Editors Notes: All Stories in this are fictional, even though the names are not. Story starts, like Game starts for 2010 season
Middle Eastern TV Company, Al Jazeera, has announced it will be bankrolling a team on the UCI Continental Tour, with the hope of winning promotion to the top tier ProTour by 2013.
A Spokesman for the TV station stated:
"We feel that the company has a poor public image in Europe, despite our widespread influence in the region. We feel that getting our name out there in a sporting sphere will help this. As a broadcaster that does a lot of work in the Sports area in our European broadcast, we felt that was the perfect way of doing it.
The reason the chose Cycling is that it is a Sport that is accessible and has a cross-Europe appeal and while, as a Qatari-based company, our home Tour will mean a lot, we want to use this team as a cross-Western Europe brand boost."
Another Press Conference will be broadcast live on Al Jazeera and Al Jazeera English next week to announce our secondary sponsors and our Directeur sportif.
Presenter: "Welcome to those joining us from Al Jazeera and Al Jazeera English. We are delighted to continue the formation of the Al Jazeera Racing team by making the announcement first and foremost, of our main secondary sponsor. Can I introduce our partnership with Gulf Air."
Gulf Air Spokesman: "Thank you. Well, when BOAC Airlines were bought back in 1973 and re-branded 'Gulf Air', the aim was to have a huge unifying international symbol of progression in the Gulf and Middle East.
In recent times, as various partners have left to set-up their own airlines, this vision has fallen down. However, the people, not only of Bahrain but of the wider Gulf still believe in that mutual spirit and progression. That is why our values match with the aims of the Al Jazeera Pro Team.
We feel that an attempt to finance our own team at a time when we are still rebuilding the airlines brand is unrealistic, yet it is for those same reasons that we feel the exposure of this secondary partnership with Al Jazeera is absolutely vital at this time."
Presenter: "Now, we come to the announcement of the teams new Directeur Sportif. He is someone with immense ability within this role, formerly with Cervelo and CSC, winning the Tour de France through Carlos Sastre in 1998 with the CSC team. Not only this, he is a man who, as a rider, also won three stages of the Vuelta a Espana.
Despite interest from other big budget teams, some in the Pro Tour, we have been able to secure the signature of Australian, Scott Sunderland."
Scott Sunderland: "Thanks. I am delighted to be brought aboard this operation and opportunity to build a team from scratch with the ability to take things gradually, but more importantly, have a hands on approach with a traditional, true, Sports Director role at Al Jazeera-Gulf Air.
Any Questions?"
"Is it true that you have reigned on a deal as Sports Director with Team Sky to take this role?"
Scott Sunderland: "Well, it is true that I was involved in a lot of the decision making in the rider make-up of Team Sky and that is an incredibly exciting adventure for British Cycling. Yet, while the same position was discussed with Sky, you have to understand the circumstances surrounding that team.
Firstly, Dave Brailsford is not only one of the greatest cycling minds of his generation but he is used to controlling everything from top to bottom at British Cycling. It would be very tough for anyone to do that job with Team Sky whilst Brailsford around, unless it was Brailsford himself."
"We have seen the impact of Gulf money on football and people are already worried about Team Sky doing that to Cycling. Add an Arab Gulf team to boot, you will be buying up everyone in sight!"
Scott Sunderland: "I, as my sponsors would agree, am extremely upset with that intimation. While we have comfortably enough funds to support the team, I think what Gulf Air have already talked about today shows, as well as the fact that while Al Jazeera are successful, they are hardly as cash rich as the Sultans of the region, this is not Manchester City types of investment."
"So, what will your team look like?"
Scott Sunderland: "Well, we are in advance talks with several riders so we do not want to discuss names. But if you look at the fact that the goals of the team are all long-term, that you can expect a squad that is largely very youthful so they can grow as the team grows. We have at least one rider lined up who we believe within 3-4 will be a serious threat to win jerseys on Grand Tours."
Presenter:"Any Further Questions?"
(Reply below if so)
Edited by Welwyn on 16-07-2012 17:47
Team Sky Cycling Team Director David Brailsford took time yesterday to hit back at comments coming out of the Middle East from new Al Jazeera Director Sportif, Scott Sunderland.
Sunderland implied at the Al Jazeera-Gulf Air team unveiling that it would have been impossible to take a similar position with Team Sky because of Brailsford's involvement.
Brailsford said that in no way did he feel he was 'over-controlling' within the realms of Team Sky due, quite simply, to his lack of Road Cycling experience. He went on to talk positively about the role that Sunderland had played in setting up the virgin Sky ProTour team.
However, the 45-year old Welshman, who masterminded Britain's track success in Beijing, did present a flat bat when asked how much the lack of Sunderland's experience would hamper the team.
"At the end of the day, no man's experience is more vital than the team goal. We have always said we will do things differently in the search of marginal gains in order to succeed. As a result we do not have a total demand for that experience potentially cluttering clarity of thought and a complete assessment of everything we do."
"If Sunderland wants to go and work in the second tier, that is his choice. We will move on without him, be better for the period of development we had in partnership with him and be more competitive without him."
