H T C

plowmar
plowmar Posts: 1,032
edited July 2011 in Pro race
Have I missed something?, are H T C in trouble (again)?

That's going to be some garage sale if they are.
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Comments

  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    HTC's sponsorship ends this year and there's no replacement as yet. They never managed to get a co-sponsor, so it's not looking good for them.

    With Omega splitting up, RadioShack's future uncertain and Leopard still sponsorless, cycling's not looking too healthy at the moment.

    The transfer market will certainly be a buyers market.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • chrisbonnie
    chrisbonnie Posts: 55
    I would of thought HTC would be happy with their exposure through cycling,

    They seem to be as big as iPhones, and dont they even have the cycling team in a tv add??
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    If you were HTC and there wasn't a co-sponsor would you be rushing in to re-sign for next year, or trying to get a better deal?
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    I'm not sure what Cuddly Bob does, but he does something wrong as he seems to have difficulty getting sponsors. That said, they tend to launch co-sponsors at the TdF which indicates how things are going.

    But HighHorse get a lot of results, seem to be a level above everyone else in spotting and developing talent but still struggle. Very odd.

    Being American isn't helping I suppose, as the sport is becoming increasingly toxic over there. Shack future looks unlikely, BMC are likely to take some heavy fall out from big Jeff's investigation - Only Father Vaughters seems to be in good shape.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    iainf72 wrote:
    I'm not sure what Cuddly Bob does, but he does something wrong as he seems to have difficulty getting sponsors. That said, they tend to launch co-sponsors at the TdF which indicates how things are going.

    But HighHorse get a lot of results, seem to be a level above everyone else in spotting and developing talent but still struggle. Very odd.

    .

    Might be to do with just high costs. He may be asking a high price.
    _
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,204
    A team with winners like Martin, Cav, Goss and now Gegenkolb will surely attract sponsors? They must have had the most race wins in the last few years surely? The big problem they are going to have though would appear to be holding onto the people who give them those wins and if their future looks in doubt keeping those riders will be even harder so a bit of a Catch 22 situation developing?
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,461
    Posted elsewhere by FF
    frenchfighter wrote:
    I dont see many teams losing sponsors or jobs due to 'dirty image'.

    One or two doesnt prove anything.

    CSC - doping related?

    To be honest I think the reality is that things function just fine.

    Arguably the two biggest teams, in terms of quality and depth of riders, in the sport, Leopard-Trek and HTC-High Road are struggling to get sponsorship. The sport has an image problem and situations like the Contador one certainly don't help address that.

    The question is, can the UCI resolve it or is someone else going to have to step in and make those whose livelihoods depend on the sport understand the hard reality that they need to change their attitudes?
  • stfc1
    stfc1 Posts: 505
    chrisbonnie wrote:
    I would have thought HTC would be happy with their exposure through cycling,

    They seem to be as big as iPhones, and dont they even have the cycling team in a tv add??

    HTC, having gone from needing Mark Cavendish to demonstrate on a Tour de France finish line just what it is that they do to being a major player in that market in Europe in two years, might be thinking they've got what they wanted out of Highroad and cycling and can move on.
  • Abdoujaparov
    Abdoujaparov Posts: 642
    stfc1 wrote:
    chrisbonnie wrote:
    I would have thought HTC would be happy with their exposure through cycling,

    They seem to be as big as iPhones, and dont they even have the cycling team in a tv add??

    HTC, having gone from needing Mark Cavendish to demonstrate on a Tour de France finish line just what it is that they do to being a major player in that market in Europe in two years, might be thinking they've got what they wanted out of Highroad and cycling and can move on.

    Yep, you'd have thought HTC would want to move on to bigger, higher profile things.

    Sky's interest is different as cycling is part of their corporate social responsibility strategy, while also giving them frequent exposure on other broadcasters and satisifying James Murdoch's personal interest.
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    andyp wrote:
    Posted elsewhere by FF
    frenchfighter wrote:
    I dont see many teams losing sponsors or jobs due to 'dirty image'.

    One or two doesnt prove anything.

    CSC - doping related?

    To be honest I think the reality is that things function just fine.

    Arguably the two biggest teams, in terms of quality and depth of riders, in the sport, Leopard-Trek and HTC-High Road are struggling to get sponsorship. The sport has an image problem and situations like the Contador one certainly don't help address that.

    The question is, can the UCI resolve it or is someone else going to have to step in and make those whose livelihoods depend on the sport understand the hard reality that they need to change their attitudes?

    He was responding to me, and I was jst about to post the exact same quote. Especially regards Cancellara and the Schlecks still not able to drum up a sponsor.

