Bye-Bye Basques - a sad day for pro-cycling

[Flying_Monkey]

With reports that riders are being allowed to leave, it looks like it's finally the end of the line for Euskaltel-Euskadi, the team that proudly flew the flag for the Basque Country and produced many exciting (and for many non-Basques, unpronounceable!) climbers but which never quite delivered the results the Basque fans craved.

After the end of Rabobank, it looks like orange is an unfashionable colour in the pro-peloton, and we are much the worse for it. A sad day IMHO.

 

[rich p]

Yes, sad indeed. That state of the Spanish economy is affecting Spanish cycling all the way down to smaller racers being cancelled and others being shortened.
To be honest, I find it hard to believe that many non-cycling company gets value for money out of cycle team sponsorship. I do wonder if the CEOs of such companies are just keen on cycling, or are cyclists themselves.

 

[Diggs]

That really is sad news, given their proud culture and heritage I had a soft spot for the team (Imagine my exitement when I discovered Google translate could handle tweets in Basque!). As FM said, never fully lived up to the expectation but I guess that was part of the charm.
As far as Rich P's comments, I heard a podcast the other day interviewing Jonathan Vaughters talking about the cost aspect of running a team and paying its way (in particular u23 and women teams needing to pay their own way). Very interesting to hear it from his perspective.

 

[Noodley]

I was never a fan of them, I always had suspicions of murkiness.

Not only is it a sign of the state of the Spanish economy, but it may also be indicative of the changing nature and increasing globalisation of cycling away from it's European roots and the increasing costs associated with running a pro team; in years gone by it may have been possible for "small" national or regional companies to sponsor a team but that is becoming increasing difficult due to rider costs and expectations, the logistics of fulfilling commitments to world events and the expectations of fans. This will eventually result in the number of small regional races being depleted at the expense of larger events; and I extend this to semi-classics and classics as I fear they may not survive without a re-think by organisers about promotion beyond the "heartland" of supporters. I recently read a few articles which highlighted the number of events in southern Europe which had disappeared, many of the names would be familiar to anyone following cycling yet they are now gone.

I'm a cheery nobber, ain't I?

I also think that it is an opportunity for teams to review what is happening in the sport and come out of it stronger.

 

[raindog]

Bugger. And as if that ain't enough, JJ Cale died yesterday

 

[oldroadman]

Opportunity for Oleg Tinkov to buy himself his own team now he's fallen out with Mr Riis and Saxo-Tinkoff becomes just Saxobank (plus another new sponsor) at the end of the season? Team complete with world tour licence which is what he is after.
Of course, the "new" team will have to prove their sporting values and credibility to UCI before they get to play, but Katusha proved that is not a massive obstacle when you have the financial power to get top lawyers and courts involved.

 

[Booyaa]

[quote="rich p, post: 2570402, member: 500" I do wonder if the CEOs of such companies are just keen on cycling, or are cyclists themselves.[/quote]


The old Motorpoint team in the UK was sponsered by them because the CEO was well into his cycling. Think they pulled out the end of last year. I guess it is down to the FD's about how much they want to spend on sponsorship/CSR/advertisement.

 

[laurence]

they have been struggling for a while.

it's sad for me as i've been a fan from the early days. i loved the idea of a 'national' team and the feeder system the Eusdaki region had. i hope this element will survive.

Euskaltel have stayed with the team when it could have jumped ship. the team were due some funding from other Basque departments, but it turned out they wanted conditions - one being that the name of the Basque region would be written in the language of the Tour that the riders were racing in. they did used to do this for the TdF, but given the pro-tour schedule, it meant having loads of extra clothing made for one of races 9as the jersey would change year on year anyway), so the money never came.

there was a call for the team to leave the pro ranks due to the cost and also the decision to hire non Basque riders. maybe the team will rise again, but un the minor leagues.

i will miss the orange jerseys - and buying a new one every year.

gora Euskadi.

 

[smutchin]

Sad news indeed about Euskaltel (Noodley's concerns notwithstanding) but the writing has been on the wall for a while.

There's a chance they would have dropped off the World Tour this year anyway, given the lack of results and the need for the UCI to remove one team from the roster.

 

[smutchin]

The old Motorpoint team in the UK was sponsered by them because the CEO was well into his cycling. Think they pulled out the end of last year. I guess it is down to the FD's about how much they want to spend on sponsorship/CSR/advertisement.

You've given me an idea... my pitch for the next series of The Apprentice: "Team Amstrad Procycling"

£250k wouldn't get us very far though.

What about the Phones4U bloke? He's a bit minted, isn't he?

 

[thom]

Sad news indeed about Euskaltel (Noodley's concerns notwithstanding) but the writing has been on the wall for a while.

Aye it is sad - of course they managed to hang on for so long as the writing on the wall was in Basque, so nobody had a scooby what it meant... ;-)

 

[Monsieur Remings]

Bloody hell, only just read this, how sad.

RIP Euskaltel. Where will Sanchez go I wonder? I hope this isn't bad news for Orbea either, being one of the few bike manufacturing cooperatives.

Having Basque friends in UK, I know how passionate they are about their country and I know, despite this, we'll continue to see the Basque flag as much as we see the Occitanian 'Cross of Toulouse' in the Pyrenees/elsewhere come holiday time, the TDF or during the Vuelta.

What a shame.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

It is confirmed. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/eus...that-it-will-disband-at-the-end-of-the-season

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

It is confirmed. http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/eus...that-it-will-disband-at-the-end-of-the-season

I thought they were talking to Tinkov.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I thought they were talking to Tinkov.

There were rumours, but apparently he only wanted a Pro-Tour team, he wasn't going to keep anything about the current Euskaltel.