Rabobank quits cycling!

[theyoungest]

The two biggest Rabobank fans of this forum speak out

Of course the Dutch media are ruthless, and Rabobank was seen as the boring, underperforming team. But this is what Rabobank asked for themselves when they asked them to clean up the mess.

 

[Kwibus]

Of course they do. The public opinion and media attention in the NL hasn't been favorable for years. That's all that matters to a sponsor.

The reason is the huge sh*tstorm they are getting for 2 years of doping news. Not because of the performances.

Seriously blinded by Rabohatred.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

The reason is the huge sh*tstorm they are getting for 2 years of doping news. Not because of the performances.

Seriously blinded by Rabohatred.

Why do you even react to him? It's a waste of effort

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

The reason is the huge sh*tstorm they are getting for 2 years of doping news. Not because of the performances.

Seriously blinded by Rabohatred.

uh they also got a ton of **** because lack of results. I remember how much they got mocked and laughed at by numerous tv programs and paper articles in recent years, especially during the tour. rabo got a ton of bad press

 

[theyoungest]

Yes. But what we now hear from inside the team (as opposed to your wild guesswork) is that the bank didn't see a possibility to get those results in a fair way, because the sport is sick, as they put it. And yes, the press are unforgiving in that sense, so then it makes no sense for a sponsor to stay in the sport. No results, and only bullsh.t about old doping cases on their team, when they're trying to clean up.

 

[Kwibus]

Interesting enough Tjallingi said today that he's convinced that Rabobank is the cleanest team in the peloton right now.

I must add that I've only heard someone say that Tjallingi said this in an interview in the NRC. I couldn't find it online though unfortunately.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

The reason is the huge sh*tstorm they are getting for 2 years of doping news. Not because of the performances.

Seriously blinded by Rabohatred.

I didn't say they ultimately dropped out because of disappointing performances or bad press about results. What I was responding to was if the Rabo execs believed the team was a joke. Perceptions matter to a sponsor. And it has been that way for a couple years now in the media and among the public, a contingent of loyal LaFlorecitas notwithstanding.

It's mostly because of targets / expectations / performances for the TDF and to a lesser extent, other big races. Hell yes, they care. The media were the #1 reason they kicked Breukink and them out. ...and not because of their doping past. A few more years of NO major results would have likely amounted to the same thing.

Yes. But what we now hear from inside the team (as opposed to your wild guesswork) is that the bank didn't see a possibility to get those results in a fair way, because the sport is sick, as they put it. And yes, the press are unforgiving in that sense, so then it makes no sense for a sponsor to stay in the sport. No results, and only bullsh.t about old doping cases on their team, when they're trying to clean up.

Media statements are worse than "guesswork" or connecting the dots. It's typically only PR, even if it's not presented as such, so why would this be any different? Yeah, I'm sure Rabobank genuinely hate the UCI, but then again maybe they're not being entirely honest. It could also be largely due to the whole Barredo thing.

As for competing "clean", the team, not the sponsor, certainly believed they could compete. As late as 2011 their targets were pretty damn high. Unrealistically high, based on past performances. That had little to do with current doping practices in the peloton. Any casual fan could see that they weren't in touch with reality.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Interesting enough Tjallingi said today that he's convinced that Rabobank is the cleanest team in the peloton right now.

I must add that I've only heard someone say that Tjallingi said this in an interview in the NRC. I couldn't find it online though unfortunately.

how is that interesting? it would've been more interesting had he said that rabobank was not the cleanest team in cycling.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Yes. But what we now hear from inside the team (as opposed to your wild guesswork) is that the bank didn't see a possibility to get those results in a fair way, because the sport is sick, as they put it. And yes, the press are unforgiving in that sense, so then it makes no sense for a sponsor to stay in the sport. No results, and only bullsh.t about old doping cases on their team, when they're trying to clean up.

I wonder what you have to do now rabobank is gone. since I (hope at least for you) you got paid by rabobank to defend them at every turn.

still one last thing about this. the bank said they gave up with uci, they didn't say good results were unatainable under the current circumstances because if they are then they are indireclty saying gesink for instance used to dope, as he now rides a lot less in last few years. or how did mollema get 4th in the vuelta and this year nothing?

 

[theyoungest]

Media statements are worse than "guesswork" or connecting the dots. It's typically only PR, even if it's not presented as such, so why would this be any different? Yeah, I'm sure Rabobank genuinely hate the UCI, but then again maybe they're not being entirely honest. It could also be largely due to the whole Barredo thing.

My comment wasn't based on the press release, but on an interesting discussion with Richard Plugge, among others, in Langs de Lijn. You should listen to it, might be enlightening.

As for competing "clean", the team, not the sponsor, certainly believed they could compete. As late as 2011 their targets were pretty damn high. Unrealistically high, based on past performances. That had little to do with current doping practices in the peloton. Any casual fan could see that they weren't in touch with reality.

It's interesting that you can "connect the dots" every which way it suits you, but you can't stop and think that maybe Knebel was trying to please the Dutch press, who indeed have unrealistic expectations, and constantly judge the riders by those standards. They're supposed to be 100% clean, and podium in GTS and win major classics.

I wonder what you have to do now rabobank is gone. since I (hope at least for you) you got paid by rabobank to defend them at every turn.

Not at every turn, the amount of nonsense you spew on these boards is impossible to keep up with.

still one last thing about this. the bank said they gave up with uci, they didn't say good results were unatainable under the current circumstances because if they are then they are indireclty saying gesink for instance used to dope, as he now rides a lot less in last few years. or how did mollema get 4th in the vuelta and this year nothing?

I assume at Rabobank they have some sense of what it means to break a leg, as opposed to you.

