Unibet gone

iainf72

http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug=re ... &type=lgns

Poor guys on the team - They've not even had a chance to show much this year.

'king Pro Tour nonsense.

Kléber

The sponsor and riders have been royally shafted by the UCI. After shelling out for the Pro Tour licence, they got nothing in return, although questions must be asked of a company willing to spend millions on something without checking the validity of the promises given by the team managers and the UCI, namely that they'd ride the Tour de France.

Ironically the Verbruggen-McQuaid plan did exactly the opposite of what it promised, the whole scheme's been the not-so-ProTour. Still, it's raised plenty of money for the UCI which sold the licences, should keep them in cashmere blazers and slacks for some time to come.

They might as well have remained as a small Belgian team, they'd still be functioning.

vermooten

You certainly can't blame Unibet for pulling out, shame though it is. Does this mean there'll be some Canyons with Lightweights going cheap?? Every cloud etc etc

Eurostar

Is this perhaps another nail in the coffin for the UCI? I imagine a lot of time is being spent in smoke-filled rooms by the GT organisers and AIGCP about now, hatching their masterplan for world domination. I just can't wait to see McQuaid consigned to the rubbish bin of history. Do you think it really might happen?

Mr Bumble

Unibet is cycling's loss...

It was disgusting to see how both ASO and the UCI treated them like a meaningless pawn in a powergame.... neither side showing the slightest remorse or even interest in the riders and their abilities.

I wonder who is going to fill the sponsor gap...

No more:

Astana
Cofidis
Discovery
Unibet

Jeremy Hunt has shown some class but the prohibition must be driving him mental

andyp

Eurostar wrote:

Is this perhaps another nail in the coffin for the UCI? I imagine a lot of time is being spent in smoke-filled rooms by the GT organisers and AIGCP about now, hatching their masterplan for world domination. I just can't wait to see McQuaid consigned to the rubbish bin of history. Do you think it really might happen?

I think the UCI will be told to get back to concentrating on governing the sport alone and not acting as chief promoter too. Hein Verbruggen fancied himself as a Bernie Ecclestone like figure but forgot that he didn't actually own the TV rights, and hence the revenue flow, to any of the races other than the Worlds.

McQuaid is Verbruggen's stooge and I'd be surprised if he isn't removed from his post when the UCI convenes at the Worlds in Stuttgart.

Eurostar

What do you make of Prudhomme's threats to circumvent the UCI?

Kléber

There's no need for the UCI in some senses. Yes, it sets race rules and this is useful but it's the race organisers and teams who run the sport. These have been the driving forces behind the changes in pro cycling recently, not the UCI.

A governing body should operate in the background, acting to co-ordinate policy so that, for example, races have harmonious rules and ensuring federations from around the world have a forum to discuss the sport, from elite road racing to mountain biking to bike polo. In short, it should be a unifying force that serves the sport, not bossing it.

As we saw from McQuaid's narrow election, the national federations were split when it came to picking him, there were serious complaints about cronyism alledged against the Verbruggen-McQuaid camp. Since then, instead of a unifying umbrella over the sport, we've had divisive ideas so solve problems that didn't exist and inaction over the problems that certainly do exist. The governing body's tried to create a calendar of favourite events and attempting to create a cartel of teams, where entry to races would be determined by financial and administrative criteria alone.

When it comes to the Tour de France, the UCI needs ASO alot more than ASO needs the UCI. I'd like it if ASO could be charitable and encourage the UCI to sort itself out but it doesn't need to bother. After years of cock-ups - eg Leblanc didn't want Virenque ever to race again the Tour but the UCI said he had the right to come back - why should Prudhomme bother?

thebongolian

So do Unibet have a case against UCI for not delivering the promise of guaranteed GT entries? If so I'd be taking it up...

Agree the PT is looking increasingly defunct but there is a definite need for a similar kinda set up. The GTs are the main draw for sponsors plus a few other races. I wouldn't be prepared to put major Euros into a team unless it had guaranteed entries. And the GTs become worthless if they don't get the best riders teams involved.

Reckon ASO, the Giro, Vuelta and leading teams need to stitch something up and who cares if UCI is out of the picture. They could then get on with doing their job: catching dopers

LangerDan

Who, pray tell, is going to run cycling at the level below Div 1 / Pro Tour. Certainly not ASO. This is solely a pissing contest about who makes the money at the top level of the sport. Its not really any different to saying there is no need for the FA or FIFA as long as Sky pay the Premiership clubs their money.

The UCI have made a complete balls of things but I don't believe that pro cycling should be whatever ASO believes it should be. To quote PJ O'Rourke, "it's a compromise,in the same way that getting bitten in half by a shark is a compromise to being swallowed whole".

There has to be another way

Salsiccia

Again, this is the sport of cycling doing it's best to p*** sponsors and fans off.