    Damn your quick fingers!
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • ms_tree
    ms_tree Posts: 1,405
    Well Brian Smith was talking about over the last couple of days during the Dauphine. Something about there being no love lost between Bob and Cavendish. Come on Bri - give us the heads up what's going on.
    'Google can bring back a hundred thousand answers. A librarian can bring you back the right one.'
    Neil Gaiman
  • sportvan
    sportvan Posts: 105
    Not looking good if 2 big teams cannot get sponsors and there's only a limit to what their
    personal backers are going to put in in the long term.
    Unfortunately a lot of the lesser known riders have an uncertain furture ahead of themselves. It must be hard as some ex protour riders are riding for almost nothing in the halfords protour series.
  • BrianS
    BrianS Posts: 112
    Ms Tree wrote:
    Well Brian Smith was talking about over the last couple of days during the Dauphine. Something about there being no love lost between Bob and Cavendish. Come on Bri - give us the heads up what's going on.

    Cav will not ride with High Road in 2012. Best bet is Sky. HTC may well stay in cycling.
    www.braveheartfund.com
  • rebs
    rebs Posts: 891
    This makes it even more interesting Goss and Cav are at the TDS. They both appear to be heading to the tour as well.

    Strange though as HTC just keep producing talent every year recently.
  • All The Gears
    All The Gears Posts: 163
    BrianS wrote:
    Ms Tree wrote:
    Well Brian Smith was talking about over the last couple of days during the Dauphine. Something about there being no love lost between Bob and Cavendish. Come on Bri - give us the heads up what's going on.

    Cav will not ride with High Road in 2012. Best bet is Sky. HTC may well stay in cycling.

    I think Cav's succession at HTC has been on the cards since his contract wranglings.
    The emergence of Goss and Degenkolb have probably only served to weaken Cav's negotiating position.

    I think what will also be interesting,is whether Renshaw will follow Cav or whether Sky think their lead out is already good enough ?
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Comments from Cuddly Bob

    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/htc-hig ... -a-sponsor
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • Doobz
    Doobz Posts: 2,800
    Team Astana Highroad?
    cartoon.jpg
  • Noclue
    Noclue Posts: 503
    Surely those with the most to gain from sponsorship would be bike manufacturers themselves wouldn't it? Or can they simply not bring in enough cash.
    Flickr
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Bike manufacturers are usually co sponsors anyway - and I dont think they make enough money to be a sole sponsor - usually.
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,811
    What about HTC - Costa?
  • Tusher
    Tusher Posts: 2,762
    Naw, let's see HTC-Endura-Rapha.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    TakeTheHighRoad wrote:
    What about HTC - Costa?

    If only Fortune Magazine could be involved too.

    HTC Costa Fortune

    (joke stolen from an old Charlton centre back pairing)
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    Sounds like Cuddly Bob has secured the teams future for 3 years. Pity he's almost got no riders left :wink:

    Unless he makes up with Cavendish and he flips Sky AGAIN.
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • mrushton
    mrushton Posts: 5,182
    According to inrng.com they have signed up for 3 more years. Prob. thinking about how Europcar have hit jackpot this year
    M.Rushton
  • plowmar
    plowmar Posts: 1,032
    iainf72 said:
    Unless he makes up with Cavendish and he flips Sky AGAIN.

    Does Sky / Brailsford really want Cav.?. Given their 5 year plan to get a British winner of the tour, can they sustain a team to support both climber and sprinter?. It has to cover the climber as a sprinter will never win a G T .

    If they do get him won't it be the same as Chelsea / United / City buying cos they can then hardly using the player.

    Just as an aside, great result for the Kaiser Chiefs beating Spurs, I didn't know they had 11 in the band. :wink::wink:
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,241
    plowmar wrote:

    Does Sky / Brailsford really want Cav.?. Given their 5 year plan to get a British winner of the tour, can they sustain a team to support both climber and sprinter?. It has to cover the climber as a sprinter will never win a G T .

    Yes they do want him. They've wanted him since day one. When Team Sky was originally conceived, it was with two key riders in mind - Thomas and Cavendish.

    The British Tour winner stuff was just something for the non-cycling media, something they could understand. It's never really been the goal of the team, just the ultimate possible achievement.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • plowmar
    plowmar Posts: 1,032
    :oops: sorry.

    But if it is a 'possible', my thoughts surely still stand one team can not cover both positions with a hope of success.
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,570
    plowmar wrote:
    :oops: sorry.

    But if it is a 'possible', my thoughts surely still stand one team can not cover both positions with a hope of success.

    why not?

    success for wiggins would be finishing top 5, you dont need 8 men pulling on the front for 3 weeks to finish fifth. nor do you need 8 ment pulling on the front to win sprints
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • Kléber
    Kléber Posts: 6,842
    Who have they got left?

    If the team does get a new lease of life, the sponsor has shot itself in the foot by hestitating so much. Maybe Cav was always going to leave but others might have wanted to stay??
  • Tusher
    Tusher Posts: 2,762
    Maybe Greipel will return- is his contract for one year or two? With OPL divorcing, will it count? He always sounded as if he loved the team, and then he can have Zabel all to himself.

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