Hi guys been reading lots of stories on here this last week, I'm buying the game at the end of the month, but I've been so inthralled with these stories I wanted to write my own.
This is it, I've taken some inspiration from FC United of Manchester https://www.fc-utd...k/home.php and my own feelings towards cycling over the last few years.
I'm going to build up my back story over the next few weeks before I can put up my team and results.
Here is what I have come up with-
In the wake of Lance Armstrong saga and Rabobank pulling out of Pro cycling, a group of 15 keen cyclist met in a quiet restaurant in Manchester’s china town. Over the course of this meal the disgruntled cyclists devised an idea, this idea would become PUNK Cycling.
A supporter ran and self-financed Pro cycling team, with no main sponsor, with fan elected objectives, with a board and staff picked by the fans, with a jersey chosen and designed by the fans and most importantly no doping. They wanted 'Our Club, Our Rules and they got just that, a member owned democratic, not-for-profit organisation created by global cycling fans'.
The club would be a protest club to years of corruption and greed in cycling, for the average cycling fan who is sick of defending their sport every time they mentioned they loved cycling. To give back to the fans some creditability and to stick up two fingers to the fat cat sponsors.
The main objective were
- to create a fully functioning Pro cycling team,
- to development and foster the next generation of cyclists
- to bring in a ‘big’ name to help with the media and promotion of the team
- to seek promotion at every level
- to win cleanly without doping
- to compete without a main sponsor, and have no sponsor on out team kit.
- to purchase all equipment and transport ourselves
- to operate our own media department, including website, social media, tv and radio
After months of self promotion on social media, local media, radio, cycling forums and at cycling events. The first AGM was held at Hilton Deansgate in the heart of Manchester, with over 500 new members enrolling, and voting on all sorts of issues and ideas. At the end of the meeting the club signed up all 525 as new co-owners, and an intern board was chosen.
Finally the name of the team voted on and chosen-
PUNK Cycling team was then created.
Like Punk music this team would anti establishment, anti corruption, anti doping. Punk is a word that symbolise rebellion. This team will work within the UCI's mandates, but will be ran our way.
A new dawn in cycling has begun, stay tuned for future developments both on and off the road. All help and advice with squad development, equipment choices, jersey designs are welcome. This story is for the fans by a fan.
YvesStevens wrote:
Punk cycling.... where the hell did you get that name from ?
Hello, its to show that the team are anti-sponsors, PUNK as in the culture, the music the style, is all about being anti something.
Away from the story I got it from my football team FC United- check the this small movie about Punk Football-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrR5e9NtV68
Punk Cycling is the same thing. We have had enough of being told what to do. Punk Cycling is about building a supporter ran team that is anti establishment.
Big announcements expected as over 1200 tickets have been sold for the inaugural PUNK cycling general meeting, taking place at Hilton Manchester Deansgate.
We are expecting the announcement of future plans/objectives for the team and the vote for the General Manager if the team.
To take part in the vote a co-owner needed the written backing of 10 other co-owners.
So far there are 15 co-owners in the running to be our first GM.
Tonight in Manchester saw the further development of cycling'd first supporter ran, non profit making club. With an estimated 1400 people showing up and voting on various objectives and votes, PUNK cycling has begun to take shape.
Almost every single one of the estimated 1400 people in attendance became co-owners, the funds alone raised tonight are close to 30,000 pounds.Future co-owners are asked to make a minimum payment of 20 pounds, but they can make whatever they like above that.
Two huge pieces of news from tonights meeting, saw the construction of the Teams managerial board and constitution; including the all important vote for the inaugural General Manager. Furthermore the co-owners have altered the team name, so from on we will be know as PUNK Pro cycling.
So to the new on the teams first General Manager, It is with great pleasure that we can announce the election of our new General Manager, who won in landslide fashion, with over 75% of the votes,
Paul Kimmage
The out spoken former Pro cyclist, anti doping crusader, journalist and sports writer.The now retired former Irish champion heard about the supporter ran cycling revolution, and flew from his Irish home for the General Meeting in Manchester.
Speaking afterwards the new GM gave us a quick welcome,
'Thank you for the great honour of being this fantastic movements first General Manager, I came here quite skeptically, and after minutes of talking to people in the hotel foyer, I saw what this whole movement stood for, I've been speaking for almost two decades about the destruction of pro cycling and the cancer of Doping. These 1400 people hear tonight have shown me and the world, that we won't stand for our beloved sport to be run by fools or the demands of millionaires, or that cheating will be allowed for the greater good.
