Ribble Weldtite folding

alan_a

Sad times.

So where does this leave the UK domestic scene?

https://www.cyclingweekly.com/racing/ribble-weldtite-to-fold-at-end-of-year-due-to-lack-of-sponsorship

MattFalle

exactly the same place as every time a team folds since time began.

ugo.santalucia

I suppose they might try and get BP on board and face a barrage of criticism from non-racing overly opinionated folks...

But yeah, not good, sport in general is crumbling... 2 top rugby clubs have already folded

Munsford0

I clicked on this thread thinking it was about some new tyre i'd not heard of...

Pross

The guy on here who hates the Tanfields will be happy.

carbonclem

I think it’s fair to say it’s a bigger blow than previous teams folding as there aren’t many teams left and none to replace them, surely?

Pross

The bubble of the early 2010s certainly seems to have burst for professional cycling in the UK. It's not really a surprise though, even as a British cycling fan I'm not aware of what is happening on the domestic scene these days. Outside of the Tour of Britain there is virtually no exposure for sponsors. We've lost the ToY and Surrey Classic so have a few National Series road races plus a crit series. I suspect over the last decade or so many of the new sponsors have been companies wityh a cycling enthusiast in control of marketing budgets but with the financial climate as it is there will be more expectation to see returns on that money.

Teams publicly criticising their equipment manufacturers probably doesn't help either as in the case of St Piran.

DeVlaeminck

I used to enjoy the Premier Calendar coverage on Eurosport but since that stopped I've no idea about the domestic scene.

jimmythecuckoo

Feels like a return to the days pre Wiggo and Sky where domestic racing was all about the TofB (with the welcome addition of the CiCLE Classic).

I think if a lot of us are being honest, UK racing isn't why we got into pro cycling. It was more about the faraway climbs and roads we saw on grainy tv pictures.

MattFalle

Tbh, the way the R/W fellas came across on the recent GCN vs R/W episode showed partly why they were binned.

Not exactly endearing.....

carbonclem

MattFalle said:

Tbh, the way the R/W fellas came across on the recent GCN vs R/W episode showed partly why they were binned.

Not exactly endearing.....

I just looked that up and watched it. I mean, it was generally a painful watch but, what on earth are you on about?

MattFalle

carbonclem said:

MattFalle said:

Tbh, the way the R/W fellas came across on the recent GCN vs R/W episode showed partly why they were binned.

Not exactly endearing.....

I just looked that up and watched it. I mean, it was generally a painful watch but, what on earth are you on about?

the fact it was designed as a massive bit of publicity for the team, a chance handed to them on a plate to be witty, bond with the public, show a cool chilled out side to the riders and they came across as a bunch ofbellends.

as bad as the Zappi lads about 4 years go. they were painful to wstch and rubbish.

that the teams can't even get their marketing/media together partly explins why they struggle to get any sponsorship.

carbonclem

They are young lads who ride flash bikes fast. They did just that. The ‘Bantz’ came from the GCN crew.
The fact that anyone would analyse those videos further is quite the thing.

gsk82

Without grass roots road racing there won't ever be elite domestic racing. British cycling have deliberately killed the former through their marshalling policy, after trying for years to stealthily kill it with obscene fees and been generally unsupportive of clubs. Olympic medals and leisure member's fees pay their bills. Road racing was just a nuisance.

MattFalle

carbonclem said:

They are young lads who ride flash bikes fast. They did just that. The ‘Bantz’ came from the GCN crew.
The fact that anyone would analyse those videos further is quite the thing.

they stood there gormlessly in their hideous kit with daft sunnies on failing at all to garner any wit, comment, laughs or banter thinking they were MvdP/Pog/WvA.

they did nothing to endear their team to the public which is what their sponsors wanted.

The publicity side of the team must have been holding their heads in their hands.

Pross

gsk82 said:

Without grass roots road racing there won't ever be elite domestic racing. British cycling have deliberately killed the former through their marshalling policy, after trying for years to stealthily kill it with obscene fees and been generally unsupportive of clubs. Olympic medals and leisure member's fees pay their bills. Road racing was just a nuisance.

The marshalling policy makes sense IMHO. Having organised a race where there was a very serious incident between a rider and vehicle I was glad to be able to demonstrate I had a significant number of trained and licences marshals (mobile and static) and had done everything possible to keep riders safe.

