Astana will ride Treks

[Bro Deal]

Big surprise here. Trek once again supports a team with a blackest cloud in the sport hanging over it.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/SURPRISE_SURPRISE__TREK_TO_SUPPLY_ASTANA_article_168800.html

 

[Bro Deal]

It's really funny ..............................moderated.

It's much funnier watching you get moderated on multiple Internet sites and then crying like a baby about how unfair it all is. Comedy gold there.

 

[Bro Deal]

I have been thinking that perhaps the fans should let the sponsors feel the heat. I used to recommend Trek to people who ask me what type of bike they should buy. Lots of shops carry them, they have (had) traditional non-compact designs, and they were reasonably priced for the quality. But now Trek as gone to ugly sloped top tubes and it seems like half their bikes are named "Madone". The continued support of Johan "The Hog" Bruyneel is the final straw.

From now on I intend to not recommend Treks to anyone.

The sponsor could end this doping **** if they wanted to. It is time to hold them accountable.

 

[Crankyfeet]

I have been thinking that perhaps the fans should let the sponsors feel the heat. I used to recommend Trek to people who ask me what type of bike they should buy. Lots of shops carry them, they have (had) traditional non-compact designs, and they were reasonably priced for the quality. But now Trek as gone to ugly sloped top tubes and it seems like half their bikes are named "Madone". The continued support of Johan "The Hog" Bruyneel is the final straw.

From now on I intend to not recommend Treks to anyone.

The sponsor could end this doping **** if they wanted to. It is time to hold them accountable.

I'm sure Trek are quivering in fear at the inevitable fallout - now that they have attracted the Wrath of Bro.

I'm with you on your principles here...however the Wrath of Cranky is a fairly poor sequel.

 

[donrhummy]

Big surprise here. Trek once again supports a team with a blackest cloud in the sport hanging over it.

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/SURPRISE_SURPRISE__TREK_TO_SUPPLY_ASTANA_article_168800.html

Once again?! Actually, Trek's been supporting a team for years that has never had a doping offense caught (Basso's happened while on another team) whereas BMC seems to always be involved - 10 riders at Phonak while on BMC bikes and then BMC left Phonak and sponsored.....(wait for it)...Astana! Now Astana has cleaned house, BMC has left and Trek steps in.

You may hate Lance, you may hate Bruyneel, you may even hate Discovery Channel, but no where is there evidence to support your claim that Trek continually sponsors "black cloud" teams.

 

[Rolfrae]

Once again?! Actually, Trek's been supporting a team for years that has never had a doping offense caught (Basso's happened while on another team) whereas BMC seems to always be involved - 10 riders at Phonak while on BMC bikes and then BMC left Phonak and sponsored.....(wait for it)...Astana! Now Astana has cleaned house, BMC has left and Trek steps in.

You may hate Lance, you may hate Bruyneel, you may even hate Discovery Channel, but no where is there evidence to support your claim that Trek continually sponsors "black cloud" teams.

All bike companies sell their high end product by convincing consumers that they can get closer to the performances of the stars by riding the same bikes the stars ride. Of course, all of us on this forum know that we could ride £1000 bikes, partake in the blood doping, EPO boosting, HGH munching antics of the stars and ride twice as fast as we could clean on any £5000 bike.

I get Bro's point. For the non-cycling sponsor (T Mobile for example), to be associated with dopers turns consumers away from the brand. For cycling sponsors it doesn't appear to work the same way. But it might if we boycotted their products. But where would we start? I own a Scott CR1. Should I bin it because Mayo is cheat?

 

[Bro Deal]

Once again?! Actually, Trek's been supporting a team for years that has never had a doping offense caught (Basso's happened while on another team)

You mean aside from Benoit Jaochim, Armstrong's six positives for EPO and one for corticosteroids, ex-riders who have confessed, the soigneur who confessed, and other teammates who have talked about Postal/Disco's injections and blood doping? Gosh, they must be clean.

I suppose Virenque must have been be clean also.

 

[Crankyfeet]

Once again?! Actually, Trek's been supporting a team for years that has never had a doping offense caught

I think what donrhummy is saying here Bro is that Trek bikes help you pass dope tests. Ride a BMC bike and you may as well just syringe the testosterone straight into your urine sample.

