Andreau leaves Rock & Republic

Bro Deal

He is a raging egomaniac. I don't see what kind of return you get in the U.S. for sponsoring a cycling team. Unless you are Jelly Belly, selling something that is used by the cycling public and related sports, what customers will really care about a fringe sport like cycling?

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"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates

Crankyfeet

Or Amgen, the maker of EPO, sponsoring the Tour of California...

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thunder

Bro, take a look at the metrics on California Tour.

One win there, you get so much publicity, it covers a budget like Kodak Gallery Sierra for the entire year.

Bro Deal

This is pretty funny.

http://www.fatcyclist.com/2008/01/31/rock-racing-qa/

And excerpt:
Question: I heard Mario Cipollini is also racing for Rock Racing. When was Cipo caught doping?
Answer: Actually, you aren’t strictly required to be a known doper to be on the Rock Racing team.

Question: So why is Cipollini on the Rock Racing team, if he is in fact on the racing team?
Answer: If Cipollini is on the Rock Racing team — and we are happy to both confirm and deny that this is the case — it is for one extremely important reason: Cipollini looks like someone who would wear $300 pants.

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"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates

Bro Deal

I am skeptical that cycling in the U.S. has the profile to justify the kind of money Ball is spending. A win will probably merit ten seconds or less on a general sports broadcast; it will probably be on that section of the sports news where a broadcaster practices being an auctioneer by giving the results of eight fringe sports in thirty seconds.

Maybe if Ball has plans for his fashion empire to invade europe...

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"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates

Crankyfeet

The guy makes a fortune. This is his toy. The publicity is a bonus. How many sports team owners in the US are doing it solely as an investment? The guy loves cycling. It's his hobby. And it gives him a chance to mix it on the world cycling stage and see his words and name in print..

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thunder

Ball wants the Euro export markets.

You are right Bro. Above about 500 grand, he is overcapitalising his marketing spend for the US domestic cycling market. Well, perhaps not, you need to hit a benchmark to get a rider who can win in California (tour of Cali).

About 1 million you can get a win in Cali. But still, it is close to overcapitalising even with a Cali competitive squad.

confusedfan

Found this link at DPF ... from bicycle.net, an account of today's Rock Racing press conference - in which Ball insists that Hamilton, Sevilla, and Botero will be riding tomorrow (along with Cipollini - looks like Leogrande is now the odd man out), and that perhaps he might pull his whole team: A bit disturbing was this quote, is he suggesting that in the end he doesn't care if they don't ride as long as he makes money?

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thoughtforfood

He is everything he appears to be and less..

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Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.
-- Albert Einstein

whiteboytrash

http://www.cyclingnews.com/newsphot...OLLINI-CALI9837

cyclingheroes

I think its really good for the doping system that Sevilla & co are excluded from the ToC. The doping system needs more decisions in the way Northern Korea treats its offenders of all kinds of things.Its good PR and you don't need to do anything substantial to change the system so business can go on as usual.

Its brilliant, the audience buy it and who cares about a few guys who are prohibited to go after their job without any form of legal process. If enough people buy that we could actually introduce it in the rest of our society. Why not? It works in Northern - Korea.

The rule is: you are not allowed to dope. The rule also is: athletes can be punished by disciplinary procedures and if they are convicted they can appeal at CAS against the decision. But who cares about rules. Lots of teams and riders don't. Lots of Race organisers don't, lots of federations don't. Welcome to the jungle.

Either all have to follow all rules or you have chaos and anarchy and all can do what ever they want. The behaviour of several race organisations, several federations and a certain world body is as damaging for the sport as doped athletes.

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www.cyclingheroes-pictures.com

snood

UCI not shooting them in the street.

cyclingheroes

No but the way of geoverning is exactly the same. If they want to ban riders they should open proceedings against them.

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Cycling pictures


www.cyclingheroes-pictures.com

snood

Not the same. UCI is not a government. It is a nonprofit corporation. Hamilton Botero Sevilla can go to the TAS. Tour of California is a business. If business fire you - go to court.

Hamilton needs new wife. Botero Sevilla needs new gynecologist. Or move to Portugal with rest of OP cyclists. Or tell truth. But they are too old. Would you hire lying cheating worker?