We are now the future and torchbearers of this unique idea within our sport. I thank my fellow co-owners again and I love forward to our bright future together.'
So you have it, the team is now known as PUNK Pro Cycling (PPC) and our new General Manager is Paul Kimmage.
Stay tuned for our weekly Co-owners update at the end of this week, where we have big news on 3 major signings for the team.
After the events of the first General meeting we now have an exclusive interview with the Team figure head and GM Paul Kimmage, at the temporary team headquarters in Manchester.
-Welcome to the PUNK pro Cycling, how has your first 24 hours in office been?
PK- Thank you, I’m happy to be a small part of this great thing we have going on here, I said from day one I came here as a fellow co-owner and fan, due to my own past in cycling it was deemed right that I should be the face of the club. My first day has been quite hectic, I’ve been meeting the board, fellow co-owners, future equipment suppliers, the media and some young cycling prospects. But all in all I’ve had a very positive start. I think I’ve had close to four hours sleep.
-For those not in the known could you give us a brief introduction to your past in cycling?
PK- I road both amateur and at Pro levels, I’ve ridden the grand tours in support of Irelands to famous son’s Sean Kelly and Stephen Roche, I’ve a few wins to name including Irish road champion in 1981. In the early 90’s I wrote a book called ‘Rough ride’ describing the problems with doping within the peloton. Due to this book I have become both a saint and sinner throughout the cycling world. In recent years i’ve been a sports writer for some the UK’s biggest papers, and with my friend Dave Walsh have fought the biggest cancer in Pro Cycling, Lance Armstrong. In the last year I’ve fought with UCI. I’m quite a misquoted and at times misunderstood character. I am however a fighter and I try to fight the good fight.
- How did you hear about the revolution down here in Manchester?
PK- I’m now a freelance cycling journalist, and through social media and my own network in cycling I was able to keep up with the exciting events here in Manchester. The message coming out of the original group of supporters who began PPC, really struck a chord with me and I realised that the fans had also simply had enough of the destructive of our sport.
-What are your thoughts are the current ‘culture’ in cycling?
PK- As a former Pro-rider who rode in the hay day of the some of the biggest doping scandals in the sport, I feel embarrassed and ashamed at how our sport has been twisted and deformed by doping and the demands of the big sponsors. I stand by some of my fellow co-owners in their argument that the demands of these big companies on managers/agents/sports directors then forced the riders to keep up with the rest of pelaton; by using drugs and other methods. The likes of Rabobank pulling out of their sponsor claiming they knew nothing about what was happening is a joke. Armstrong and the whole doping scandal has also ruined the sports credibility in many areas, and that may never be repaired. I and Dave Walsh have fought for years against Lance Armstrong and the UCI. Also the current UCI points system is laughable and I echo of the worlds of the current Irish champion Matt Brammeier in that this system just simply does not work.
-What is your stance on the idea that we will race without a main sponsor?
PK- At the moment after some of the national media coverage we had last night we have an estimated 3000 co-owners; which is quite staggering. The more media attention we can gain the more new co-owners we get, the money we can put into the club. I know that there are so many global cycling fans out there that have to defend their sport and their heroes, on a daily basics. How many people reading this, are sick of this? We are offering them a chance to co-own and run their own cycling team, without a corporate money driven sponsor, without drugs. Your club, your way. We are offering everyone, worldwide, the chance to build something that they and cycling can be proud of.
-Any news on our application for the upcoming season?
PK- At the moment myself and the elected board, will strive to contact UCI and build a team with the goals of competing in the upcoming season. We don’t know at which level we will ride, but its will be on the global stage. We are not however budgeting for a World tour place as we simply don’t have the budget to finance this yet. We are not a British team, we are an Anglo-Global team. We encouraging all cycling fans global to join our revolution. We are for now based in Manchester, but once the team is established we will be having a permeant base on mainland Europe too, whether the UCI will allow us to simply pig back around Europe is another matter. I have this very afternoon sat down with the board, and introduced a free-lance advisor to help us with our communications with the UCI. He is on old friend of mine and known to every single cycling fan worldwide, our advisor is Tour de France winner and former World Champion, Greg LeMond. Greg will also help to spread the PUNK message across the Atlantic.
