Dombroski changes sponsors . . .

[BumbleBeeDave]

Wow, that was a quick honeymoon . . .

http://www.velonews.com/article/99987/tech-report-amy-dombroski-s-new-primus-mootry-cyclocross

Interesting . . . perhaps he told her she'd have to wait six years for her team bike?

Sorry, I just couldn't resist! :rolleyes:

BBD

[rwsaunders]

I read that there was an non-sponsor equipment issue in terms of wheels and that RS laid the law down. Good on him.

[I Want Sachs?]

It's about the Bike? Maybe too much Red on the old bike?

[maunahaole]

RS has laid out the whole story on his blog. No speculation needed.

[veloduffer]

It was about her using non-sponsored wheels. Richard felt there was a moral obligation to ride the equipment provided by the sponsor, otherwise it isn't right to accept their financial support. He's right to ask the rider to act in good faith.

[Bruce K]

As much as I like them both, Amy blew the deal BIG TIME.

Maybe she didn't care, but you NEVER use non-sponsored equipment without clear written agreement to the substitution.

Kind of sad but it looks like everyone has survived the situtation.

BK

[Climb01742]

richie did the honorable thing. making it the rare thing. kudos.

[I Want Sachs?]

Picture of Amy in action with her new kit.

Are those really Reynolds wheels? Stickers, maybe? ;)

[skijoring]

I know Primus - Mootry makes a helluva frame, but hers looks bad.

[rockdude]

Go Amy, Go... Who cares what product she is on, or uses, racing is not about the bike. We should not care who gives who free products but focus on who wins the race.

[I Want Sachs?]

Go Amy, Go... Who cares what product she is on, or uses, racing is not about the bike. We should not care who gives who free products but focus on who wins the race.

Right!? That is why she was st_p_d to lose her sponsorship with Richard Sachs over not wanting to use sponsor's heavier wheels. I mean, if the bikes/components don't matter, why did she ditch the sponsor.

And if sponsors don't matter, why was she so keen on finding a sponsor right after quitting one team? The truth is sponsors matter. Reynolds and Primus Mootry would like to be recognized for their 2nd place wheels and frames, just as much as Richard Sachs and Cole Wheels would have wanted the exposure.

[soulspinner]

To me she did something rec riders do. Worry about equipment too much. Mr Sachs has classissimo and it showed here...

[Mr. Squirrel]

people are funny.

mr. squirrel

[Auk]

If you look at the results pre and post Sachs split. . . they are the same, podium (but not top step) or just off. if the equipment was all that was keeping her from bridging the gap, then she had better start proving it it in a hurry. Otherwise, the carton of eggs that were cracked are going to start being poured over the head.

[William]

people are funny.

mr. squirrel

It traps the squirrel in the basket.... :D

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8jPbkg6XSgM/SDTz-2jNL6I/AAAAAAAACAA/HQl5uaEePGQ/s400/squirrel-cage-kittens.jpg





William

[Dave B]

Sometimes folks are more worried about the i in win and not the team. Wheels aside, she is going to do well, but has a lot of growing up to do.

If people arew willing to take a chance on you and put their rep and program behind you, you are responsibile to honor that agreement. That is the classy thing to do.

I am sure both are pleased to be done with it, but it was still a bush league move on her part.

[paczki]

If you look at the results pre and post Sachs split. . . they are the same, podium (but not top step) or just off. if the equipment was all that was keeping her from bridging the gap, then she had better start proving it it in a hurry. Otherwise, the carton of eggs that were cracked are going to start being poured over the head.

She's tiny, wheel weight might make a substantial difference. The results so far aren't a good metric -- there have been too few, she's riding a new bike, and she's been under some stress of her own making.

That said, everyone agrees that she was in the wrong -- including her.

[xjoex]

To me she did something rec riders do. Worry about equipment too much. Mr Sachs has classissimo and it showed here...