 

[summerhill]

http://www.wijkopenderaboploeg.nl/

We buy the Rabobank team

 

[Kwibus]

I wonder what you have to do now rabobank is gone. since I (hope at least for you) you got paid by rabobank to defend them at every turn.

still one last thing about this. the bank said they gave up with uci, they didn't say good results were unatainable under the current circumstances because if they are then they are indireclty saying gesink for instance used to dope, as he now rides a lot less in last few years. or how did mollema get 4th in the vuelta and this year nothing?

Pointing at my signature. It's just hilarious.

 

[farrider78]

Sad to say, but I believe this is just the first of many that will now pull their sponsorships. I'm not condoning what Lance and Johan did in the past, but I wonder if USADA considered the impact on the rest of the sport. I think the future is very shaky.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

My comment wasn't based on the press release, but on an interesting discussion with Richard Plugge, among others, in Langs de Lijn. You should listen to it, might be enlightening.

I'm listening to it. He doesn't say anything about the sponsor's reasons for dropping out that the press release didn't say ... and I'm already 45 minutes in. It makes sense from a propaganda POV that the sponsor's message to the team and the media was consistent, so I'm not sure what's supposed to be "enlightening" about all this. Not even the host seemed to believe that the good results are unattainable while performing clean* / the UCI is dirty and incapable were the reasons for them dropping out -- as the sponsor and Plugge claim -- BUT rather the bad press about the team.

Hesjedal won the Giro, so don't give me that crap.

It's interesting that you can "connect the dots" every which way it suits you, but you can't stop and think that maybe Knebel was trying to please the Dutch press, who indeed have unrealistic expectations, and constantly judge the riders by those standards. They're supposed to be 100% clean, and podium in GTS and win major classics.

He's a complete idiot then. You're supposed to manage expectations when they're getting way out of control in the media, not play into them.

 

[ILovecycling]

http://www.wijkopenderaboploeg.nl/

We buy the Rabobank team

102 000 euros,this is not enough for the first day

 

[RedheadDane]

Hmm... if they don't get another name sponsor, what do you wanna bet they'll just continue to be referred to as Rabobank?
Because The Team Without a Name, just doesn't have the same ring to it...

 

[SafeBet]

Hmm... if they don't get another name sponsor, what do you wanna bet they'll just continue to be referred to as Rabobank?
Because The Team Without a Name, just doesn't have the same ring to it...

Indeed, Rabofail sounds much better than Teamwithoutanamefail

 

[GazelleFormula]

Laurens ten Dam seems pretty confident that they have a new sponsor. Check his avatar https://twitter.com/laurenstendam

 

[Afrank]

Laurens ten Dam seems pretty confident that they have a new sponsor. Check his avatar https://twitter.com/laurenstendam

Wouldn't surprise me at all if they became the Giant pro cycling team. Although I hope they keep some orange in the kit.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Not really surprised to be honest. And I don't really blame the sponsor, so much negative press and negative media. First and foremost rabobank are a business, not the sole-responsibility for dutch cycling. There comes a point where an investment is no longer worth following. I refuse to actually blame the company here, they were undoubtedly loyal to a sport that has a dark history and despite cleaning its act to some extent in recent years, still has serious flaws, especially from the top down.

I'm not about to fully speculate why the reasons they quit, but I am certain there is more to it then the UCI corruption and a sick sport that the press-release stated, which lets be frank is not that untrue. I suspect it is a mixture of:
- UCI and sport corruption
- Media pressure
- (to a lesser extent) the negative media from nonperforming in bog races. I am certain this is not the reason they quit, but might have contributed to a lesser extent.

I suspect the report was just the tipping point and the vulnerabilities have existed for such a situation for a long time and likely do so for man teams also. I believe they have lost faith in the sport to some degree and do any of you trust the uci? If you're company was being ridiculed (despite pumping heaps of many into dutch cycling for the past 17 years) and affecting the image of the business would you really want to continue? asif...

I also don't buy into the claims (of some here) that the bank and board where in the know of the dodgy environment within the team environment. Agree (with others) that there with have been indirect and hindsight believes in regards to this.

That being said it is impossible not to be a little sadden by this. Some will lose jobs, especially staff members and what not. I think most of the WT team will be fine, maybe one or two will retire or end up at a lower team. It is also very sad for the women team, for obvious reasons.

In terms of dutch cycling on a whole it is a massive blow too, say what you will about rabo but having a dedicated sponsor to developing dutch talent has started to bear some fruit in the past few years (in before dutch fail etc). Still haven't seen clarification on the PC team? But if they end that would be a real shame, because this has been a really good program in my opinion.

For cycling on a whole it is pretty big too, I firmly think the sport needs to crumble collapse and the UCI disband for the sport to really come good again. There has been too much corruption, too much dark history and too many scandals for a simple 'reshuffle' at the top. The sport almost needs to hit rock bottom and rebuild at this stage; it's all fine that people are saying the new generation is approaching the sport in the right frame but the problem is we still have the old problems right at the top. I hope this really builds the pressure on the UCI and if more teams need to go for the UCI to be eliminated from cycling, then so be it.

 

[CobbleStoner]

everybody, pro's and fans alike, STFU and ride your bike!
that is all, have a nice day

(only 124 days until Het Volk)

 

[TheEnoculator]

If Giant becomes the title sponsor, I think they'll keep the nationality of the team as Dutch. Too many Dutch riders to move it somewhere else.

 

[theyoungest]

Wouldn't surprise me at all if they became the Giant pro cycling team. Although I hope they keep some orange in the kit.

I hope not. This is their chance to get rid of that b.utt ugly kit.

 

[El Pistolero]

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

If Giant becomes the title sponsor, I think they'll keep the nationality of the team as Dutch. Too many Dutch riders to move it somewhere else.

they won't. giant is very international. they had a team in taiwan that had riders from all over the world.