T-Mobile out

phil s
phil s Posts: 1,128
edited December 2007 in Pro race
T-Mobile, the mobile phone division of German telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom, said Tuesday it was ending its sponsorship of a major cycling team after a succession of doping scandals.
-- Dirk Hofman Motorhomes --
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Comments

  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    More here

    http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/TMo ... 64044.html

    Not great news and probably could've been avoided if the team management had made some tougher choices.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • According to the statement on their website the women's team has gone too, thought they might have kept that.

    http://www.t-mobile-team.com/tmo_team/servlet/pages/894700

    With immediate effect too :shock:
  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    It is sad to see this. I feel sorry for the guys at T mobile who have lost their jobs...surely the people who spoiled everything for this team over the last decade should stump up some of cash they earned from their methods to pay for the victims of their methods...the now unemployed team riders
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    This is bad, bad, bad. They left it really late too, because all the other teams are pretty much full, so if Stapleton can't find a sponsor soon.... shit creek.

    Edit: That's sh it creek, as in without a paddle. I thought we were grown ups here.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Dave_1 wrote:
    It is sad to see this. I feel sorry for the guys at T mobile who have lost their jobs...surely the people who spoiled everything for this team over the last decade should stump up some of cash they earned from their methods to pay for the victims of their methods...the now unemployed team riders

    The real world doesn't work that way though does it?
  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    whitley wrote:
    Dave_1 wrote:
    It is sad to see this. I feel sorry for the guys at T mobile who have lost their jobs...surely the people who spoiled everything for this team over the last decade should stump up some of cash they earned from their methods to pay for the victims of their methods...the now unemployed team riders

    The real world doesn't work that way though does it?

    True..I wish the riders could launch a lawsuit against Pevenage, Ullrich, Riis..., Zabel , Aldag, the Drs..it's just a shame for the T mob riders now...they've lost their jobs cause of what was done by the previous teams of telekom and T mobile. It's a bit like losing your job cause some senior management did something unethical and sank the company and everyone elses jobs.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    More:

    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id= ... /nov28news

    How can the team continue without a sponsor? And more to the point, a sponsor with a pot of cash as large as T-Mobile's?
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Maybe Bob is going to fund it?
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    iainf72 wrote:
    Maybe Bob is going to fund it?

    OK, Wikipedia says Bob is worth over $50 billion, so uh, yeah maybe. Didn't know he was THAT rich.
  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    iainf72 wrote:
    Maybe Bob is going to fund it?

    He's talking like he has somethiing up his sleeve eh...hope so, but that budget, a pro tour team budget is a big commitment...hard to imagine he has sponsors waiting in line
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    If that is the case then it's just Slipstream, funded by rich guy.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    afx237vi wrote:
    More:

    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id= ... /nov28news

    How can the team continue without a sponsor? And more to the point, a sponsor with a pot of cash as large as T-Mobile's?

    Don't you think that the i's have been dotted and the t's crossed already?
    Hard to imagine that a team could even contemplate continuing without a major sponsor already in place.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    On the bright side, at least it's the end of the magenta jersey.
  • [splutter] this is fcucking ridiculous [splutter]

    :shock:

    really angry with the approach of T-Mobile. They are not, and never have it would seem, serious about being a force for good in the pursuit of clean[er] cycling.

    Rule No.10 // It never gets easier, you just go faster
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    [splutter] this is fcucking ridiculous [splutter]

    :shock:

    really angry with the approach of T-Mobile. They are not, and never have it would seem, serious about being a force for good in the pursuit of clean[er] cycling.

    Is Bob Stapleton?

    Look at his track record over the last year and answer me truthfully. If you need reminding, kept Honchar, kept the Dr Ferrari massive (Sinkewitz, Rogers and Merckx), dodgy DS's who only admitted things when backed into a corner. Wanted to hire Zabel, hired Hincapie and had an anti-doping program that was more talk than substance.

    He's sold the sponsor and clean riders he's hired something which isn't close to the reality and has now paid the price.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Jeff Jones
    Jeff Jones Posts: 1,865
    The team will continue as Team High Road:

    http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/t ... ship-13340
    Jeff Jones

    Product manager, Sports
  • miffed
    miffed Posts: 469
    The compensation might be enough to run for a year or so. They had a contract if they want out im sure theyd have to have bought themselves out. Therefore some cash must be floating about.
    Puke washes out, Glory lasts forever
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    T-Mobile (the sponsor) had a contract until 2010. Perhaps Stapleton is using the buy-out money to keep the team floating for the next year.
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    afx237vi wrote:
    iainf72 wrote:
    Maybe Bob is going to fund it?