I have to disagree, when he posted their email exchanges on his blog he lost all of his class.

-Joe

[fiamme red]

I have to disagree, when he posted their email exchanges on his blog he lost all of his class.

-JoeI'm sure she gave him permission to do so.

By the way, I saw her race to second place yesterday. She's tiny. I'd like to see a picture of her and Ryan Trebon (who was second in the men's race, and looks to be about 6'6) standing side by side!

[Dave B]

I have to disagree, when he posted their email exchanges on his blog he lost all of his class.

-Joe


Not judging your opinion, however posting the emails showed anyone who cares the actual story. Think of it what you will, but instead of people (media types) posting their version or he said she said articles, it was an attempt to show what really happened.

That I can understand.

[Johny]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.amydombroski.net/amy/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=4&Itemid=4

To those affected by my departure from the RS Cyclocross Team,
I would like to sincerely apologize to anyone and everyone who has been tied into this.

To all the sponsors who comprise and make the RS cyclocross team possible,

Richard Sachs, Radix Group, RGM Watch Company, Rex Chiu, Rajanaka Yoga, House Industries, The Fat Men, Oval Concepts, Cane Creek, Cole Products, Wipperman, Rudy Project, Crank Brothers, Bailey Works, Verge Sport, Joe Bell Custom Paint, Svelte Cycles, Clement, Northwave, SRAM, Chain-L:

Thank you for your generous support. I am very sorry for any negative image I have cast upon your brand and company.

To my RS teammates, I am sorry for any ways this has affected you. Thank you for the good times.

To those mentioned in my private emails which were open to the public eye without my consent, I apologize for your mention and for any darkness this may have shed upon your name and the sponsors you represent.

Sincerely,
amy

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://rscyclocross.blogspot.com/

3, November 2009

Greetings -

So what really happened atmo? We (the Richard Sachs Cyclcross Team) had what best could be described as
a Code Red these past several weeks. To paraphrase Nicholson in A Few Good Men, "You have the luxury of not
knowing what I know atmo...".

The only issue here is that we ( the RS 'Cross Team) have a strong list of sponsors and suppliers who entrust us
to use and race on the equipment pool supplied. It's that simple. Not that I need to cite this or quote myself, but the
general guidelines we adhere to were reiterated in a blog entry before the race schedule even started. And - all of this
was a reiteration, and NOT words heard from me for the first time. That blog entry can be viewed here.

I have no desire to make this personal, or to posture, or to unring the bell so to speak. Since last weekend I have seen
several articles about what happened, I have been pointed to at least four forums threads about what happened, and I
have been sent links to two online film clips about what happened.

So what happened? It's simple. No one "left the team". A series of events occurred - a series that I could never have scripted,
and one that I have never encountered since I began running a team going back now several decades. On a personal note, it
saddens me that all of this surrounds the sponsors. The RS 'Cross Team has a wonderful list of industry suppliers. All who
sponsor 'cross deserve the best, and atmo the best involves a degree of loyalty, commitment, and professionalism that was
sorely lacking by one of our riders this autumn.

Here is the recent email string that regards an incident that some of us have lightheartedly relabed, ColeGate.

Read top to bottom:

On Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 5:35 PM, Richard Sachs wrote:
yo amy -
re the usgp races/podiums...
all the pics i sent to cole and their pr peeps were well received and they
were on their way to trying to get the usage rights for some quick promo
stuff when a light went on. someone noticed the front hub and the doubt
was cast that these were not their T-38s in the pic. what's the deal?

ps this is one fire i may not be able to put out.

