Can someone with more inside knowledge comment on the economics of cycling teams, sponsors, and star riders?
I'm quite familiar with how other sports work. For example, top NBA stars often make as much or money in sponsorships than they do in salary. And teams make money from TV and revenue sharing making winning not so important. Witness the Clippers and Royals.
How does it work in Cycling? Clearly the prize money is not the main draw because I imagine just putting together a winning tour campaign costs more than taking the yellow jersey in Paris pays out.
Having mainly followed the tour and not the other races I gotta say that Levi just doesn't strike me as having the charisma and personality that you want in either a tour leader or spokesman. On every tour he's ridden he just sort of lurks there in the shadows, often riding up with the leaders in mountain stages, but never doing much spectacular. He is the least dramatic rider I've ever seen.
As for Discovery, being an American team with mostly American sponsors, I'd think they would want a team leader who can sell. Both Lance and Floyd have that quality in spades. Trek has sold one hell of a lot of bikes because people want to ride what Lance rides. Floyd has the charisma to sell one hell of a lot of bikes too. But Levi?
Judging from what I've read, seems to me that the way to get Floyd would be to recruit him together with Zabriski as they are already training partners.
In any event, Floyd would be crazy to re-sign right away with Phonak. At a minimum, out of pure self-interest he ought to sit tight and see what sort of offers develop.
I'm quite familiar with how other sports work. For example, top NBA stars often make as much or money in sponsorships than they do in salary. And teams make money from TV and revenue sharing making winning not so important. Witness the Clippers and Royals.
How does it work in Cycling? Clearly the prize money is not the main draw because I imagine just putting together a winning tour campaign costs more than taking the yellow jersey in Paris pays out.
Having mainly followed the tour and not the other races I gotta say that Levi just doesn't strike me as having the charisma and personality that you want in either a tour leader or spokesman. On every tour he's ridden he just sort of lurks there in the shadows, often riding up with the leaders in mountain stages, but never doing much spectacular. He is the least dramatic rider I've ever seen.
As for Discovery, being an American team with mostly American sponsors, I'd think they would want a team leader who can sell. Both Lance and Floyd have that quality in spades. Trek has sold one hell of a lot of bikes because people want to ride what Lance rides. Floyd has the charisma to sell one hell of a lot of bikes too. But Levi?
Judging from what I've read, seems to me that the way to get Floyd would be to recruit him together with Zabriski as they are already training partners.
In any event, Floyd would be crazy to re-sign right away with Phonak. At a minimum, out of pure self-interest he ought to sit tight and see what sort of offers develop.