    OK, Wikipedia says Bob is worth over $50 billion, so uh, yeah maybe. Didn't know he was THAT rich.

    He's not. His company was sold for $50 billion, but Bob doesn't even make the Fortune 400 so must be worth less than $1.5 billion. My guess is he is worth substantially less- probably more the $50 million than $50 billion mark.
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    edited November 2007
    If you were Riis ,Ullrich or Zabel with millions of quid in the bank and know you chased a huge sponsor out the sport with doping headlines...would you feel comfortable with your winnings when you see the riders of today dumped onto the dole by you?
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Dave_1 wrote:
    If you were Riis ,Ullrich or Zabel with millions of quid in the bank and know you chased a hughe sponsor out the sport with doping headlines...would you feel comfortable with your winnings when you see the riders of today dumped onto the dole by you?

    Yes.
  • Strange timing??
    Dare I ask if it has anything to do with the story that was withdrawn from Cycling News yesterday regarding Uncle Bob investigating the Sponsors?
  • iainf72 wrote:
    [splutter] this is fcucking ridiculous [splutter]

    :shock:

    really angry with the approach of T-Mobile. They are not, and never have it would seem, serious about being a force for good in the pursuit of clean[er] cycling.

    Is Bob Stapleton?

    Look at his track record over the last year and answer me truthfully. If you need reminding, kept Honchar, kept the Dr Ferrari massive (Sinkewitz, Rogers and Merckx), dodgy DS's who only admitted things when backed into a corner. Wanted to hire Zabel, hired Hincapie and had an anti-doping program that was more talk than substance.

    He's sold the sponsor and clean riders he's hired something which isn't close to the reality and has now paid the price.

    That's a whole other debate.

    The point I'm trying to make is T-Mob made changes including appointing Stapleton and carried on in cycling with an explicit aim of riding clean.

    It became apparent that the changes were superficial through the season and T-Mob reviewed their approach and re-committed.

    They've now decided to throw in the towel, which just goes to show they were never serious about making the hard decisions. They cannot influence cleaner cycling by cutting and running.

    That is fcucking ridiculous!

    Whether Stapleton is serious about clean cycling time will tell. The evidence you ascribe to support your view is at best circumstantial and I decline to comment further. I will not sanctify or castigate him. But I would probably rather a Stapleton over a Museeuw or Echavarri...

    Rule No.10 // It never gets easier, you just go faster
  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    whitley wrote:
    Dave_1 wrote:
    If you were Riis ,Ullrich or Zabel with millions of quid in the bank and know you chased a hughe sponsor out the sport with doping headlines...would you feel comfortable with your winnings when you see the riders of today dumped onto the dole by you?

    Yes.

    Fair enough, why?
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    Dave_1 wrote:
    whitley wrote:
    Dave_1 wrote:
    If you were Riis ,Ullrich or Zabel with millions of quid in the bank and know you chased a hughe sponsor out the sport with doping headlines...would you feel comfortable with your winnings when you see the riders of today dumped onto the dole by you?

    Yes.

    Fair enough, why?

    It's the nature of the game.
    It's the one's who don't make the headlines apropos doping ,or should that be do, by their constant denial and clever lawyers who have seen the sport sink into the depths of abject discredibility who are the problem and root cause of sponsors fleeing.
    I really don't think any sanctioned pro should be held accountable when things go wrong.
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    The T-Mobile team website has now been taken off-line with the exception of the statement announcing the end of sponsorship.


    I've noticed from several other fora and chatrooms that many believe T-Mobile's exit to be sole fault of Pat Sinkewitz!
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    The point I'm trying to make is T-Mob made changes including appointing Stapleton and carried on in cycling with an explicit aim of riding clean.

    I guess it's down to whether you took T-Mobile at face value.

    They're running a business, not a cycling charity, so at the end of the day, if it doesn't make business sense to continue they're better off out of it.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    LangerDan wrote:

    I've noticed from several other fora and chatrooms that many believe T-Mobile's exit to be sole fault of Pat Sinkewitz!

    Okay......

    Who does everyone blame?

    Dave_1 is in the Ullrich / Riis camp.

    Me - Bobby Stapleton
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • dave_1
    dave_1 Posts: 9,512
    iainf72 wrote:
    LangerDan wrote:

    I've noticed from several other fora and chatrooms that many believe T-Mobile's exit to be sole fault of Pat Sinkewitz!

    Okay......

    Who does everyone blame?

    Dave_1 is in the Ullrich / Riis camp.

    Me - Bobby Stapleton

    :D How can Bob be blamed for what happened before he was there?
  • The Sponsors? For not taking more of an interest before?
    Godefroot? Maybe?