What's happened to Cannondale Drapac
Comments
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They're on $76k, 4% of their flexible $2m goal, and it went up by 1% in the ten or so minutes between when I opened it and when I pressed submit. I pledged a few dollars, have to say it doesn't really bother me as pro cycling overall costs me absolutely nothing (other than a Eurosport subscription) yet it provides me with a lot of entertainment, so chipping in a few quid to a team who have given me some decent entertainment this year doesn't seem so bad.
If a load of us clubbed together we could get one of the better perks and have it for the PTP champion or Tour champion or something... If it goes ahead.0 -
Dr Headgear @DrHeadgear
Can @Vaughters explain where gap came from? Gained a sponsor since this season. Higher costs or lower contribution from sponsors?
7:48 PM - 30 Aug 2017
https://twitter.com/DrHeadgear/status/9 ... 8171969536
Jonathan VaughtersVerified account @Vaughters
Replying to @DrHeadgear
Both.
7:49 PM - 30 Aug 2017
https://twitter.com/Vaughters/status/902951332759384064Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
Richmond Racer 2 wrote:
The only angle I can think of is the chance that Vaughters might be able to wave a long list of fans pledges etc to potential sponsors as 'evidence' of a robust loyal fan base they'd be buying into. But whether that could translate to diddly, I have no idea
Caley Fretz posted something similar today and while I see the logic, the cynic in me says potential sponsors don't really care about the hardcore fan base. What they want is to reach the casual viewer, be it roadside or on telly. Is it worth spunking USD7M for an audience of 100K loyal fans?
I remember some years ago - 2009 or 2010 there was an interview, probably on Pez, with the business guy from Liquigas, and the discussion around how they get value from sponsorship was really interesting.Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
iainf72 wrote:Richmond Racer 2 wrote:
The only angle I can think of is the chance that Vaughters might be able to wave a long list of fans pledges etc to potential sponsors as 'evidence' of a robust loyal fan base they'd be buying into. But whether that could translate to diddly, I have no idea
Caley Fretz posted something similar today and while I see the logic, the cynic in me says potential sponsors don't really care about the hardcore fan base. What they want is to reach the casual viewer, be it roadside or on telly. Is it worth spunking USD7M for an audience of 100K loyal fans?
I remember some years ago - 2009 or 2010 there was an interview, probably on Pez, with the business guy from Liquigas, and the discussion around how they get value from sponsorship was really interesting.
Well, a loyal fan-base could be useful if
a) it's a novelty thing that gains the team exposure to the casual viewer (nice story to tell on a TdF sprint stage...)
b) you have a social media strategy that can make use of it
c) you make something to do with bikes, that's sold to cycling fans
But for sustainability, they'd need to actually create a membership scheme of some sort, not just a crowdfunding one-off. This is what Vaughters has been moving toward for ages. But unlike a football club, it's difficult to see what you would get out of membership. They don't have broadcast rights for races, they don't have tickets, the most they could do would be a few "meet the riders" events, a bit of merch and a paid backstage-pass type of thing. The last of those is directly in opposition to making social media content freely available to promote sponsors.Warning No formatter is installed for the format0 -
No tA Doctor wrote:iainf72 wrote:Richmond Racer 2 wrote:
The only angle I can think of is the chance that Vaughters might be able to wave a long list of fans pledges etc to potential sponsors as 'evidence' of a robust loyal fan base they'd be buying into. But whether that could translate to diddly, I have no idea
Caley Fretz posted something similar today and while I see the logic, the cynic in me says potential sponsors don't really care about the hardcore fan base. What they want is to reach the casual viewer, be it roadside or on telly. Is it worth spunking USD7M for an audience of 100K loyal fans?
I remember some years ago - 2009 or 2010 there was an interview, probably on Pez, with the business guy from Liquigas, and the discussion around how they get value from sponsorship was really interesting.
Well, a loyal fan-base could be useful if
a) it's a novelty thing that gains the team exposure to the casual viewer (nice story to tell on a TdF sprint stage...)
b) you have a social media strategy that can make use of it
c) you make something to do with bikes, that's sold to cycling fans
But for sustainability, they'd need to actually create a membership scheme of some sort, not just a crowdfunding one-off. This is what Vaughters has been moving toward for ages. But unlike a football club, it's difficult to see what you would get out of membership. They don't have broadcast rights for races, they don't have tickets, the most they could do would be a few "meet the riders" events, a bit of merch and a paid backstage-pass type of thing. The last of those is directly in opposition to making social media content freely available to promote sponsors.
If you look at the perks for the higher donation amounts, most of those would work as perks for a membership. You could have a paid membership where some of those perks were prizes. So you join for the year and certain members get a ride in the team car at a race or whatever (it would be effectively like entering a raffle, mind...).
