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Discovery Channel cycling team to disband
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| Adam |
Posted on 10-08-2007 10:57
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https://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-c...&cset=true
The only U.S.-based team has been unable to find a sponsor since the cable television company announced to would not renew its contract.
By Diane Pucin
August 10, 2007
Discovery Channel, the only U.S.-based professional level cycling team, will announce today that it has been unable to find a new sponsor and will disband at the end of the 2007 racing season, according to sources
The team partially owned by seven-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong has been searching for a new sponsor since last spring when the cable television company announced it would not re-sign.
While Discovery Channel executives had said they were not influenced by the ongoing doping scandals that have plagued the sport for over a year, it left the team trying to find a new title sponsor willing to spend upward of $14 million a year in a climate of constant negative publicity.
Under pressure to showcase its team, Discovery Channel produced both the Tour de France winner (Spain's Alberto Contador) and third-place finisher (Levi Leipheimer of Santa Rosa, Calif.) last month.
On Thursday, T-Mobile, the sponsor of the German team that had a rider suspended during last month's tour for failing a drug test, announced it was continuing its sponsorship through 2010. A T-Mobile source said that U.S. national champion George Hincapie, who has ridden for Discovery Channel (and its previous incarnation United States Postal Service), would be signing a contract with the company for next season.
Also, Contador and Discovery Channel team director Johan Bruyneel are having a news conference in Spain today amid reports that Contador's role in the Spanish drug investigation Operacion Puerto is not as innocent as Contador and Bruyneel have claimed.
Contador, who was barred this week from riding in a one-day classic race in Hamburg, Germany, because of his alleged connection to Operacion Puerto, had said during the Tour de France that his name appeared in the Spanish documents only because he trained with riders who were being treated by Operacion Puerto doctor Eufemiano Fuentes.
Discovery Channel officials were unavailable for comment Thursday and Contador has reportedly said he would only read a statement today and not take questions.
There has been a U.S.-based professional team since 1981 when Jim Ochowicz founded the 7-Eleven team. In 1991, Motorola took over sponsorship until 1996 when the United States Postal Service (USPS) became the title sponsor. It was the USPS team that first nurtured Armstrong and hired Bruyneel.
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| Crommy |
Posted on 10-08-2007 11:03
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| Guido Mukk |
Posted on 10-08-2007 11:26
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Seems like american sponsors as not intresting about cycling. As Atlanta tour also had major sponsorship problems. Ofcorse they have NFL;NBA etc.etc. cycling is sport nr.17 or something. In europe it is sport nr. 2 after football. Bruyneel should go to the europe. |
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| Phanekim |
Posted on 10-08-2007 11:49
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I wonder where Levi and Tom go. Disco was ideal situation for both of them. Slipstream probably doesn't have enough money. Perhaps I should eat at Chipotle more often. |
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 23-11-2024 19:07
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| MarcoPRT |
Posted on 10-08-2007 11:53
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I don't think this is true, because Sergio Paulinho, a portuguese rider, spoke to the television with the commentator of Eurosport Portugal, who is his friend, and he told that Discovery had found a new sponsor, and this had been talking since April.
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| Guido Mukk |
Posted on 10-08-2007 12:08
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Yes dont need to panic..and marco I remember those thoughts come out just after the news that Discovery is leaving. We can say that they have almost strongest team in the world..they will find a sponsors and Tom and Levi has americans stays where they are.
And dont forget that Lance is go owner..so that kind of sport mascot get's almost every support.
Edited by Guido Mukk on 10-08-2007 12:10
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| MarcoPRT |
Posted on 10-08-2007 12:13
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Absolutely agreed. Lance is like a god to the sponsors today....even Nike can buy the team based on his words...
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| mrlol |
Posted on 10-08-2007 13:51
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I just heard about it on belgian tv, they had Johan Bruyneel on the phone and he said that they had contact with several possible sponors but that those didn't like all the doping things in the sport.
Allso Bruyneel will completly leave the cycling sport because after the 7 tours with Lance he said that one more tour win with another rider would be enough for him, now that has happend with Contador he quits together with Discovery. |
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| Adam |
Posted on 10-08-2007 14:02
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It's official: https://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?i...aug10news3 |
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| issoisso |
Posted on 10-08-2007 14:06
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Bruyneel will leave the sport? that's great news 
now let's see which teams the riders will go to.
Contador especially. I'll be keeping a close eye on what kind of teams offer him contracts. odds are he ends up at Caisse. |
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| Addy291 |
Posted on 10-08-2007 14:07
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with all the other dopers
YORKSHIRE BORN, YORKSHIRE BRED... |
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| issoisso |
Posted on 10-08-2007 14:09
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Addy291 wrote:
with all the other dopers
you said it, not me.
I just thought it |
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| Guido Mukk |
Posted on 10-08-2007 14:25
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issoisso wrote:
Bruyneel will leave the sport? that's great news
now let's see which teams the riders will go to.
Contador especially. I'll be keeping a close eye on what kind of teams offer him contracts. odds are he ends up at Caisse.
Tailwind Sports will resign..dont think so. Lance already talking how much need to improve...he is possible new Führer.
Bruyneel will leave..that is good news..I would like to read he's "black book".
@Adam...what a great new signing we have. |
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| Phanekim |
Posted on 10-08-2007 20:14
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Bottom Line is Bruyneel is an idiot. American sponsors are attracting american fans (in addition to international) to their product. Americans have always wanted an american on top of the podium. He sealed his fate when Levi didn't win the tour. Cause if Levi had won it, the late night talk show circuit and the publicity that generates would have easily gotten him an american sponsor.
Winning the tour with a questionable spanaird while denying and screwing over your nice guy american leader is not the best way to win over american fans like me and levi4life.
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| litllemagnum |
Posted on 10-08-2007 20:42
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are you forgetting that cadel evans was second in the tour
even if leipheimer wa th only team leader he wouldn't win against evans.
he's just not strong enough
Edited by litllemagnum on 10-08-2007 20:44
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| kadel |
Posted on 10-08-2007 20:43
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Contador was in a different class than Leipheimer in the mountains, lol. He wasn't screwed over, he just wasn't good enough. |
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| Levi4life |
Posted on 10-08-2007 20:43
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I said before Contador won the tour that i wasn't happy with Brunyeel. I just hope that Tom and Levi don't go to a European team (wishfull thinking). As for John Devine I think he could do well at a team like Slipstream. Hincapie paid his dues now i have no problem with him going wichever way he pleases.
Despte the bad news of Discovery Folding this does leave an open spot in the Pro Tour. Even more chance for Slipstream to get in.
All about slipstream baby.
As for Eating at Chipotle? I have never seena chipotle in all my years on the west coast. Must be an Eastcaost thing. |
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| issoisso |
Posted on 10-08-2007 20:58
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litllemagnum wrote:
are you forgetting that cadel evans was second in the tour
even if leipheimer wa th only team leader he wouldn't win against evans.
he's just not strong enough
you can also look at it this way: if Rasmussen wasn't there to help pull Contador up the mountain, Evans would have won the Tour. |
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| litllemagnum |
Posted on 10-08-2007 21:00
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contador is a better climber than evans but maybe you're right but it still would only be a difference of half a minute |
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| issoisso |
Posted on 10-08-2007 21:03
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litllemagnum wrote:
contador is a better climber than evans but maybe you're right but it still would only be a difference of half a minute
Evans lost the Tour by less than half a minute... |
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