Levies etc. are another matter and certainly something that needs considering.

flite

Has domestic road racing been largely usurped by sportives - i.e people pretending they are racing, but without the legal/safety requirements?

feelgoodlost

MattFalle said:

carbonclem said:

They are young lads who ride flash bikes fast. They did just that. The ‘Bantz’ came from the GCN crew.
The fact that anyone would analyse those videos further is quite the thing.

they stood there gormlessly in their hideous kit with daft sunnies on failing at all to garner any wit, comment, laughs or banter thinking they were MvdP/Pog/WvA.

they did nothing to endear their team to the public which is what their sponsors wanted.

The publicity side of the team must have been holding their heads in their hands.

You really are quite weird.

MattFalle

feelgoodlost said:

MattFalle said:

carbonclem said:

They are young lads who ride flash bikes fast. They did just that. The ‘Bantz’ came from the GCN crew.
The fact that anyone would analyse those videos further is quite the thing.

they stood there gormlessly in their hideous kit with daft sunnies on failing at all to garner any wit, comment, laughs or banter thinking they were MvdP/Pog/WvA.

they did nothing to endear their team to the public which is what their sponsors wanted.

The publicity side of the team must have been holding their heads in their hands.

You really are quite weird.

why? for pointing out massive filures in basic marketing, social media and image rights,?

do sponsors in a crashing economy in very niche market really want to put money into a team that garners utterly no following and therefore complrtly and totally 100% fails in its sole raison d'etre: to mke money for its sponsors.

you really are very naive snd slightly dim if you don't understand the principle of sponsorship and why the R/W filed in their roles.

its a business, not a charity.

carbonclem

Imagine as a grown man, thinking that its not financial pressures that cause a team to fold but a lack of wacky banter when featuring on an episode on a You Tube show. #dim

feelgoodlost

If you think that's what they're employed to do, then I think it's you who is being a bit naive.

MattFalle

carbonclem said:

Imagine as a grown man, thinking that its not financial pressures that cause a team to fold but a lack of wacky banter when featuring on an episode on a You Tube show. #dim

ffs. its not that difficult.

sponsorship comes from marketing budget.

marketing budget is fuelled by return on marketing investment.

you don't get a return on your marketing expenditure you pull the budget.

teams are employed to market the sponsors name

they don't market the sponsor's name or appealto anyone budget gets pulled.

obvs R/W didn't supply the returns on marketing budget and their riders didn't appeal to anyone..

weldtite don't care if they sponsor R/W, St Piran or Jeff McJeffbag and his Jeffers so long as they get a tangible, provable return

This vid - watched by a few hundred thousand people (as of today, 443,000 which is probs more than watched any part of the T of , which is a huge amount for a small national team in a niche sport in a niche market - was brilliant marketing offered on a plate and R/W failed.

you need sponsorship to negate financial pressure and dur to failinging their sponor's KPIs R/W lost their sponsorship and so folded.

you don't honestly think Weldtite gaveashit about the cycle team do you?

jimmythecuckoo

flite said:

Has domestic road racing been largely usurped by sportives - i.e people pretending they are racing, but without the legal/safety requirements?

There is a CW piece out there at the moment saying organised racing has 40% smaller fields than pre covid.

To be honest I haven't done much in 2022, riding one sportive in Rutland. The field there seemed about par for the course, not bigger nor smaller. But I know in this area the number of road races has reduced.

roscoe

Lack of coverage must be having an effect as well.

Not just TV, CW does a bit but nothing like it used to. Not a huge amount online either.

This can’t help teams when it comes to looking for sponsors. Who wants to spend a load of cash on a team that’s not really visible.

MattFalle

.

roscoe said:

Lack of coverage must be having an effect as well.

Not just TV, CW does a bit but nothing like it used to. Not a huge amount online either.

This can’t help teams when it comes to looking for sponsors. Who wants to spend a load of cash on a team that’s not really visible.

also make full 110% use of the coverage that is offered to you on a friggin' plate you dunderheads.

no point trying to be cool when you're on the rock n roll.

katani

MattFalle said:

carbonclem said:

Imagine as a grown man, thinking that its not financial pressures that cause a team to fold but a lack of wacky banter when featuring on an episode on a You Tube show. #dim

ffs. its not that difficult.

sponsorship comes from marketing budget.

marketing budget is fuelled by return on marketing investment.

you don't get a return on your marketing expenditure you pull the budget.

teams are employed to market the sponsors name

they don't market the sponsor's name or appealto anyone budget gets pulled.

obvs R/W didn't supply the returns on marketing budget and their riders didn't appeal to anyone..

weldtite don't care if they sponsor R/W, St Piran or Jeff McJeffbag and his Jeffers so long as they get a tangible, provable return

This vid - watched by a few hundred thousand people (as of today, 443,000 which is probs more than watched any part of the T of , which is a huge amount for a small national team in a niche sport in a niche market - was brilliant marketing offered on a plate and R/W failed.

you need sponsorship to negate financial pressure and dur to failinging their sponor's KPIs R/W lost their sponsorship and so folded.

you don't honestly think Weldtite gaveashit about the cycle team do you?