Rather than a special members only backstage pass you could do rider Q&A sessions and so on. I think there is a workable offering there which people could be persuaded to pay for - and they're now on $232k pledged so there seems to be some appetite for it.
Like I said, at the moment I consume pro cycling almost entirely for free, the concept of paying a relatively small amount of money to be part of it (even a very small part of it) doesn't bother me.
Also if you got team kit with the membership that would surely be good for the sponsors - more exposure. Could even do a special edition members only kit (a bit like the RCC kit).0 -
nope
the more I think about it, the more pie in the sky it is
its a desperate attempt - and no criticism meant, I totally get it, lots of riders and support staff's jobs are on the line...and hope springs eternal and all that
Genuinely the only thing that will keep them going in 2018 is a slug of $millions from one or several backers0 -
I'm not convinced by the crowd funding. But hopefully they find a new sponsor. Here's the sponsorship pitch being made:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/five-rea ... as-farrell
I'd add a sixth, because tech companies have all this cash and don't know what to do with it...
I still don't get what the Oath sponsorship/partnership is about0 -
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dish_dash wrote:I'm not convinced by the crowd funding. But hopefully they find a new sponsor. Here's the sponsorship pitch being made:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/five-rea ... as-farrell
I'd add a sixth, because tech companies have all this cash and don't know what to do with it...
I still don't get what the Oath sponsorship/partnership is about
and on the other side of the equation is DRUGS
Every doper that has gone before is responsible for lack of a sponsor willing to stump up $7m for hundreds of hours of pan-national TV coverage.
Convicted drug cheat David Millar and all others should hang their heads in shame0 -
Surrey Commuter wrote:dish_dash wrote:I'm not convinced by the crowd funding. But hopefully they find a new sponsor. Here's the sponsorship pitch being made:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/five-rea ... as-farrell
I'd add a sixth, because tech companies have all this cash and don't know what to do with it...
I still don't get what the Oath sponsorship/partnership is about
and on the other side of the equation is DRUGS
Every doper that has gone before is responsible for lack of a sponsor willing to stump up $7m for hundreds of hours of pan-national TV coverage.
Convicted drug cheat David Millar and all others should hang their heads in shame
There is obviously validity in your observation, and whilst LA's legal battles continue its an ongoing reminder for US companies to 'handle with care' but it would seem more immediately obvious to point a finger at JV, the team manager/owner rather than DM, no?2020/2021/2022 Metric Century Challenge Winner0 -
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Yeah much better value if nothing else.johnboy183 wrote:
I still think we should have a pro race whipround and get a picture of a horse onto someone's jersey. Possibly affordable for women's cx!0 -
Crowd funding and pro cycling
*chuckle*“New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!0 -
One thing I thought of is, what recourse do the sponsors have to the riders.
For example, Joe Dombrowski has a year left of his contract and Rigoberto Uran signed a contract on the basis he would be paid for that contract.
Will they see any of this money if the team folds, or are they left completely high and dry? I'm thinking more about Dombrowski who hasn't looked at signing a new deal as he didn't need to0 -
CarbonClem wrote:Surrey Commuter wrote:dish_dash wrote:I'm not convinced by the crowd funding. But hopefully they find a new sponsor. Here's the sponsorship pitch being made:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/five-rea ... as-farrell
I'd add a sixth, because tech companies have all this cash and don't know what to do with it...
I still don't get what the Oath sponsorship/partnership is about
and on the other side of the equation is DRUGS
Every doper that has gone before is responsible for lack of a sponsor willing to stump up $7m for hundreds of hours of pan-national TV coverage.
Convicted drug cheat David Millar and all others should hang their heads in shame
There is obviously validity in your observation, and whilst LA's legal battles continue its an ongoing reminder for US companies to 'handle with care' but it would seem more immediately obvious to point a finger at JV, the team manager/owner rather than DM, no?
Always nice to take an opportunity to point a finger at TV's David Millar though.0 -
KingstonGraham wrote:CarbonClem wrote:Surrey Commuter wrote:dish_dash wrote:I'm not convinced by the crowd funding. But hopefully they find a new sponsor. Here's the sponsorship pitch being made:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/five-rea ... as-farrell
I'd add a sixth, because tech companies have all this cash and don't know what to do with it...
I still don't get what the Oath sponsorship/partnership is about
and on the other side of the equation is DRUGS
Every doper that has gone before is responsible for lack of a sponsor willing to stump up $7m for hundreds of hours of pan-national TV coverage.
Convicted drug cheat David Millar and all others should hang their heads in shame
There is obviously validity in your observation, and whilst LA's legal battles continue its an ongoing reminder for US companies to 'handle with care' but it would seem more immediately obvious to point a finger at JV, the team manager/owner rather than DM, no?
Always nice to take an opportunity to point a finger at TV's David Millar though.
