BillytheKid said:
Good research. This backs up my previous point. Perhaps the Mercedes end of the deal could have amounted to little more than team vehicles only. The amount signage does point the way to the truth. The more of it you see, the more the sponsor has paid in. Money talks. Period. And not just in the US of A.
That doesn't excuse the apparent bulldozing of the sponsorship deal.
It's common courtesy to include the parties concerned, but Becca & Bruyneel seem to have done the deal without even mentioning it to anyone affected. Not the sponsors, not the riders, nor the support staff.
How can this look to potential sponsors? Contracts signed for several years are seemingly not worth the paper their written on. That comes across as one thing at best, unprofessional or worse, dishonourable.
It's fine to have merger talks that include the affected parties, such as existing sponsors however small. Jaguar sponsor Team Sky but don't feature on the jersey, nor do many bike sponsors. But that does not mean that they haven't made an investment in their team and deserve to be treated with respect.
It is interesting that the parties involved in arranging this merger/takeover didn't have the good grace to inform riders, staff & existing sponsors
before releasing a press statement. As a result the enduring image I will have of the LeOpard/TRS affair is one of bungling mismanagement and callous disregard for the people most important to the project's success - the staff. Whatever team spirit LeOpard had has been compromised fatally IMO.