As hinted to there, Al-Jazeera-Gulf Air are a Continental Tour team as opposed to Team Sky's Pro Tour status. As a result, they are unlikely to meet at the major stage races. However, their teams paths will cross at some of the smaller races and it will be interesting to see the dynamic between the teams when they do.
Al Jazeera Director Sportif, Scott Sunderland appears to be looking towards the controversial figure of Theo Bos as the sprint star of the new Continental team from the Gulf.
The out of contract Radobank Continental Team rider is coming off of a month UCI suspension for causing a crash with Daryl Impey in the last kilometre of the last stage of this years Tour of Turkey. However, considering that title sponsors, Al Jazeera, is a Qatari-based company, it is thought that the need to have a sprinter to attempt to win stages at the home tour outweighs the controversy that would be caused by his signing.
Sunderland got his first look at the 26-year old Dutchman at the 2008 UCI World Track Championships in Manchester when he was in discussions with Dave Brailsford to become part of British Cycling.
Sicard (centre) and Carlos Betancur (left) could be the young lynchpins
Also, with Sunderland announcing that the Al Jazeera team will be youthful and the admittance that he believe they have 'at least one rider lined up who (Al Jazeera) believe within 3-4 will be a serious threat to win jerseys on Grand Tours', rumours about who that man is continue to grow within the Cycling world. The two favourites appear to be the two riders who were first and second in this years Under-23 Road Race in Mendrisio in Switzerland. Frenchman Romain Sicard and Columbian Carlos Betancur.
Betancur has yet to turn professional. Whereas, Sicard rode for the ORBEA team this season and as part of the French National Team, won the Tour de l'Avenir, which is considered the Under-23 equivalent of the Tour de France.
Edited by Welwyn on 18-07-2012 13:07
Adelaide native and World Champion, Jack Bobridge, could be finding riches in the Middle East, the Adelaide Advertiser has learnt.
The Al Jazeera-Gulf Air squad has been set-up in Qatar with New South Wales' Scott Sunderland as the man in charge of the purse strings. With the Tour of Qatar usually won by a Time-Trialist, the current Under-23 World Champion in the discipline will no doubt be high up on his countryman's list of targets.
Bobridge has previously stated his wish to utilise his status as Under-23 Time Trial World Champion to progress from the amateur CSC O' Grady squad to the professional ranks.
Top Tier sides, Garmin-Transitions and Team Milram are also rumoured to be interested in Bobridge but with the lure of a possibly cash-rich Middle-Eastern squad calling, it would be tough to turn them down.
Presenter: "Thanks for joining us on Al Jazeera, where we are delighted to announce the first riders to officially sign up for Al-Jazeera-Gulf Air. To present them to you, I hand over to Director Sportif, Scott Sunderland."
Scott Sunderland: "Thank you. I can now announce the first four riders to join the team. Starting with our Australasian contingent. Tim Roe, Jesse Sergent and Johnnie Walker."
Scott Sunderland: "Tim Roe, from Adelaide, Australia, has only just turned 20. Last year he rode for the amateur, Savings & Loans team. In the process he won Jelajah Malaysia and picked up two stage wins in the Tour de Korea. I believe he will learn a lot by being a Domestique in the next couple of years."
Scott Sunderland: "21-year old Jesse Sergent meanwhile is our resident Kiwi. Jesse won Olympic and World Championship track bronze medals in the Team Pursuit over the last two years. Like any pursuit-er, he will work extremely hard for our team and having made the move to turn professional, may become a good road Time-Trialist in time."
Scott Sunderland: "Finally, Johnnie Walker from Sale, Australia is the type of rider that often gets overlooked. The 22-year old spent last year in Africa with the Trek-Marco Polo team. A move like that can often take a rider out of mainstream public conciousness and as a result we have been allowed a free track to sign up this very talented rider."
"Moving on to our last announcement, of today at least. The fourth rider we can officially unveil today is the Chinese rider, Cheng Ji."
Scott Sunderland: "Cheng's aim is to be the greatest road cyclist ever from China. At only 22, he has already produced enough to show signs of that potential. He won a stage of the Tour of the South China Sea in 2008 and then rode in two classics, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Gent-Wevelgem, last year. He failed to finish either of those and realises that a move away from Skil-Shimano will allow him to rebuild back up to that level amongst our young team."
Beijing Hero David Brailsford's aims of putting together a British Pro Cycling team to dominate road cycling the way they have dominated the track took yet another blow yesterday, this time from the Middle East.
Cobber coach, Scott Sunderland, who Brailsford brought to help set the Sky road team up, has been in a war of words with him since quitting to set up the Al-Jazeera squad.
Now it appears Sunderland is looking to poach several of the former British Cycling Academy riders that the Welsh coach wants to base his team around.
The Bald maestro, who was BBC Coach of the Year in 2008, is already struggling to secure triple goal medallist Bradley Wiggins, who finished fourth in the Tour de France, from Garmin-Slipstream. To lose several others would be a critical blow.