EDIT STARTS HERE -

Poof - they're gone atmo. After having the email string that was pasted here live on my blog
for two days, I am deleting the texts. Why? This issue has taken on a life of its own and that
was not my intention. For being a catalyst in that, I apologize. The rest of it is simple. We (the
rider involved, the RS 'Cross Team, the sponsors, and some from among our inner circle) lived
a situation since the second week of September. As it happened, no amount of swapping out
parts, fedexing parts, discussing the salient features of parts, etc. be it over the phone, at race
venues, using face time, and - of course, via emails - no amount of dialogue was able to change
a situation that should never have been one in the first place. Our team is well organized and even
better supported. To exhibit the indifference to a sponsor that I encountered this autumn makes
me sad and I also think is bad for all parties involved. After living this for nearly seven weeks, I did
what should have been done at the front end: I issued an ultimatum (for the first time ever in my
running a team). As of a week ago, all of that became history and occurred behind closed doors.
This past Sunday night, I read an online account of what supposedly happened. I say "supposedly"
because atmo it was a one-sided text made to sugar coat what was a private arrangement. I was
okay with the story because I expected it to disappear into the ether. What happened on Monday
was that the link to the story got passed around, and the facts or half-truths contained therein became
fodder for more speculation than I felt any of us involved merited. Rather than plant a story, or go to
the press, or discuss/debate it on the various message boards now giving it a life, I decided to write
this (above) blog entry and tag on the email string that regards the issue at hand.

To mine a message board post quote that appeared a day ago, "I can see why he posted the emails.
He didn't have to give his side of the story, he gave the actual story. We all wanted to know what was
going down, and now we do." Exactly. If you read what lived here for 48 hours, you know the facts. If
you missed it, all of this becomes hearsay. I entered the fray because it was hearsay that I wanted
to counter with the truth. Having done that, I have opened wounds that rival the contretemps that started
all of this in the first place. For that I sincerely apologize atmo.

END OF STRING


PS. IMHO Richard and Amy both move on. I'm sure there are emotions human beings like you and me sometimes cannot control or don't control well.

[BumbleBeeDave]

Sometimes folks are more worried about the i in win and not the team. Wheels aside, she is going to do well, but has a lot of growing up to do.

If people arew willing to take a chance on you and put their rep and program behind you, you are responsibile to honor that agreement. That is the classy thing to do.

I am sure both are pleased to be done with it, but it was still a bush league move on her part.

. . . at 23? We just don't realize it till 23 is long past.

BBD

[Mr. Squirrel]

. . . at 23? We just don't realize it till 23 is long past.

BBD

that's 340 in squirrel years. when i was 2 i thought i knew everything there was to know about my nuts. i've grown up a lot in the last 6 months.

mr. squirrel

[I Want Sachs?]

Amy had a great ride at National Championships. Too bad she suffered her first crash of the season which unnerved her. Otherwise she might have won the race.

Would she had done better if she had heavier Cole wheels and great handling Richard Sachs frame so that she would not have crashed? Perhaps making up the 5 seconds to leap into second place, or even first place by 61 seconds.

Or would she had finished fourth by losing another 55 seconds or even fifth by 70 seconds due to weight?

[Bruce K]

Let's not wallop a deceased equine, shall we?

Amy had a great season. She is clearly a talented rider and has a promising future.

As to whether she has reached the same level as Compton will be shown over the next couple of weeks in Europe.

BK

[JD Smith]

Amy had a great ride at National Championships. Too bad she suffered her first crash of the season which unnerved her. Otherwise she might have won the race.

Would she had done better if she had heavier Cole wheels and great handling Richard Sachs frame so that she would not have crashed? Perhaps making up the 5 seconds to leap into second place, or even first place by 61 seconds.

Or would she had finished fourth by losing another 55 seconds or even fifth by 70 seconds due to weight?

We don't know whether the Sachs bike handled any better than the new ride.

[peanutgallery]

Hasn't she moved on to Luna already?

[Bruce K]

Not so far as I know. I think it's still Schlamm Clothing and Primus Mootry along with a bevy of other sponsors such as SRAM, Reynolds, etc.

BK

[peanutgallery]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/amy-dombroski-signs-with-luna

[Bruce K]

Thanks.

I missed that one.

BK