
 
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Beech Mtn

Oct 6, 2009
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IIRC, the original announcement was that Euskaltel had ponied up the money for 3-4 more years in the WT. Then later the story came out that Euskaltel, while having increased its sponsorship amount, was still only really able to cover part of the needed budget. Team management had been expecting/looking for a second title sponsor to help fully fund the team. When that didn't happen, Euskaltel had to give more money for 2013 than they had originally intended. So the team was already this year living on "money borrowed from the future."

Supposedly GdG and co thought they would pick up another Basque sponsor, which seems insane, given that they had just broken with the Basque-only tradition, and didn't have quite the same level of public goodwill as in previous years. Plus the economy, etc.

Anyway, the team appears to have long had these financial issues, and I'd love to know what an audit would turn up.
 
SKSemtex

SKSemtex

Mar 24, 2013
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526946_10151919450774467_1237277279_n.jpg


I wonder whether people in Cannondale like this kind of photos.
 
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icefire

Sep 21, 2009
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SKSemtex said:
526946_10151919450774467_1237277279_n.jpg


I wonder whether people in Cannondale like this kind of photos.
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He got a Porsche after winning a bet to his sponsor on the points jersey and stage wins in his first tour. He's is just taking a driving lesson from the Master.
 
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icefire

Sep 21, 2009
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Libertine Seguros said:
I hope that's all it is. I would be a lot less keen to get behind the Alonso project if that *** was to lead it.
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I'm sorry. Which one of the two *** in the pic are talking about? :D
 
Libertine Seguros

Libertine Seguros

Feb 20, 2010
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pastronef said:
I agree, but little by little I am beginning to understand his strenght and incredible bike riding power and skills.
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I understand his strength and incredible bike riding power and skills. But I can't stand his self-serving "look at me, I'm so cool and casual!" antics and hope somebody can cut him down to size, and if I never see him win another race again in his career it'll be too soon. That smug grin needs wiping off his face.

A few months of struggling to achieve at the level he expected worked wonders for Cavendish's likability, maybe the same would do Sagan some good.
 
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