Pro Cycling Discussion 2018
- Thread starter Roady
- Start date
Looks great! Really glad they retained the orange as the 2018 ccc kit made them very distinctive. Not a huge fan of plain black bikes but the kit makes up for it. Who else has plain black frames now? I think QS used to but now they're Black/Blue (looks great) and think DDD have more white than previous years?
Soldato
- Joined
- 11 Jun 2013
- Posts
- 2,632
I would partly disagree with that given QS are a Belgian team and Belgium is all about the classics. I do agree with your comment on Brailsford to go - does Man Utd need a new manager? I’m partly serious there; he’s not going to want to manage a cycling team with less budget than he currently has so why not love to another sport?
So by the same argument - they have a huge amount of 'sell value' to Belgian sponsors but less to one more multinational.
Which really is reflected in their sponsors - Quick Step are a type of flooring/brand owned by Unilin - Belgian company. Lidl are all over the world but primarily a German company (owned by Schwarz). Their new sponsors Deceuninck are Belgian. Previous sponsors Etixx/Omega Pharma are Belgian (who when bought out by a US equity firm cancelled sponsorship). Also Innergetic/Latexco (other previous sponsors) are Belgian.
Interesting note... Lidl main corporate opposition (Aldi) are based much closer to Belgium than Lidl... Aldi of course are linked to TeamGB, so maybe Aldi stepping in as a sponsor for Sky isn't exactly too far away from where their current interests are...
Brailsford is an interesting one... In some respects what he's achieved on the track and now the road are nothing short of phenominal. Very very very clever man who likes to prove people wrong. So as a team to break new grounds then he would be the man to lead it - but winning GT's what else is there to achieve in pro cycling. Equally if he steps away along with Sky I think much of the media negativity would also stop, the team without that sponsorship would probably be treated/regarded in much the same way to all of the others (and not singled out). Basically I'm still a little torn between him staying and going. I do think if he secures some quality sponsors then soon afterwards he'll announce he's 'stepping back', before then taking his talents elsewhere - and that will really be a loss.
Which really is reflected in their sponsors - Quick Step are a type of flooring/brand owned by Unilin - Belgian company. Lidl are all over the world but primarily a German company (owned by Schwarz). Their new sponsors Deceuninck are Belgian. Previous sponsors Etixx/Omega Pharma are Belgian (who when bought out by a US equity firm cancelled sponsorship). Also Innergetic/Latexco (other previous sponsors) are Belgian.
Interesting note... Lidl main corporate opposition (Aldi) are based much closer to Belgium than Lidl... Aldi of course are linked to TeamGB, so maybe Aldi stepping in as a sponsor for Sky isn't exactly too far away from where their current interests are...
Brailsford is an interesting one... In some respects what he's achieved on the track and now the road are nothing short of phenominal. Very very very clever man who likes to prove people wrong. So as a team to break new grounds then he would be the man to lead it - but winning GT's what else is there to achieve in pro cycling. Equally if he steps away along with Sky I think much of the media negativity would also stop, the team without that sponsorship would probably be treated/regarded in much the same way to all of the others (and not singled out). Basically I'm still a little torn between him staying and going. I do think if he secures some quality sponsors then soon afterwards he'll announce he's 'stepping back', before then taking his talents elsewhere - and that will really be a loss.
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