Fernando Alonso: No Contador team just yet

[StyrbjornSterki]

Refers briefly to his cycling team plans in a mostly F1 interview, cites AC's new contract as the reason but leaves the door open.

http://www.gazzetta.it/Motori/Formula1/08-09-2010/alonso-vincere-monza-711066867912.shtml

 

[Arnout]

I think at the moment he is too busy with racing for Ferrari.

 

[Machu Picchu]

I’m usually encouraged and enjoy hearing about new cycling teams starting up but something about this one just seems like a bad idea, suppose it depends who else would get involved, not that I see it happening.

 

[Ferminal]

If it was going to happen it would've happened 2009/2010, it's (never) going to happen now - at least in the near future.

 

[Arnout]

If it was going to happen it would've happened 2009/2010, it's (never) going to happen now - at least in the near future.

He can of course choose to sponsor Saxobank from 2012 onwards, as Saxobank will only exist another year.

 

[Vonn Brinkman]

He can of course choose to sponsor Saxobank from 2012 onwards, as Saxobank will only exist another year.

But then the team would become VERY Spanish. Right now with the invasion of the Spanish armada into Saxo Bank, Bjarne Riis' team is already globalizing, and if Alonso would start to sponsor the team, it would be Spanisized (or however you would say that).
Don't think Riis would appreciate 15 Spanish riders in his team. But then again, he seems to be going for the biggest and the best, so who knows?

 

[Arnout]

But then the team would become VERY Spanish. Right now with the invasion of the Spanish armada into Saxo Bank, Bjarne Riis' team is already globalizing, and if Alonso would start to sponsor the team, it would be Spanisized (or however you would say that).
Don't think Riis would appreciate 15 Spanish riders in his team. But then again, he seems to be going for the biggest and the best, so who knows?

He may not have much choice. And it seems the core of the current team is already leaving because of the Spanish invasion.

 

[Vonn Brinkman]

He may not have much choice. And it seems the core of the current team is already leaving because of the Spanish invasion.

True, but I think we'll have to wait and see which other riders Riis will attract this year, if he includes more Northern and Eastern Europeans, he could balance the effect of the Spanish a bit.

 

[Barrus]

Well, what I find interesting is that Riis had a mystery sponsor. With this mystery sponsor he attracted Contador. This ensured that Saxo remained as a sponsor, was the mystery sponsor Alonso?

 

[GroupDK]

Well, what I find interesting is that Riis had a mystery sponsor. With this mystery sponsor he attracted Contador. This ensured that Saxo remained as a sponsor, was the mystery sponsor Alonso?

No i guess it was spezialized (Contador sponsor) that was the unknown sponsor with Sungard.

And Spez. would sponsor the team if there Man aka. Contador could come too Riis, and Contador as teamcaptain and then they together could made an awesome team.

But then i guess the danish sponsor Saxo-bank heard about that Contador was going and chosing Riis team, and then they was sad that they not could be a part of that project, but then they succeded in bying the other ??? (spez) sponsor out and taking there place.
You also have to remember what part and have much notice Saxo-bank got under this summer Tour de france.
It was Saxo-bank all over the place in the media, and the newspaper write page up and page down about saxo-bank and this was from day one when fabian took the yellow jersey and so on to the end..

So they got a hole lot of fokus in the media, and this and contador i guess was the reason they wanted to buy the other sponsors place..

But im looking foreward to see Riis and Contador working together, i got a feeling tht they could be a pefect pair.

I guess there both got personalitys that are pretty down to earth, and dont have this (here comes I and too high on him self) attitude and respect for each other oppinion.
All in all, i got a feeling that Contador is a good-guy with a pretty big heart, and someone who is using his brain and thinks a lot about things and other, instead of a guy there only have eye for them self and all the time, me me me me.
Could likely be related to hís diffiuclt time in life, with his serius head-operation, that set the hole aspect of "life" in perspective.

 

[JPM London]

He can of course choose to sponsor Saxobank from 2012 onwards, as Saxobank will only exist another year.

Nobody's saying Saxo definitely leaves by the end of 2011 AFAIK - they have just only extended for the coming year. And SunGard is still a title sponsor at that time - it's also possible they'd want to take on the full responsibility at that time. As mentioned by someone else I think it's highly likely that Specialized is standing in the background and would be ready to step in...

Also I'd find it more likely than not Alonso would want to start his team from scratch instead of just buying into a team already established as one of the best over several years - what would be the achievement in that?

He may not have much choice. And it seems the core of the current team is already leaving because of the Spanish invasion.

Most of them already declared they were leaving before the "invasion" so I don't think that the case at all. The leaving riders are either following Kim/Schlecks or moving to teams where they are to play bigger roles - I think that's the key for the moves...