Skil-Shimano has finally agreed to annul Japanese rider Fumiyuki Beppu's contract one year early. Beppu had recently reached a verbal agreement to ride with Lance Armstrong's Team RadioShack before addressing complications related to his 2010 commitment with the Skil Shimano team.
In a statement released today the team said, "The 26-year-old has now acknowledged that he has a valid contract with Skil-Shimano and is unable to leave the team and sign a contract elsewhere without Skil-Shimano's permission."
Japanese company Shimano is a main sponsor of the team, so having Beppu's presence on the squad was about more than just talent. The team also wanted to send a clear message that his contract with the team was legally binding. "This acknowledgment [that he was under legal obligation to the team] was a point of principle for Skil-Shimano, because an alternative reading would have undermined relations between teams and riders under contract, and existing contracts would no longer have been binding," the statement explained.
The team clarified that the compensation Beppu paid to the team was non-negotiable and, based on his actions a few months ago, the Skil-Shimano management was no longer confident that there could be a successful relationship with the rider.
The team said they didn't plan to replace Beppu, and will continue to focus on developing its current roster.
"The team is also confident its four remaining Asian riders will be able to make an undiminished contribution to the development and promotion of cycling in China and Japan, which is one of the goals of Skil-Shimano," the team concluded.