Microsoft, Oracle, Unisys should sponsor a team each!

[What If Club]

I thing Bill gates should sponsor a cycling team!!

he has too much money! and oracle, instead of that 10 mil dollar yaht they been racing..

 

[The Black Adder]

"what if club" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I thing Bill gates should sponsor a cycling team!!
>
> he has too much money! and oracle, instead of that 10 mil dollar yaht they been racing..

One problem: with Gates or Ellisons sort of disposable income you could build a team that would
monopolize cycling (sound familiar?) very easily. It'd cost only a tiny percentage of what Gates
pays in taxes every year to fund a team that would dominate all the classics and grand tours.

- BA

 

[Ewoud Dronkert]

On Wed, 24 Sep 2003 07:23:48 GMT, The Black Adder wrote:
> It'd cost only a tiny percentage of what Gates pays in taxes every year to fund a team that would
> dominate all the classics and grand tours.

Div 1 teams can only have 25 riders under contract.

 

[Spider1977]

Originally posted by What If Club
I thing Bill gates should sponsor a cycling team!!

he has too much money! and oracle, instead of that 10 mil dollar yaht they been racing..

$250 million for malaria research is a pretty good start by Billy boy.

 

[Real LITE guy]

Originally posted by Ewoud Dronkert
On Wed, 24 Sep 2003 07:23:48 GMT, The Black Adder wrote:
> It'd cost only a tiny percentage of what Gates pays in taxes every year to fund a team that would
> dominate all the classics and grand tours.

Div 1 teams can only have 25 riders under contract.

Can one sponsor have multiple teams, say in conjunction with multiple other sponsors?

 

[K. J. Papai]

"The Black Adder" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> "what if club" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > I thing Bill gates should sponsor a cycling team!!
> >
> > he has too much money! and oracle, instead of that 10 mil dollar yaht they been racing..
>
> One problem: with Gates or Ellisons sort of disposable income you could build a team that would
> monopolize cycling (sound familiar?) very easily. It'd cost only a tiny percentage of what Gates
> pays in taxes every year to fund a team that would dominate all the classics and grand tours.

$17 million dollars would do it right, for an annual budget from a primary sponsor to be
totally dominant?

Spend $12M on a team of 21 guys and the rest on travel and support staff (another 20 people).

-kjp

 

[Ewoud Dronkert]

On 24 Sep 2003 23:48:32 +0950, Real LITE guy wrote:
> Can one sponsor have multiple teams, say in conjunction with multiple other sponsors?

Sure, see Colnago or Giant. They're not title sponsors tho. I would be surprised if a) there's a
rule against it, but also b) anyone would want to be title sponsor of more than 1 team at a time.

 

[Nick Burns]

"Ewoud Dronkert" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 24 Sep 2003 23:48:32 +0950, Real LITE guy wrote:
> > Can one sponsor have multiple teams, say in conjunction with multiple other sponsors?
>
> Sure, see Colnago or Giant. They're not title sponsors tho. I would be surprised if a) there's a
> rule against it, but also b) anyone would want to be title sponsor of more than 1 team at a time.

The only concern would be if a company was blatantly using two teams to get around the rules about
maximum athletes and also if they were fielding both teams at races and they were working together.
I don't know what regulatory safe guards are in place if any, but I would guess that it would not be
tolerated if the abuses I mentioned were observed.

 

[Kurgan Gringion]

"Nick Burns" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Ewoud Dronkert" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > On 24 Sep 2003 23:48:32 +0950, Real LITE guy wrote:
> > > Can one sponsor have multiple teams, say in conjunction with multiple other sponsors?
> >
> > Sure, see Colnago or Giant. They're not title sponsors tho. I would be surprised if a)
> > there's a rule against it, but also b) anyone would want to be title sponsor of more than 1
> > team at a time.
>
> The only concern would be if a company was blatantly using two teams to get around the rules about
> maximum athletes

Mercury used to do that.