-Finally is there any news on any signings for the upcoming season?
PK- At the moment, we have ‘limited’ funds, but through fundraising and co-owner membership fee’s we are looking to ensemble a team 10-20 riders. We are of course looking to bring in a core base of young talented riders who will form the base for the future of our team. I urge any pro cyclist out there who also might feel disgruntled or upset or want to change our sport to contact me or Greg directly. Be the change you want to see.
Reports are coming through of three major signings for the supporter owner, PUNK Pro cycling, more to follow.
Co-Owner and webmaster of PUNK Pro cycling
'Your club, your way. We are offering everyone, worldwide, the chance to build something that they and cycling can be proud of.'
PUNK Pro cycling General Manager Paul Kimmage
I would like to welcome you to our first major press conference. Today we will announce some of our current plans/objectives and some recent transfer news for the coming season and beyond.
First I am proud to announce that are current supporter membership has just breached 10,000 members; or co-owners as they are known. Around 80% of these first 10,000 are from the UK and Ireland, we have seen a rapid rise in memberships in the Nordic countries North America and Benelux.
I would like to thank and welcome all of our fellow co-owners to the PUNK revolution.
At present we are drafting potential objectives for the coming season, these will then be voted on at are Bi-annual General meeting which will take place in a few weeks time.
I urge all our current and future co-owners to continue their valiant work in fund raising and spreading our message.
After I was elected as General Manager I was inundated with messages from the four corners of cycling world. Many of these messages of support and good luck have been extremely positive.
I'd like to now tell you about three of these acts of support.
Firstly within minutes of my views about PUNK pro cycling going onto my blog, I got a phone call. This photo call shocked and moved me in many ways, as I've come to blows with this individual many times.
We fell out when I wrote Rough ride in 1990, he has been a friend, a team mate, a drinking partner. He is a former world champion, giro winner, Tour de France winner, my former team leader and one of not only Ireland's greatest riders but the worlds, I give you our new head of cycling performance and development- Stephen Roche.
Our next signing is another member of the cycling community who I have fallen out with, we have however both become true crusaders of a clean- drug free peloton and have both tirelessly shown our disgust at the running on the UCI. Ladies and Gentlemen it gives me great pleasure to welcome the former British road race champion, and our new Road captain and Sports director- David Millar.
David has left Garmin-Sharp to follow his own career path, into running and building a new style of team, and a new clean generation of riders. David was extremely supportive from the beginning of my own journey here, and he will in his own words act almost as an NFL quarterback will riding with our young squad. Similar to his performance in the world championships in Copenhagen in 2011. When David isn't riding he will be are full time sports director. He will also bring a wealth of stage racing experience and of course time trialling. David will in the next season or two retire, he will then move into a more managerial role within the team. He too has shown his understanding of what our team stands for, and what we want to promote and achieve here.
Finally, our biggest on the road capture, so far, a man I've deemed the people's champion, a man myself and the board are willing to build a classics team around, a man who will within the next five seasons dominate the cycling monuments. This cyclist arrived at my home at 11pm a week after I joined the team. He was so inspired by what our supporters dreamt and wanted, he immediately offered us his services, he himself has bought himself out from his Team SKY contract. And he will now be our classics team leader- ladies and gentlemen I give you Ian Stannard, the current British road race champion.
As you can now see we are firmly on track to building a non-profit supporter ran pro cycling club.
Within the week we will have three more big announcements but for now I give you the foundation of PUNK pro cycling.
Stephen Roche
David Millar
Ian Stannard
Thanks keep fighting the clean fight.
Co-Owner and webmaster of PUNK Pro cycling
'Your club, your way. We are offering everyone, worldwide, the chance to build something that they and cycling can be proud of.'
PUNK Pro cycling General Manager Paul Kimmage
sutty68 wrote:
It will be Great to have Stephen Roche on board
I know that Roche and Kimmage have 'history' but it seems it was mainly from the Roche camp. I've used PUNK Pro cycling as bridge to reconnect their friendship.
Co-Owner and webmaster of PUNK Pro cycling
'Your club, your way. We are offering everyone, worldwide, the chance to build something that they and cycling can be proud of.'