Trek is the bike of choice for the intelligent Pros. Possible slogans I've heard coming out next season are:

"Evade detection - Ride Trek"

and

"There is nothing positive that can come from riding a Trek"

 

[Leafer]

donrhummy has a point, though indirectly - Trek sponsors the "Amercian team" to appeal to the mass market of casual bike riders, mainly in the US, who know little about what Bruyneel et al are really all about - to most people who don't know better, the image of USPS/Disco/Armstrong remians overwhelmingly positive. It's only the hardcore cycling fans who know what Bruyneel et al have been up to, and we're not Trek's primary audience anyway.

Put simply, Trek couldn't care less if USPS/Disco/Astana were/are doping, just so long as (a) a big-name rider doesn't get caught and (b) they continue to win on Trek frames.

 

[sogood]

Well, Trek had to follow Contador doesn't it?

 

[Crankyfeet]

Actually, Bruynel is one of the safest bets a sponsor can have in cycling. His record of evading positive dope-tests, coupled with his ability to make his rider's climb and time trial like they have never done before, makes him very attractive.

 

[Crankyfeet]

Well, Trek had to follow Contador doesn't it?

I would say with Levi being the US boy, that he would have some endorsement value to Trek as well. Though being the bike that the winner rides, and it looks like Contador will be the favorite to win in 2008, is obviously worth a lot.

Two additional points this brings up. One is that Astana's odds of falling apart now go down. Looks like Trek knows that they are there next year. The second point is that Levi's chances of being a front man, or team leader, possibly go up. Trek would like to see their American man as a hero as much as possible IMO.

 

[kennf]

I think Trek missed a big opportunity by not sponsoring Slipstream (which is riding Felts), but then again, they probably won't be in the Tour, so ...

 

[azdroptop]

It would seem any bike company these days could be called to the carpet for supporting a team with a "Black Cloud!" We all agree each and every team out there has a doping programe don't we? Except Cadel of course. He's clean. But other than him we are dealing with a large group of black clouds. For Trek it probably wasn't a concern just like it isn't for other makers. They all want to sell bikes and make a buck. Having a pro team ride their stuff will help no matter what. I'm no expert, but I gather all top end bikes are basically the same and all of good quality.

 

[Drongo]

Trek didn't have much choice, either.

A niche brand like Tommassini or even de Rosa can rest on their laurels. They've earnt the cred over decades, and their operations are smaller.

To be big, Trek needs to have a professional team riding their bikes, and winning races on the new model. They want to be able to say, 'We might be everywhere, but that's because we're damned good. Our bikes have won 7 of the last 8 TdF; and the best team in the world rides them.'

Trek was popular before the Great One, but on the back of his victories became huge. Once he skedaddled, what were they? No cachet (too common), no image (or all-American hero) to sell. A tired bike that's barely changed, about as exciting as a Toyota Corolla.

They don't care about doping. Of course not. They want a big team riding their bikes and winning races and making people drool over their bikes. Need not be an American rider doing winning on their bikes (cf Cervelo) but all the better if it is. They did the only sensible thing.

 

[No_Positives]

Armstrong's six positives for EPO

umm, I think you mean "zero positives for EPO."

 

[Crankyfeet]

umm, I think you mean "zero positives for EPO."

Nah..it was 6 independent positives. Its only for convictions that you need to have B sample back-ups, which unfortunately weren't kept in this case.

But we all know that the odds of 6 separate samples testing positive in a blind test and all later found to be Armstrong's, and for those tests to all have errors and be false-positives, is about 10 trillion to one against.

So, he was using EPO in 1999, but there was no test then for EPO, and now its only a technicality on the lack of a B sample being available for confirmation, that he is able to spin more lies to his increasingly dwindling band of devoted followers.

But let's not let the troll hijack the thread. Anyone know what BMC are doing next season?

 

[serpico7]

Nah..it was 6 independent positives. Its only for convictions that you need to have B sample back-ups, which unfortunately weren't kept in this case.

The positives came from B samples. The A samples were discarded after testing negative, which of course they would, because there was no EPO test back in 1999. AFAIK, the UCI declined to confirm that those are LA's samples. But the paper that matched the samples to the rider and broke the story, L'Equipe, is not the tabloid paper that LA's spin machine makes it out to be.

 

[Crankyfeet]

The positives came from B samples. The A samples were discarded after testing negative, which of course they would, because there was no EPO test back in 1999. AFAIK, the UCI declined to confirm that those are LA's samples. But the paper that matched the samples to the rider and broke the story, L'Equipe, is not the tabloid paper that LA's spin machine makes it out to be.

Ahh...that makes sense. Thanks. Same effect though.

 

[Bro Deal]

I will laugh my ass off if Bruyneel, Trek, and Fastana do not get a TdF invite.