Dodgy sponsors

[mjr]

Not a great year for cycling sponsors. Dave Walker takes aim:

View: https://mobile.twitter.com/davewalker/status/1616390801575055363

 

[cougie uk]

Who was the Dutch team sponsored by a 'Sauna' in the 90s I think?

 

[Arrowfoot]

These are silly mindless activities of the lesser lights. Why not take it to the logical end - don't allow UK citizens to visit these countries or trade with them. Don't even allow them into the UK. Repatriate those nationals and students currently in the UK. Ask all oil companies leave our shores. Don't buy oil to fire our heaters or fuel our cars.

Realistically we have to co-exist until we have the means to move and there are clear signs we are indeed moving in that direction. If not our generation, the generation of Greta Thunberg.

 

[Cathryn]

I saw the cartoon and thought it rang pretty true! It should make us think. The thing I struggle with is WHERE we draw the line! No company or sponsor is perfect!

I don’t have any answers, it’s something I often wrestle with.

 

[cougie uk]

I saw the cartoon and thought it rang pretty true! It should make us think. The thing I struggle with is WHERE we draw the line! No company or sponsor is perfect!

I don’t have any answers, it’s something I often wrestle with.

If we are going to be green we shouldn't really have races around the world. Flying people across the globe and driving them across the country.

Professional sports can't really throw stones.

 

[Cathryn]

If we are going to be green we shouldn't really have races around the world. Flying people across the globe and driving them across the country.

Professional sports can't really throw stones.

That’s what I mean. Where do we set our lines?

 

[Alex321]

I tend to agree with much of what has been said above. You can't really complain about the oil companies or similar, nor about gambling sponsors, when gambling has always been a part of sport.

Never mind flying people and machines around the world, if you look at a top level professional bike race, there will be more motor vehicles involved than bicycles, by the time you take account of police outriders, any publicity caravan, all the team cars, plus the team buses etc.

 

[Psamathe]

There is providing what our society (currently) needs in a responsible manner and very different from the way some companies behave e.g.

<xxx> threatens to close UK plant unless it can dodge EU pollution rules
The chemicals giant said thousands of jobs could be lost unless it is exempt from EU clean air and water regulations, documents reveal

(from https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2019/03/23/ineos-chemicals-environment-pollution-eu-lobbying/)
or

Fracking firm <xxx> leads industry lobbying to avoid green tax
Documents released under freedom of information rules reveal that <xxx> is pushing the government to use Brexit as a chance to exempt the chemicals sector entirely from climate policy costs.

(from https://www.theguardian.com/environ...obbying-effort-to-get-out-of-paying-green-tax)

Ian

 

[mjr]

Never mind flying people and machines around the world, if you look at a top level professional bike race, there will be more motor vehicles involved than bicycles, by the time you take account of police outriders, any publicity caravan, all the team cars, plus the team buses etc.

That's actually not true at the top level any more because of the race sizes and the sheer number of bikes taken to the grand tours, up to three road bikes and two TT bikes per rider for the biggest teams, plus the neutral service stock, plus staff runarounds.

It's probably still true at smaller races, with fewer bikes per rider and fewer riders per team not outweighing maybe one car per team fewer and the smaller caravan.

 

[cougie uk]

That's actually not true at the top level any more because of the race sizes and the sheer number of bikes taken to the grand tours, up to three road bikes and two TT bikes per rider for the biggest teams, plus the neutral service stock, plus staff runarounds.

It's probably still true at smaller races, with fewer bikes per rider and fewer riders per team not outweighing maybe one car per team fewer and the smaller caravan.

I don't think that's quite the point. You can't make the sport greener just by taking more spare bikes to races.

 

[Alex321]

That's actually not true at the top level any more because of the race sizes and the sheer number of bikes taken to the grand tours, up to three road bikes and two TT bikes per rider for the biggest teams, plus the neutral service stock, plus staff runarounds.

It's probably still true at smaller races, with fewer bikes per rider and fewer riders per team not outweighing maybe one car per team fewer and the smaller caravan.

Fair point. I was only thinking of the bikes actually being ridden, forgetting the spares.

 

[Dogtrousers]

This is probably wrong, but here's a breakdown of main (team name level) sponsors at World Tour level

Most popular is the construction industry with 6 sponsors: Bora (Kitchens), Wanty (civil engineers), Deceuninck (Windows), Soudal (adhesives and gloopy stuff), Hansgrohe (bathrooms), Quick-Step (flooring)

Then we have 4 sponsors that are places. None of which I have an urge to visit. Astana, UAE, Bahrain, AlUla (Saudi Resort)
Four from Finance/Insurance: Cofidis, Arkea, AG2R, Groupama

Three from the automotive industry: Jayco, Citroen, Grenadiers

Two each from gambling and supermarkets:
Gambling: FDJ (lottery), Circus (online gambling)
Supermarket: Jumbo, Intermarche

That leaves one each from the remainder:
Bicycles (Trek)
Coffee (Segafredo)
Education (EF Education)
Facilities management (Samsic)
Nutrition (DSM)
Petrochemicals (Ineos)
Shampoo (Alpecin)
Shipping (Easypost)
Software (Visma)
Telco (Movistar)
Airline (Emirates) added on advice from @mjr

You might want to point out errors, or argue with classifications - eg are Soudal and Alpecin both actually petrochemicals?. Feel free to do your own breakdown.

So which cyclist has best represented their sponsor?
I'm going for Marcel Kittel and his splendid Alpecin quiff
Peter Sagan gets comedy points for advertising kitchen extractors with the unforgettable line "I'm loooving this coooking revolooootion"

 

[mjr]

I don't think that's quite the point. You can't make the sport greener just by taking more spare bikes to races.

Never said you can. The point as written was irrelevant sphericals. If you want to say there's too many fossil-powered vehicles, or too much pollution, say that. Leave the numbers of bikes out of it. It doesn't have much to do with sponsors.

You might want to point out errors, or argue with classifications [...]

I think yours was pretty good, but you may have missed Emirates (airline), who co-name with UAE.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I think yours was pretty good, but you may have missed Emirates (airline), who co-name with UAE.

I never realised that Emirates the airline were a sponsor. Maybe I thought the word Emirates was just from United Arab Emirates. Confusing.

 

[mjr]

I never realised that Emirates the airline were a sponsor. Maybe I thought the word Emirates was just from United Arab Emirates. Confusing.

The logo is on the jersey and the team renamed from UAE Abu Dhabi when the airline started sponsoring.