They have somehow managed to deliver Ribble's KPIs with their, in your opinion, poor appearance on the GCN show, as they were keen to continue sponsoring the team, but somehow the same poor appearance has lost them the other sponsor?
Obviously, it is great if you can put on a great show for the public and garner positive attention along with winning races. That's always welcome, but maybe that's the best they could deliver. Not everyone is born a show man. If they do have a PR person on their payroll, if anything, they are the ones who should be getting criticised for not doing their job properly.

"don't honestly think Weldtite gaveashit about the cycle team" - who givesashit about Weldtite.

MattFalle

katani said:

MattFalle said:

carbonclem said:

Imagine as a grown man, thinking that its not financial pressures that cause a team to fold but a lack of wacky banter when featuring on an episode on a You Tube show. #dim

ffs. its not that difficult.

sponsorship comes from marketing budget.

marketing budget is fuelled by return on marketing investment.

you don't get a return on your marketing expenditure you pull the budget.

teams are employed to market the sponsors name

they don't market the sponsor's name or appealto anyone budget gets pulled.

obvs R/W didn't supply the returns on marketing budget and their riders didn't appeal to anyone..

weldtite don't care if they sponsor R/W, St Piran or Jeff McJeffbag and his Jeffers so long as they get a tangible, provable return

This vid - watched by a few hundred thousand people (as of today, 443,000 which is probs more than watched any part of the T of , which is a huge amount for a small national team in a niche sport in a niche market - was brilliant marketing offered on a plate and R/W failed.

you need sponsorship to negate financial pressure and dur to failinging their sponor's KPIs R/W lost their sponsorship and so folded.

you don't honestly think Weldtite gaveashit about the cycle team do you?

They have somehow managed to deliver Ribble's KPIs with their, in your opinion, poor appearance on the GCN show, as they were keen to continue sponsoring the team, but somehow the same poor appearance has lost them the other sponsor?
Obviously, it is great if you can put on a great show for the public and garner positive attention along with winning races. That's always welcome, but maybe that's the best they could deliver. Not everyone is born a show man. If they do have a PR person on their payroll, if anything, they are the ones who should be getting criticised for not doing their job properly.

"don't honestly think Weldtite gaveashit about the cycle team" - who givesashit about Weldtite.

everyone who's wages Weldtite paid gaveashit about Weldtite and so should everyone else whining about sponsors leaving because without Weldtite this team has folded.

If those four lads didn't have the gumption/ability/understanding to do a job in front of the camera select four others from the team.

The PR person lines up the gig, the riders have to perform. Same as a DS.

feelgoodlost

Maybe, just maybe they weren't there to be performing monkeys for your pleasure.

MattFalle

feelgoodlost said:

Maybe, just maybe they weren't there to be performing monkeys for your pleasure.

maybe,just maybe, they were, so that their team stuck in people's minds for the right reason and their sponsors, the people who paid (note past tense since they lost their sponsors) required them to do part of their job.

Not bring totally useless in front of a camera or having even a smidgen, fraction, unktion of personality is slso quite a useful skill to have when promoting yourself to a bigger team/trying to blag a pundit job.

is it really this difficult for people to understand modern sports marketing?

webboo

In other sports which you are are not necessarily competing against others a presence is a must have. For instance Alpine climbing, outdoor rock climbing. off piste snow sports. Yes you have to be good but what you are doing is making your sponsors produce a must have for the masses.

andyrr

MattFalle said:

feelgoodlost said:

Maybe, just maybe they weren't there to be performing monkeys for your pleasure.

maybe,just maybe, they were, so that their team stuck in people's minds for the right reason and their sponsors, the people who paid (note past tense since they lost their sponsors) required them to do part of their job.

Not bring totally useless in front of a camera or having even a smidgen, fraction, unktion of personality is slso quite a useful skill to have when promoting yourself to a bigger team/trying to blag a pundit job.

is it really this difficult for people to understand modern sports marketing?

Maybe, just maybe, the Ribble/weldtite riders primary role was to be good competitive riders and if they were also able to be performing seals with great bantz then that might be a bonus but it’s not as if British cycling teams are so frequently getting major tv coverage that being a big personality is more important than getting big results.