 

[Jeff Jones]

"Real LITE guy" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Ewoud Dronkert wrote:
> > On Wed, 24 Sep 2003 07:23:48 GMT, The Black Adder wrote:
> > > It'd cost only a tiny percentage of what Gates pays in taxes every year to fund a team that
> > > would dominate all the classics and grand tours.
> > Div 1 teams can only have 25 riders under contract.
>
>
>
> Can one sponsor have multiple teams, say in conjunction with multiple other sponsors?

Rabobank, Quick.Step-Davitamon, Credit Agricole all have division I and division III teams. Bodysol
(offshoot of Davitamon) will have a Division II team next year, essentially run by the same 'family'
as Quick.Step-Davitamon. Given that they are both Belgian teams, I would say that there is a high
probability that they will be riding the same races together. But in a country where it's standard
practice to bet on riders during races, this shouldn't be a problem.

Jeff

 

[Carl Sundquist]

"Kurgan Gringioni" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Nick Burns" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> > "Ewoud Dronkert" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > On 24 Sep 2003 23:48:32 +0950, Real LITE guy wrote:
> > > > Can one sponsor have multiple teams, say in conjunction with multiple other sponsors?
> > >
> > > Sure, see Colnago or Giant. They're not title sponsors tho. I would be surprised if a) there's
> > > a rule against it, but also b) anyone would want to be title sponsor of more than 1 team at a
> > > time.
> >
> > The only concern would be if a company was blatantly using two teams to get around the rules
> > about maximum athletes
>
>
>
> Mercury used to do that.
>
>

IIRC, Coors Light (pro) and Crest (amateur), both run by Len Pettyjon, were accused of
collaborating in races.

 

[K. J. Papai]

Spider1977 <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> What If Club wrote:
> > I thing Bill gates should sponsor a cycling team!! he has too much money! and oracle, instead
> > of that 10 mil dollar yaht they been racing..
>
> $250 million for malaria research is a pretty good start by Billy boy.

And anopther recent $50 million for inner city NYC schools. No matter what though, people will
rag on Bill.

$17 million/year would finance a TOP and dominating pro cycling team. I'd love to see
Microsoft do that.

Maybe when US Postal pulls out after 2005 or so?

-Ken

 

[Steve]

http://geekjerseys.com/vendors/ms/msJerseyShort.htm


On 9/24/03 6:58 AM, in article [email protected], "Real LITE guy"
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Ewoud Dronkert wrote:
>> On Wed, 24 Sep 2003 07:23:48 GMT, The Black Adder wrote:
>>> It'd cost only a tiny percentage of what Gates pays in taxes every year to fund a team that
>>> would dominate all the classics and grand tours.
>> Div 1 teams can only have 25 riders under contract.
>
>
>
> Can one sponsor have multiple teams, say in conjunction with multiple other sponsors?
>
>
>
> --
>> --------------------------<
> Posted via cyclingforums.com http://www.cyclingforums.com

 

[Nick Burns]

"Carl Sundquist" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> "Kurgan Gringioni" <[email protected]> wrote in
message
> news:[email protected]...
> >
> > "Nick Burns" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > >
> > > "Ewoud Dronkert" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > > news:[email protected]...
> > > > On 24 Sep 2003 23:48:32 +0950, Real LITE guy wrote:
> > > > > Can one sponsor have multiple teams, say in conjunction with multiple other sponsors?
> > > >
> > > > Sure, see Colnago or Giant. They're not title sponsors tho. I would
be
> > > > surprised if a) there's a rule against it, but also b) anyone would want to be title sponsor
> > > > of more than 1 team at a time.
> > >
> > > The only concern would be if a company was blatantly using two teams
to get
> > > around the rules about maximum athletes
> >
> >
> >
> > Mercury used to do that.
> >
> >
>
> IIRC, Coors Light (pro) and Crest (amateur), both run by Len Pettyjon,
were accused of
> collaborating in races.
>

Yeah, that I remember. I wonder if any rules were put in place in response to that?