PUNK Pro cycling General Manager Paul Kimmage
We'd like to welcome to PUNK Pro Cycling our new Road Captain/Sports Director DAVID MILLAR & the current British Road race champion IAN STANNARD, who will captain our classics team. Here is a catch up interview with the both of them.
Hello David and Ian, welcome to PUNK Pro Cycling (PPC)
First of all can you tell us how you first hear about PPC?
DM- I got a phone call from Sir Dave Brailsford, telling me to put on Eurosport and watch Paul Kimmage. There of course was Paul being welcomed as GM of the team. With a little more online research and twitter I found the whole community and was completely converted. A quick phone call to Paul and I was on board.
IS- I was in Manchester a few days after Paul's election win, I was actually visiting a small bike shop, and two old boys came in chatting away about this cycling revolution. I was fascinated by what they were saying, and was moved by the passion and belief in the cycling community. I too knew I had to be a part of this.
A lot of people ask about your wages, Pro cycling is a big money making machine, and the riders are on some pretty big salaries, how will you get paid from a non-profit making team?
IS- This was highly discussed between myself, David and a few of the other future signings with Stephen Roche and Paul. The team will be able to offer us a very competitive basic salary, then all the race victories/jerseys/podiums will be given or shared amongst the team, this will of course inspire us to win.
DM- Furthermore I think our co-owners realise that the cyclists and management need to be paid to do their job, no one has never said we shouldn't. The team has some lottery funding coming through soon, and our membership is currently peaking in all areas within the cycling community.
Can you let slip of any future team mates?
DM- Both Ian and I are aware of around 10-12 signings for the upcoming seasons, with a possible 4 others who are still be found.
How can PUNK Pro cycling help towards cleaning up the image of doping within cycling?
DM- As an ex-doper and quite outspoken member of the peloton, I believe we can act like GARMIN or Team SKY, and try and really promote and push a clean future for young development. I think with some of the prospects Paul and Stephen are bringing in, we have a bright future.
IS- Like team SKY, we have been founding in the UK, where anti doping is still a very strong message at all levels within our sport. The current wave of successful british talent, know that training and better management can get you victories. Our co-owners stance is quite clear on the anti-doping stance and we will fight the clean fight, no matter what the cost.
Finally, any personal objectives for the upcoming season?
DM- I have one many two seasons left, I want to pass on as much knowledge as I can to the new boys, and help to develop myself as a sports director. I will however be a key figure in some of our season goals, and hopefully i might get a win here or there. I've hinted at a possible run at the Tour of Britain as a swan song.
IS- the classics/monuments, I have been brought here to develop a classics team round me, and hopefully get a british Paris-Roubaix winner. Furthermore I will look to hold on to my British road race jersey. I will also be a big help to our future GC hopes if and when needed, but for the present I am focussed on the cobblestones.
Thanks guys and good luck with the upcoming season.
Both Stephen Roche and Paul Kimmage will be on hand next week as we unveil our 3 GC prospects for the upcoming season and one more Sports director.
Edited by tanfarrelluk on 22-03-2014 11:58
Co-Owner and webmaster of PUNK Pro cycling
'Your club, your way. We are offering everyone, worldwide, the chance to build something that they and cycling can be proud of.'
PUNK Pro cycling General Manager Paul Kimmage
sutty68 wrote:
Millar and Stannard are two Great additions
Yeah I wanted a outspoken cyclist and a 'champion', Millar is both of course, my team is not going to be some fantasy style mega team though.
I've changed a few ideas from my original idea, as a few stories on here have now gone into that area. I want this to be as unique as I can make it.
Two of my GC riders are pretty big names but the rest of team will be under 23, with maybe one old cobblestone loving dog thrown in or veteran sprinter.
Hope you like what I've come up with so far.
tan
Co-Owner and webmaster of PUNK Pro cycling
'Your club, your way. We are offering everyone, worldwide, the chance to build something that they and cycling can be proud of.'
PUNK Pro cycling General Manager Paul Kimmage
New Sports Director signed for the upcoming season.
To continue our development plans around out classics team leader Ian Stannard and his personal objectives of winning Paris-Roubaix. It is with great honour that we have signed as our second Sports Director- the 2004 Paris-Roubaix winner and former swedish road race champion Magnus Bäckstedt. Magnus has close links in the UK, living in Wales, working for Eurosport UK, he also cycled with David Millar at Garmin in 2008.
