Just read that Aqua Blue Sport is withdrawing from the Tour of Britain, leaving all its riders and staff without jobs. Besides feeling terrible for all those athletes who have spent their lives in dedication to their sport, and all those men and women who have had to go home and tell their families that they're unemployed, I am disappointed to know that such things can happen in the sport with so little warning.
How could management not have know a long time ago that the weren't going to be in a financial position to honour their commitments? How can a team just fold overnight? Is it the sponsors' fault?
Either way, it's a travesty.
How could management not have know a long time ago that the weren’t going to be in a financial position to honour their commitments
Not unique to sports teams failing. Any business will go on as long as possible in the hope of turning it around
If you read the full press release you'll see they have been negotiating for months over a merger/takeover with another Pro Conti team (Vérandas Willems–Crelan). All fell through in the end. It's certainly not been an overnight thing.
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/latest-news/wout-van-aert-joins-aqua-blue-sport-2019-388842
And
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/aqua-blue-sport-folds-leaving-adam-blythe-without-contract-392238
In general the 'dream' part of any dream job is probably directly linked to job security.
I am disappointed to know that such things can happen in the sport with so little warning.
As soon as it becomes 'pro' it's not so much a sport as a business and 'team' sports become more about value derived from advertising than the individuals.
How can a team just fold overnight? Is it the sponsors’ fault?
I don't know how many sponsors they had .... but usually I'd say that ringing alarm bells early would lead to other sponsors potentially pulling out?
Personally I always wondered about the EWS / UCI deal and how that will affect EWS.
I've always felt that 'jumpers for goal posts' and mate or similar as mechanic are no less entertaining and more fun to take part in.
I am disappointed to know that such things can happen in the sport with so little warning.
I would say that (with a few notable exceptions) a lot of pro continental teams sail close to the wire on a regular basis. Look at Cannondale Drapac for example, they were resorting to crowdfunding and selling mugs at one point
Personally I always wondered about the EWS / UCI deal and how that will affect EWS.
Becasue it's taken so long to sort out I'd expect it to be fine, it's a very professionally run series
Most bike teams are run along the lines of "big on ambition and short of cash" only the teams at the top with multi-year, multi-million contracts are the exception. A friend of mine used to ride semi-pro - they didn't know what they were racing one week to the next because the manager hadn't entered the races and sometimes had to drive the team cars to events to find they didn't have any petrol.
Not new news is it, it’s been broadcast for the last 6-7mths about the merger and thier finances.
If you read between the lines there are plenty of comments about the bikes they use being “a bit shite” & “we’re fed up of being an R&D for a bike manufacturer” so not surprised to hear the bike sponsor was also about to pull the plug.
Which in the end meant finding another bike sponsor willing to give them for free, in return for sponsorship, and the Willians link meant paying for Van Aert who isn’t cheap and refused to leave for another Pro squad.
Frankly all Teams are in a state of precarious finances, even Quick Step are letting go big names because of QS reducing sponsorship and issues about finding new sponsors...
Whats the UCI got to do with anything ? All they’re interested in is being paid large fees for governance and back handed payments in brown paper bags.
The whole merger/disbanding to morph into another team has been going on since God wore out his first pair of flip flops.
Becasue it’s taken so long to sort out I’d expect it to be fine, it’s a very professionally run series
I hope so.... at the moment it's already sorta split into privateers and sponsored and everyone can have a go.
I'm sure they think they can keep things open ... and hope the potential money coming in doesn't prove to be golden handcuffs.
Whats the UCI got to do with anything ? All they’re interested in is being paid large fees for governance and back handed payments in brown paper bags.
To be fair isn't that what governance bodies do ???
Whats the UCI got to do with anything ? All they’re interested in is being paid large fees for governance and back handed payments in brown paper bags.
Well, if you want to be a pro tour team you have to be in the UCI.
There are minimum squad sizes, minimum rider wages, UCI licence fees, contribution to Biological Passport, and bank guarantee of something like £1,000,000, all big sums. On the off-chance you might be lucky enough to get a wildcard entry into a Grand Tour. Aqua Blue missed out this year.
I think the problem was despite being a Pro-Conti team that was i the Vuelta last year and actually won a stage, they didn't get an invite for any Grand Tour this year, despite having better results in the Tours than many other teams who are competing, but this was then compounded by their boss lashing out at the UCI and then being rude about the 3T provided bikes who were one of their few backers.
At the end of the day a pro team is a business, and no business has a god given right to exist.
I'm not saying it's not sad, but sometimes these things happen, you can't really blame sponsors, ultimately they're just customers, paying for a promotional tool paying for exposure and positive associations for their brand, if their money isn't getting them that they can take it elsewhere.
As for the "regulatory structure" they have to work under? It's the same one their competitors have to live with, you either make it work or go out of business...
It's always been an issue with UK Team sponsorship. Sad times again.
On another note, I was behind the "Brother" Neutral Support Car on the M56 heading for the M6 this afternoon.
Regards "how can they go on".
This is no different to any other business - if you want to guarantee going under, tell your staff and suppliers you think you might go under. It would be suicide. The owners/management will have had no option but to keep it under wraps as long as possible.
I’ve been riding with one of the team riders today, he had no idea what was going on, the team management has been telling the riders everything is fine and they were hoping for a new cosponser for next year.
the stuck ups in the road world probably couldnt cope with the fact they were running 1x , and their little heads exploded , hence no invite to a grande tour ..
he had no idea what was going on, the team management has been telling the riders everything is fine and they were hoping for a new cosponser for next year.
Sounds like plenty of redundancy stories the world over.