Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 09/28/2023 11:21 AM |
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Lots of things happening. JV unable to find a replacement sponsor to make up for Jumbo departure. Patrick wanting to finally retire or take a step back. Sounds like UCI has been notified of potential merger. Roglic already talking to other teams and free to leave JV. Big question would be what will Remco do. And Alaphillipe? Possibly he could go to Total Energies to make up for Sagan's retirement. Lots of implications for other riders too, including womens' teams. And who will take on the World Tour license that frees up. Sounds like there are candidates but either they don't offer much in terms of performance (Israel) or are not interested from a cost perspective. |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 09/28/2023 02:48 PM |
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I think the big question is what happens to Remco....there is no home for him at a merged team, unless he has no desire to challenge at the Tour. But finding someone to pay for him and the required transfer fee is gonna be tough with Ineos presumably getting Rog.
Allaphillipe could still fit in at the merged team, especially if Remco leaves, I suppose.
But July is now potentially more exicting as you'll not only have Jonas and Pog, but now Rog and maybe Remco as an outsider. |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 09/28/2023 04:50 PM |
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Breaking....Amazon to step in as co-sponsor of the team.
https://escapecollective.com/amazon-to-sponsor-new-look-jumbo-visma/ |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 09/28/2023 08:43 PM |
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| Sounds like Amazon will be co-sponsor, not main sponsor. So won’t make up for loss of Jumbo but will make up for Vancansoleil going bankrupt so JV is losing them as well. |
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longslowdistance
Posts:2881
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| 09/29/2023 04:06 AM |
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| So merger on or off? |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 09/29/2023 09:14 AM |
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Sounds like Amazon will be co-sponsor, not main sponsor
Correct....that is why I wrote "co-sponsor". 😜😜
So merger on or off?
On, it sounds like. What is interesting is that the article only talks about plugging the hole form Jumbo in relation to the JV team, not what the merger brings to the equation. They estimate it is a $25M gap form Jumbo leaving, and Amazon bringing $15M, so a $10M gap. That is then reduced again by Rog leaving....so maybe a ~$8M hole in the JV budget.
But how much is QS bringing to the equation? And does that only cover the QS riders / staff?
Lots of Q's unanswered at this point.... |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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79pmooney
Posts:3180
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| 09/29/2023 10:32 AM |
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That name! Isn't Soudal-Visma the latest thing for macular degeneration? If approved, there will be a clinic in your neighborhood by 2027.
Yet another reminder that everything changes. That it is a money sport and a fickle one at that. Sponsorships are usually because of a person's love of the sport, not because it is the best use of that company's money (at least among companies with focuses far from the sport of cycling. Like windows and flooring.)
Patrick Lefevre moving on. One of the legends. I'm feeling my age as I write this. |
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 09/29/2023 10:56 AM |
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| One of the variables seems to be that Jumbo's sponsorship which initially was to end 2024 now extends to 2026 but money initially allocated for 2024 now spread over three years. I would guess this is to pay salaries of key riders (Wout, Jonas, Kuss) and keep them under contract but it leaves a financial gap for next year. |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 09/29/2023 11:29 AM |
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That it is a money sport and a fickle one at that. Sponsorships are usually because of a person's love of the sport, not because it is the best use of that company's money
Lots of people saying "Man, if the dominant team in the sport can't find a sponsor, what does that say?"....while accurate, it misses a critical issue - Jumbo was putting in $25M. I'm sure there are plenty of potential sponsors, but not enough $25M sponsors. SO you are left with billionaires looking for a side project or autocratic nations hoping to engage in a little sportswashing.
The sport is systemically unhealthy, financially. |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 09/29/2023 01:29 PM |
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The situation (billionaires and autocratic nations) is really no different for the world's number 1 sport soccer except there are much bigger numbers going around. The greater stability there is because the much greater global public interest, and with it high value TV broadcast rights, ticket income, and other merchandise sales. This lets a club like Barcelona get away with running a $500M debt, even though yes, they did have to let Messi go so as not let the financial picture get too extreme.
Meanwhile in NL, police have indicated they have no budget to support managing road races. Presumably they still have budget to manage soccer hooligans although with that too there is increasing pushback.
Its a fickle sport indeed. |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 09/29/2023 02:17 PM |
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Yeah, I wonder about the sponsorship of futbol vs. cycling. Seems you can get a much better ROI from cycling with a substantially lower budget.
Fly Emirates reportedly pays Real Madrid ~$70M / year. I can't really say how that compares in terms of reach / cost for a Premier League team, but I am sure it costs more for the PL.
And for that $70M, you are basically just buying the front of the jersey....they aren't calling the team Fly Emirates. So for ~1/3 of that cost, you could have title sponsorship of the best team in cycling and everyone would call it the Fly Emirates Cycling Team.
I seem to recall that back in the day, one of the reasons Motorola ended their sponsorship was because it had been so wildly successful in raising their brand awareness in Europe that they had already achieved their marketing golas early.
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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longslowdistance
Posts:2881
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| 09/29/2023 08:19 PM |
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Does anyone believe Amazon needs more visibility in the world of cycling fans? I don't.
So maybe their goal is to shrink that large bullseye on their back the Eurozone regulators are aiming at and the US regulators just dropped the hammer on.
In other words, like the Arabs, Amazon is offering big bucks in cycling terms (yet is small change for them) for "sportswashing".
Soccer is recoiling a bit from how the massive influx of middle east petrodollars has distorted the lay of the land. The PGA pro golf tour gave in (mega bucks by comparison to Amazon). The Saudi soccer thing is a monster, with warts. Cycling is a far less rich sport but there are similarities.
We live in interesting times. |
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Cosmic Kid
Posts:4209
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| 09/30/2023 08:50 AM |
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Well this is an interesting wrinkle…
As @CaleyFretz reported, the Amazon sponsorship is actually €15 million of Media Value, so could be between 2-5 million of hard cash or even zero and just €15 million of brand visibility on Amazon via a documentary, etc |
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| Just say "NO!" to WCP!!!!
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Orange Crush
Posts:4499
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| 09/30/2023 10:08 AM |
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| It seems Patrick is about as much in dark about this as we are. This is happening at levels above him. |
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longslowdistance
Posts:2881
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| 10/01/2023 09:07 PM |
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| Up to the second news is the Slovakian pols are going with Putin. Another wrinkle. |
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