‘I am looking forward to this fresh new style of cycling team. I myself have grown tired of the constant state in which my beloved sport has fallen. PUNK Pro Cycling is offering us all the chance of a new start. I am really looking forward to working with Ian and building a classic’s squad around him. He is of a similar size to myself and I’ve seen the potential in him for many years now. I think I can bring the classic’s team a really wealth of experience. Working with Stephen and the soon be be announce other Sports Director was also a big positive for me in joining the team.’
The signing of Magnus to the back room staff, will also hopefully open a few doors into the Nordic region, where Magnus is highly respected. Stay tuned for more announcements to follow.
Head of cycling Stephen Roche said about the capture of Magnus- 'Magnus called me last week to discuss his involvement within the back room team here at PUNK Pro cycling, he has obvious experience both in Pro cycling and in the classics. Ian knew about our interest in Magnus when we committed to signing with us. I'm very happy to have both David and Magnus helping with the day to day running of the team, also both David and Magnus will have full control of race tactics in their chosen areas.'
On Wednesday a press conference has been announced in Conrad Dublin where the teams three GC prospects for the upcoming season will be unveiled.
'Your club, your way. We are offering everyone, worldwide, the chance to build something that they and cycling can be proud of.'
PUNK Pro cycling General Manager Paul Kimmage
Welcome to Conrad Dublin in the Irish Capital, both GM Paul Kimmage and Head of Cycling Stephen Roche are present at the presentation of PUNK Pro Cycling GC leaders for the upcoming season.
LADIES AND GENTLEMAN- MR PAUL KIMMAGE...
‘As promised we will now announce our three major signings for the upcoming season, with the addition of Stephen Roche, David Millar and Ian Stannard to our team, we are showing the world of cycling that we are serious about building a new future for our sport. The media fallout from the our last few announcements have helped spread our story across the planet. We have seen purchases of our annual membership rise to just shy of 20,000 co-owners, at the moment our core membership is in the British isles, however we have seen growth in the Nordic countries, Benelux, south america and North america. Our message is spreading across the cycling world, this is fantastic.’
We hope the next three marquee signings we show how determined we are to developing a successful team. Furthermore it shows that the professional peloton are listening to our message and are actively wanting to join us.
Firstly we would like to announce the current time trial and road race champion of Luxembourg, BOB JUNGELS. Bob joins us, after he requested to leave his current contract, membership fees in Benelux paid for him to leave his current Pro-contract and join us, as a GC Prospect for the coming seasons.
Secondly it is with a great privilege that in Dublin, Ireland that myself and Stephen welcome to PUNK Pro Cycling, two former Irish road race champions, two cousins and two members of the Roche cycling family.
DAN MARTIN and NICOLAS ROCHE
Of course our Head of Cycling had a huge part to play in the signing of his son and nephew. Nico’s team did not stand in the way when he asked for a transfer request, as they knew what working under his father meant to him, so we thank Bjarne Riis for that. David Millar and Stephen had a talk with GARMIN-SHARP about Dan Martin’s contract, and it was with great reluctance that Dan was allowed to sign with us, we will however over the next five seasons pay quite a big fee to GARMIN, but it was the price to pay for such a great GC prospect.
So for the upcoming season we will have Dan Martin and Nicolas Roche as our main GC riders in the big stage races and one day classics, Bob Jungels will be there with them to learn, he will also rider some smaller races as leader to build up more experience.
The remainder of our squad are being finalised but 90% of the team will be under 23 years old, with a few sprinklings of experience in certain key areas.
So our team consists at the moment
David Millar-Road Captain/Sports director Ian Stannard- Classics leader Bob Jungels- GC Prospect Dan Martin- GC leader Nicolas Roche- GC leader
Co-Owner and webmaster of PUNK Pro cycling
'Your club, your way. We are offering everyone, worldwide, the chance to build something that they and cycling can be proud of.'
PUNK Pro cycling General Manager Paul Kimmage
Irish Capital, both GM Paul Kimmage and Head of Cycling Stephen Roche are present at the presentation of PUNK Pro Cycling GC leaders for the upcoming season.
BOB JUNGELS. Bob joins us, after he requested to leave his current contract, membership fees in Benelux paid for him to leave his current Pro-contract and join us, as a GC Prospect for the coming seasons.
David Millar-Road Captain/Sports director