Stannard (left) and Kennaugh
The two favourites to be tempted by the Arab money are 22-year old Ian 'Yogi' Stannard, who came third at the 2008 Tour of Britain and 20-year old Manx-Man, Peter Kennaugh, who came second in the 2008 British Road Race Championship.
However, a bid for Welshman, Geraint Thomas seems unlikely due to the close relationship between him and his countryman coach.
Sunderland may also throw the Arab chequebook at non-British potential Sky riders, Serge Pauwels and John-Lee Augustyn, who may convinced to drop out of top-flight racing by money.
Al Jazeera, the TV company most famous in the UK for Osama Bin Laden videos and pubs with dodgy satellite feeds for 3pm football, stated that their Cycling team was about improving their image.
Not if you pinch our riders it's not!
Edited by Welwyn on 19-07-2012 16:41
19-year old Cycling wunderkind, Peter Sagan, is trying to be tempted back to the road by both Liquigas-Doimo and Al Jazeera-Gulf Air.
Slovakian Sagan has previously stated that, following a failed road test with Quick Step, he would return to his natural realm of mountain biking and focusing his efforts towards a medal in London 2012.
However, the man they nickname 'Terminator' for his ability to destroy mountain bikes, is now being heavily pursued by the ProTour Team from Italy and the start-up Continental team from Qatar.
Finances may not be the deciding factor though. Despite widespread belief in Cycling that the 2008 Junior Paris-Roubaix runner-up is so powerful that he can be a world beater in whatever discipline he wants to go down, the Quick Step saga has stunted the youngster's self belief.
Therefore, it could well be that reassurances must be given to allow him to continue in Mountainbike events, where he feels more self-confident in success.
sutty68 wrote:
Really enjoying the write up's, keep them coming
With setting the story back at the game's start date. It has reminded me of things that I had completely forgot. Like the fact that Sagan quit Road cycling in 2009!
Following up yesterdays exclusive that the newly formed Al Jazeera Road Cycling team were trying to pinch half of Britain's own Team Sky squad, we can now announce that they are willing to flash the riches to try and lure Sir Chris Hoy away from the track and onto the road.
Apparently, the Qatar squad's Aussie chief, Scott Sunderland thinks that with Jason Kenny primed to be in a position to be selected ahead of Hoy. A real possibility that would stop the Scot from defending his individual Sprint and Keirin Golds at the London Games, bowing out from the track now would be a better way to go than his retirement being forced upon him by not being picked.
Scarponi heads Italian targets for Al Jazeera Squad
Scarponi spent almost two years out due to doping ban
Michele Scarponi is the big Italian name being chased by new Qatari Continental squad, Al Jazeera-Gulf Air in what may become the most multi-cultural line-up in Cycling history.
Despite winning Tirreno-Adriatico and two stages of Giro d'Italia in 2009, his current contract situation makes him rip for a sideways move for financial reasons.
Despite those wins, he is still under contract with fellow Continental team, Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli, due to him signing a two year deal when he was coming back from a doping ban from the Operacion Puerto doping case. Therefore, there is the opportunity for Al Jazeera to buy him out of his contract.
Other Italian names that are being considered by Director Sportif, Scott Sunderland include; young Liquigas rider, Daniel Oss who may be allowed to leave the Italian ProTour team in return for allowing them a free run at Peter Sagan; amateur sprinter Davide Appollonio and 20-year old breakaway specialist Diego Ulissis. The final Italian being considered is 35-year old Marco Velo, the 1998-2000 domestic Time-Trial champion would add much needed experience to the young squad.
The multinational flavour of the squad comes from the sheer range of nationalities of the riders they are attempting to sign.
As well as the Australasians and Chinese already signed, they appear to be chasing:
- Tunisian rider, Rafaa Chtioui
- Estonian, Rein Taaramae
- Russian Time-Trial champion, Artem Ovechkin
- Columbian riders, Hugo Salazar and 2009 Tour des Pyrenees winner, Fabio Duarte
- Uzbek champion, Sergey Lagutin
- Several British riders
Plus the usual amount of riders from major European cycling countries, France, Spain, Portugal and Scandinavia.
sutty68 wrote:
Chris Hoy on the road, now that will be very interesting to see
It would be interesting to see how a track sprinter would get on in comparison to the transition of a track endurance cyclist. Difficulty would be how to grade them in the editor. In essence, the best thing would likely to be to base the stats on Theo Bos, maybe up the acceleration a little (presuming they are one of the ones who beats Bos on the track) and just drop all the other attributes down really low.
fernando97 wrote:
Looks great, but be aware of over-powering.
They won't all sign!
By the way, the reason the lead up is so long is for several reasons.
Firstly, as a qualified journalist, it is how I would want to right a story.
Secondly, I still have no idea, outside of the guys already signed, of the final make-up of the team! Although all but one of the names I have linked to Al-Jazeera have been on my squad list in one draft or another and the reason for linking the one who has never been considered will become clear when I announce the rider they are being used to set-up.
Edited by Welwyn on 21-07-2012 22:22
Although all but one of the names I have linked to Al-Jazeera have been on my squad list in one draft or another and the reason for linking the one who has never been considered will become clear when I announce the rider they are being used to set-up.