Agreed. I had to stifle a yawn.Superstition sets the whole world in flames; philosophy quenches them.
Voltaire0 -
Article by Jeremy Whittle on Vaughters, worth a read;
http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/why ... l-matters/0 -
I don't have a problem with Vaughters other seem to have. I think on balance his presence has been a benefit to the sport.
can be a bit of dick and doesn't always get it right but who does?"If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm0 -
CarbonClem wrote:Surrey Commuter wrote:dish_dash wrote:I'm not convinced by the crowd funding. But hopefully they find a new sponsor. Here's the sponsorship pitch being made:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/five-rea ... as-farrell
I'd add a sixth, because tech companies have all this cash and don't know what to do with it...
I still don't get what the Oath sponsorship/partnership is about
and on the other side of the equation is DRUGS
Every doper that has gone before is responsible for lack of a sponsor willing to stump up $7m for hundreds of hours of pan-national TV coverage.
Convicted drug cheat David Millar and all others should hang their heads in shame
There is obviously validity in your observation, and whilst LA's legal battles continue its an ongoing reminder for US companies to 'handle with care' but it would seem more immediately obvious to point a finger at JV, the team manager/owner rather than DM, no?
he tends to be vocal on Twitter about sponsors dropping out - he obviously does not see himself as part of the problem0 -
mididoctors wrote:I don't have a problem with Vaughters other seem to have. I think on balance his presence has been a benefit to the sport.
can be a bit of dick and doesn't always get it right but who does?
He's especially rude and mean to foreign journalists.
When he ran over a Dutch camerman, his journo asked him about it in the car.
After some almost hilariously bad come backs from Vaghters, with the journos arm deep inside the car he just winds the electric windows up, almost chopping the guy's arm off.
Will try and find it one day.0 -
Treated some of his riders badly too e.g. Steele Von Hoff and Phil Gaimon
http://www.eurosport.co.uk/cycling/stee ... tory.shtml0 -
He's got an MBA from South Park Polytechnic and now he thinks he's John Maynard KeynesSurrey Commuter wrote:he tends to be vocal on Twitter about sponsors dropping out - he obviously does not see himself as part of the problem
He makes some decent comments about cycling finances, but their obvious ones. But his desire for a salary cap is pure self-interest, wanting to bring others down to his level so he has a chance to win. The sport needs 18 Skys and Movistars (teams with solid big company sponsors), not 18 Slipstreams (surviving year by year).
His generation scared off the big blue chip sponsors (Rabobank, Credit Agricole, CSC, Liberty Seguros etc)Twitter: @RichN950 -
Talansky announces his retirement at just 28.0
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Frankly I'd far rather have Vaughters in the sport than certain other team managers
As for the news re Talansky...shame. Like Matt Goss, plenty of talent, but something goes in the way of the necessary mental strength to keep on with the grind when you're not winning, or just lacking consistentcy
I full expect TJVG to follow suit and retire young.0 -
To add: Talansky's win in the 2014 Dauphine was one of the best day's racing I've seen in years. Fantastic race.0
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Richmond Racer 2 wrote:Frankly I'd far rather have Vaughters in the sport than certain other team managers
As for the news re Talansky...shame. Like Matt Goss, plenty of talent, but something goes in the way of the necessary mental strength to keep on with the grind when you're not winning, or just lacking consistentcy
I full expect TJVG to follow suit and retire young.
I'd put Taylor Phinney in that camp too.
I think once racing and training become a chore, you're done.0 -
RichN95 wrote:
He's got an MBA from South Park Polytechnic and now he thinks he's John Maynard KeynesSurrey Commuter wrote:he tends to be vocal on Twitter about sponsors dropping out - he obviously does not see himself as part of the problem
He makes some decent comments about cycling finances, but their obvious ones. But his desire for a salary cap is pure self-interest, wanting to bring others down to his level so he has a chance to win. The sport needs 18 Skys and Movistars (teams with solid big company sponsors), not 18 Slipstreams (surviving year by year).
His generation scared off the big blue chip sponsors (Rabobank, Credit Agricole, CSC, Liberty Seguros etc)
Spot on. Couldn't agree more. I saw a comment on Twitter (possibly a few months ago or last year) from him saying Pro cycling is an excellent vehicle for sponsorship; I'd have to disagree. I think its pretty poor.
The sport needs to be far more attractive to Big sponsors, rather than the current ones. Sky's budget of £25-30M is hardly earth shattering - in fact, in global sporting terms, it's virtually peanuts.
However, until the financial model of the sport changes, we'll continue to see teams going to the wall.All Road/ Gravel: tbcWinter: tbcMTB: tbcRoad: tbc"Look at the time...." "he's fallen like an old lady on a cruise ship..."0 -
I thought sponsors had to put up money in advance to cover them dropping out as part of a WT licence?0
