Pro Ranks Rumors.

[johnnymossville]

Just got this tweet and found it interesting.

Rumors: Berto to Sungard. Specialized to drop Astana for Sungard. Horner to Sungard. Watch for teamspecialized.dk to become active soon.

My question is where does this leave the Schleck Bros? Isn't Specialized already with Riis?

[ahumblecycler]

Schleck Bros will be the (likely) predominant members of the new LUX team. I read it somewhere on VN a month or so ago.

[McQueen]

I had heard the lux team might not go..

Sungard, for those not in the know, is the new title sponsor for the current Saxobank team.. So it would be a crowded bus if the Schlecks and AC were all aboard from a racing point of view.

[1centaur]

Great, then Sungard can protect the yellow for Fabian in the first part of the Tour and the yellow for AC later. Wait, that's what happened this year, except with Schleck. No wonder those guys are cooked.

[johnnymossville]

Maybe the Schlecks should go to The Shack.

[simple]

Maybe the Schlecks should go to The Shack.



that IS another rumor...

[MattTuck]

that IS another rumor...

Oh boy. RadioShleck!


I have never dug into the RadioShack sponsorship, but there are broadly two generic reasons why a US company sponsors a European ProTour team. Build brand awareness in Europe (as USPS did), support an international brand (Garmin), or the CEO of a company just likes bike racing and makes an executive decision.

Given the "Chief Mobility Officer" campaign radioshack is doing with Lance, it seems that they are more focused on using the sponsorship domestically.

If that is the case, I'm not sure the brothers Schleck have enough (read: any) endorsement credit in the US. If however, RadioShack's strategy is more European focused, then the Schlecks make sense.

Anyway, I'm not sure how long their sponsorship of the team is supposed to last, but whether they extend their sponsorship beyond will likely depend on what I mentioned above.

[JMerring]

Build brand awareness in Europe (as USPS did)

i have never thought about usps' reasons for sponsorship but building brand awareness in europe strikes me as a little odd - why would they want to do that? just curious.

[Tim]

Apparently, if the Lux team falls through, the Schleck bros. may go to RadioShack

[johnnymossville]

From a racing standpoint. Radio Shack would be a great fit for the Schlecks. Like Postal/Discovery/Astana it's built for grand tours and not classics.

From a marketing standpoint like others have said, not optimal. We'll see.

[Birddog]

i have never thought about usps' reasons for sponsorship but building brand awareness in europe strikes me as a little odd - why would they want to do that? just curious
It was their sole objective. The parcel part of the business is what they were after. They wanted Euro shippers to use USPS to ship packages to the US. The campaign worked quite effectively according to Postal Execs at the time.

[JMerring]

It was their sole objective. The parcel part of the business is what they were after. They wanted Euro shippers to use USPS to ship packages to the US. The campaign worked quite effectively according to Postal Execs at the time.

interesting. i never would have thought usps had us-bound shipping operations.

[rwsaunders]

I had read that AC was close to reupping with Astana....

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/4823/Contador-set-to-extend-contract-with-Astana-Caisse-dEpargne-team-in-trouble.aspx

[William]

I heard that the Schlecks where talking with Schwetty about possibly forming a team. Just talks right now but if Lux goes down, things might firm up.


http://www.myviewsandreviews.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/schwetty-balls.jpg






William ;)

[Walter]

The Schleck's would be a good fit at RadioShack.

The RS squad is a bit long in the tooth. Phinney is a comer, but is several years away from prime time. The Scheck's could deliver the goods immediately.

Specialized already has the SaxoBank (nee Sungard) team.

The word being put out on AC is that all that remains to renew with Astana is crossing the t's and doting the i's.

I just do not see the Schleck's and AC under the same tent next year.

Should be an interesting couple of months.

[1centaur]

I don't see Radioshack continuing as a sponsor. Texas company - wanted Texas Lance. LBO guys recently backed away but that implies it was for sale or exploring strategic options - bike sponsorship has to be high on the list of things to boot in cost cutting, but if you were going to sponsor you'd do it at...Sungard, which is owned by a bevy of LBO sponsors and has better international prospects (and apparently turned down top sponsorship). Cost effective in the US? No - US cyclists are smart and know all about what the Shack sells (BTW, the ads don't sell the company very well, IMO). Johan will be gone with the Belgian mafia and the experienced racers are too old to matter. It's a start from scratch operation one year from now or sooner.

That said, if Lance and Johan get by all the drug intrigue, their infrastructure might be interesting to the Schlecks and to sponsors - just not, I think, to Radioshack.