Belkin out

iainf72
iainf72 Posts: 15,784
edited July 2014 in Pro race
While things look good for Dutch footie, pretty dire for cycling

Belkin exiting as sponsor at the end of the year. Giant Shimano also looking for sponsor.

Bad times
Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
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Comments

  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    What's the rationale?
    _
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    Ah for fondle's sake!

    This is not good. Can't find a stated reason in the story I've just looked at in de Volkskrant. Team just say they're very disappointed.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • iainf72
    iainf72 Posts: 15,784
    They want to focus more on their global brands and cycling doesn't fit for that
    Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Above The Cows wrote:
    Ah for fondle's sake!

    This is not good. Can't find a stated reason in the story I've just looked at in de Volkskrant. Team just say they're very disappointed.

    What did they expect??
    _
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,434
    Above The Cows wrote:
    Ah for fondle's sake!

    Is this a thing now?
    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Above The Cows wrote:
    Ah for fondle's sake!

    This is not good. Can't find a stated reason in the story I've just looked at in de Volkskrant. Team just say they're very disappointed.

    What did they expect??

    It doesn't say. But the sponsorship is supposed to run until the end of 2015 so I can see that they might expect Belkin to honour that.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    TailWindHome wrote:
    Above The Cows wrote:
    Ah for fondle's sake!

    Is this a thing now?

    For some people it seems to be. Don't jump on that bandwagon.
  • TMR
    TMR Posts: 3,986
    A real shame Belkin have pulled out. The Team have given the sponsors their money's worth.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    Short term commitment seems to be the way it works with US (non bike) sponsors.
    Good while it lasts, just don't expect it to last more than a couple of seasons.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    :x Despite the emergence of a seriously competitive, new generation (Talansky, Wilco & co), WADA was the most relevant character over the last few days. Road cycling is sick. It needs an Ecclestone figure to market the sh1t out of it.
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • Sjaak
    Sjaak Posts: 99
    pretty crap if they want and can pull out one year early - especially so after kelderman's performance. I'm guessing we'll be seeing a lot of belkin break-away performances in this year's TdF.
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    Sjaak wrote:
    pretty crap if they want and can pull out one year early - especially so after kelderman's performance. I'm guessing we'll be seeing a lot of belkin break-away performances in this year's TdF.

    I guess they must have had a clause in the contract that enabled them to break it. It is a sad indictment of the state of the sport that teams are so desperate for sponsorship that they will agree to such terms. It is also very sad that it is the new generation of cyclists that are suffering for the sins of the past. I know its been said before but it does irk. Even worse when you consider that those who must take some responsibility for the sorry state of affairs in Dutch cycling are trying to set up their own new team.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    As they are both pretty strong teams, it does lend itself well to a new sponsor to pick up the whole operation as a one-er. Hopefully Alonso (or another) will realise that this is a great opportunity to sponsor a team with an already excellent roster and some fairly punchy GT and Classics performances.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Short term commitment seems to be the way it works with US (non bike) sponsors.
    Good while it lasts, just don't expect it to last more than a couple of seasons.

    Respect to Garmin then.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    coriordan wrote:
    As they are both pretty strong teams, it does lend itself well to a new sponsor to pick up the whole operation as a one-er. Hopefully Alonso (or another) will realise that this is a great opportunity to sponsor a team with an already excellent roster and some fairly punchy GT and Classics performances.

    That's still a lot of people to loose their jobs. But perhaps consolidation is the answer.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • markhewitt1978
    markhewitt1978 Posts: 7,614
    Above The Cows wrote:
    I guess they must have had a clause in the contract that enabled them to break it. It is a sad indictment of the state of the sport that teams are so desperate for sponsorship that they will agree to such terms.

    Not really, such clauses have always been the case with sponsorship.
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    markhewitt1978 wrote:
    Above The Cows wrote:
    I guess they must have had a clause in the contract that enabled them to break it. It is a sad indictment of the state of the sport that teams are so desperate for sponsorship that they will agree to such terms.

    Not really, such clauses have always been the case with sponsorship.

    Really? That sucks. How can anyone actually plan ahead without the knowledge that they have the security of funds?

    Didn't T-Mobile have to cough up the rest of their sponsorship money when they pulled out?
    Correlation is not causation.
  • RideOnTime
    RideOnTime Posts: 4,712
    I can still hear T-mobile in my head - dadala-ding...
    So easily taken in by advertising.
  • specialgueststar
    specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
    hope this team doesn't get broken up and they find a sponsor. on the other hand they have a wealth of talent -

    difficult to think there will not be a Dutch WT team next year?
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    So what new teams are rumoured to be coming soon? Alonso's one, a Dutch one, any others?
  • junglist_matty
    junglist_matty Posts: 1,731
    Not to worry, there's always the up and coming "Orange Cycling" to fill the gap
  • arnuf
    arnuf Posts: 98
    I guess it also has something to do with Rabobank's money coming to an end after this season? Sort of the T-Mobile/Columbia situation.
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    arnuf wrote:
    I guess it also has something to do with Rabobank's money coming to an end after this season? Sort of the T-Mobile/Columbia situation.

    Interesting...
    junglist_matty wrote:
    Not to worry, there's always the up and coming "Orange Cycling" to fill the gap

    :lol: Going on how many Orange Cycling jerseys I've seen around (2 to be exact, worn by a couple on oma and opa fiets out for a Sunday pootle) they're going to have to shift considerably more of them for this to become a reality.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    Giant + Belkin =

    agu-rabobank-jersey2-11-zoom.jpg

    Welcome back, Oranje!
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    “We were really surprised. We heard it this morning. Everybody in the team got a text from Richard. I think everybody is surprised,” Vanmarcke told Cyclingnews.

    “Everything was looking good for the future. The sponsor Belkin was really happy. They had good talks and they were close to a contract in California, but things went differently.”
    Contador is the Greatest
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    Pretty grim news. Hopefully they can sort something out.
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy
  • morstar
    morstar Posts: 6,190
    arnuf wrote:
    I guess it also has something to do with Rabobank's money coming to an end after this season? Sort of the T-Mobile/Columbia situation.
    That was my thought. Had cheap sponsorship for a period, not taking up the full price option after the trial period.

    Timing is fair though. At least they've announced this when the team is about to showcase in the sports best shop window. Better than at the end of the season.
  • smithy21
    smithy21 Posts: 2,204
    Is this really such a big drama. I mean, loads of sponsors have pulled out over the last few years. There are still the same number of teams in the pro tour. The way people react to this it's as if the whole team are going to lose their jobs and be out of work. They won't, they will pick up with another team if they are good enough.
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    smithy21 wrote:
    Is this really such a big drama. I mean, loads of sponsors have pulled out over the last few years. There are still the same number of teams in the pro tour. The way people react to this it's as if the whole team are going to lose their jobs and be out of work. They won't, they will pick up with another team if they are good enough.

    I think it would be pretty sad if there was no Dutch team in the pro tour.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,462
    I thought there was some sort of Pro Tour licence requirement for sponsors to put up a sort of bond to cover their commitments until the end of their deal or have I imagined that? I thought that was how we ended up with Blanco prior to Belkin.

    It's really odd, cycling is cleaning up and the recession is over / easing in most countries and yet two teams who have had good seasons are losing their sponsor. For all the criticism some teams get at least their funding is more stable. I agree that it needs an Eccleston figure to sort out the marketing of the sport.

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