You would think, given the current climate, that both UCI and ASO et al would do what it could to try and encourage sponsors to continue. Instead, they carry on trying to score points off each other while the sport goes up the swanny.

Eurostar

yebbut - how far will Prudhomme go? So far he's threatened not to collaborate with the UCI on the 2008 Tour. Presumably that would also apply to ASO's other ProTour races which are (I think) Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Flèche Wallonne and Paris-Tours.

What next? Will chaos ensue? Will ACS and Unipublic withdraw the Giro and the Vuelta from the ProTour, plus the other four ProTour races they organise?

Then what? Why should the teams carry on paying the UCI? Would the ProTour fold up? Who would do the testing at the ASO, ACS and Unipublic races? Will the organisers do it themselves? Or ask ACE to open a European operation and introduce a much better organised unified testing regime?

Or maybe Prudhomme won't follow through - he's just playing politics to stop McQuaid getting reelected?

I find all this stuff fascinating - would love to be on the inside.

iainf72

Eurostar wrote:

Then what? Why should the teams carry on paying the UCI? Would the ProTour fold up? Who would do the testing at the ASO, ACS and Unipublic races? Will the organisers do it themselves? Or ask ACE to open a European operation and introduce a much better organised unified testing regime?

ASO have said they would work with the French ADA and WADA to do the testing at the Tour.

drenkrom

Damn! those guys didn't even have a chance to show form to clinch a new contract. Lots of good riders will be taking substantial salary cuts this off-season, with the teams folding. And lots of domestiques might have to open a café in southern France. sad.

Langenberg

vermooten wrote:

You certainly can't blame Unibet for pulling out, shame though it is. Does this mean there'll be some Canyons with Lightweights going cheap?? Every cloud etc etc

Hardly used as well. :!:

iainf72

Some comments from Unibet "Sack McQuaid" basically.

http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug=re ... &type=lgns

CM92S4E

I think its pretty much a disgrace that they weren't in the tour, and now its all come down to this. Feel sorry for Unibet.

top_bhoy

iainf72 wrote:

Some comments from Unibet "Sack McQuaid" basically.

http://sports.yahoo.com/sc/news?slug=re ... &type=lgns

Yes - but that was only a part of that article. He was equally, perhaps even more so, scathing of ASO. Not forgetting severe criticism of IPCT and Lefevre. All in, he was condeming the whole organisation of Pro cycling.

You get the feeling however that Unibet would come back to the sport if the sport ever gets round to sorting itself out!!

iainf72

Top_Bhoy wrote:

Yes - but that was only a part of that article. He was equally, perhaps even more so, scathing of ASO. Not forgetting severe criticism of IPCT and Lefevre. All in, he was condeming the whole organisation of Pro cycling.

Indeed. The thing is the PT looks like a way of buying entry to certain races (ie the Tour) and it's just not. Unibet were obviously aware they weren't going to get into the Tour on an invite and threw some money at the problem.

All parties are to blame in some way.

LangerDan

"Sack McQuaid" is much easier to write than "Sack McQuaid, Prudhomme, Lefevre and the muppets from our legal department who haven't been able get an injunction together in 8 months"

They ALL want a good slap.

skavanagh.bikeradar

This is indeed a shame. The old Palmans jersey that Hunt and Hammond wore is the only bit of replica kit I own. How do we save pro cycling from itself? Anyone got a thought out way forward as an alternative to the current pro tour cock up?

iainf72

CM92S4E wrote:

I think its pretty much a disgrace that they weren't in the tour, and now its all come down to this. Feel sorry for Unibet.

Interesting article on the Daily Peloton discussing that fact that Unibet's business is basically a vice, and would we be happy with cycling teams advertising cigarettes or alchocol?

Kléber

If it's legal, it's possible. Gaming might be a vice and that's why the French only allow a state monopoly for online gaming, so they can control it (and pocket the massive tax revenues of course). That's why Liverpool had to play in plain shirts in yesterday's Champions League game in France, instead of advertising lager.

Unibet should have been allowed to race in France with the "?" jersey, or as the Canyon Bikes team. But by the time this was done, McQuaid and ASO were wrestling each other in the gutter.

ContrelaMontre

iainf72 wrote:

CM92S4E wrote:

I think its pretty much a disgrace that they weren't in the tour, and now its all come down to this. Feel sorry for Unibet.

Interesting article on the Daily Peloton discussing that fact that Unibet's business is basically a vice, and would we be happy with cycling teams advertising cigarettes or alchocol?

Well McDonalds used to sponsor De Nardi. Hardly see a difference myself!

And are Gitane any relation of their namesakes?

I'd actually be surprised if an alcohol company has never sponsored a cycling team! Don't Michelob sponsor someone?

Eurostar

I'm sure there used to be a continental beer sponsor.

They may as well ban Predictor for promoting shagging.