http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/rabobank-to-end-its-sponsorship-of-professional-cycling-teams

This is sad news and a very bad omen for the whole professional cycling world. They also do loads of grass-roots cycling sponsorship in Holland, I do hope they continue with that.

Oh no. That’s terrible, what shall we do?

Its the beginning of the end, i see it all going the same way.

First lance taking crack and now this, when will end?

Just seen this on Dutch news, is indeed a sad day, they will continue with amateur/grass roots cycling though. Wonder if any more will pull the plug?

David Millar’s not impressed.

Millar tweet

Excellent response by Millar, as normal.

Sad day indeed, one more excuse to move to a franchished system for pro cycling?

I’d pull out if I were them too

Why would any business want to have any connection with with a sport that has continuing allegations of systematic doping?

Who’s David millar? Infact who’s rabobank?

pudd – Member
Who’s David millar?

Someone more important than you.

I couldn’t give a chuff

But you had to open the thread to let us know that?

Who’s David millar?

Drugs cheat.

Yes, otherwise how would you have known?

Millar has a point. The team runs a systematic doping programme (allegedly), eventually becomes a clean team and then because of a report into doping in the era they doped, the majority owner and title sponsor pulls out. Hypocrites.

I’d pull out if I were them too

Why would any business want to have any connection with with a sport that has continuing allegations of systematic doping?

yep doubt they would want to tarnish the fantastic reputation of the banking sector 😆

but on a serious note, a bad do to loose a major sponsor.. not as bad as Ford fulling the plug on the WRc though

Who’s David millar? Infact who’s rabobank?

You’re a helpful chap aren’t you.

Its really bad news – and not just for the Pro cycling calendar. Rabobank support loads of stuff, XC MTB, cyclo cross, track and they have probably one of the biggest womens pro teams too, not to mention all the grass roots stuff they sponsor. Whether they’re a contributor to the doping of past or not, this is a great shame and a proper loss to professional cycling.

Petulant response from Millar, he needs to grow up and look at things from the sponsor’s point of view.

Rabobank has been one of the longest sponsors in the peloton, they have stood by cycling while it has gone through multiple scandals and they have tried to take more control by putting some of their guys into the management of the team to sort it out. However still doping has continued, one of their riders has just been pulled up.

They have been continually lied to and told everything has changed on numerous occasions, why should they believe it now? Because you say so Dave, because you are telling the truth?

The correct response would be to thank them, apologise to them for the sport letting down and reiterate that you will continue fighting to ensure that this does not happen to a sponsor again.

I think Rabobank has picked a bad time to quit the sport and I am surprised by their damaging and damning parting shot about no prospect for improvement in the sport for the forseeable future.

Surely sponsers are in a strong position to affect the ethos of a team and to write contracts in such a way that all salaries, bonuses etc can be legally clawed back retrospectively if anyone is found to have doped.

Rabobank were part of the problem in the bad old days – why not at least try to be part of the solution.

From the Radobank statement …”We are not confident that this will change for the better in the foreseeable future.”

Make them right ….. AWAKE UP UCI…. the silence is deafing

A lot more sponsors should [probably will] pull out

Good! Let pro cycling contract a bit, take a lot of the money out of it and start again.

It’s money that’s at the root of it, either trying to get it or trying to keep it.

Cycling teams are independent companies run by their own management structure, they then seek sponsors to pay the bills. The big difference between this set up and many other sports is that sponsorship is the dominate form of income as there are no paying spectators, tv income goes to the race organisers etc.

As such the sponsor can only influence the company to the extent of what is laid out in their contractual arrangements. A contract does not guarantee compliance, no matter what the penalty for breach (penalties per se are generally unenforceable under UK law).

When Rasmussen blew up Rabobank put in some of their own management – a highly unusual step – but said it was the last chance. Cycling blew that chance.

What a complete hypocrite! He was a druggie as well, how he can say ‘you were part of the problem’ when he was jacked up to the eyeballs on EPO beggars belief.

I think Rabobank has picked a bad time to quit the sport and I am surprised by their damaging and damning parting shot about no prospect for improvement in the sport for the forseeable future.

Surely sponsers are in a strong position to affect the ethos of a team and to write contracts in such a way that all salaries, bonuses etc can be legally clawed back retrospectively if anyone is found to have doped.

Rabobank were part of the problem in the bad old days – why not at least try to be part of the solution.

Absolutely right; appalled at their decision and their comments.

What a complete hypocrite! He was a druggie as well, how he can say ‘you were part of the problem’ when he was jacked up to the eyeballs on EPO beggars belief.

🙄

In fairness to Rabobank, this whole Lance thing is going to run and run, and all of cycling will be tainted by it. No one will come out of this looking good and if there really are any clean riders out there, no one will believe the actually are (including myself).

However, I suspect LA will still be a multi-millionaire, even after all the lawsuits.

how he can say ‘you were part of the problem’ when he was jacked up to the eyeballs on EPO beggars belief.

well the team were part of the problem- that is independent of what Millar did

i think Millar realises his own cheating/doping was part of the doping/cheating problem too

What a complete hypocrite! He was a druggie as well, how he can say ‘you were part of the problem’ when he was jacked up to the eyeballs on EPO beggars belief.

Yeah and he was part of the problem too. He’s now on various anti-doping boards trying find solutions. Don’t understand your point really.

Rabobank had the opportunity to be involved in making this the cleanest era in cycling. Now they’ve walked away.

i think Millar realises his own cheating/doping was part of the doping/cheating problem too

He still races though! Think about the message:

Lie and cheat to make money. If you get caught, a two year slap on the wrist. Apologise profusely, write an autobiography about how wrong you were (making loads of cash), come back a hero and get to ride on your countries Olympic team!

Basically cheating pays and handsomely, if you’re DM.

Hardly an advert for clean riding is it?

Mefty – spot on
Ro5ey – spot on

I have to say think Rabobank are absolutely right.

They’ve demonstrated the UCI’s position as untenable.
They’ve made it a fact that doping, past or present is the surest way for any pro-cylist to end their own career and that of their team.
They’ve also re-iterated – by keeping up the grassroots support – that cycling remains a great activity and sport outside of the current pro-tour set up.

It’ll be no surprise (and probably a good thing) if 2 or 3 more sponsors did the same.

Also shows Sky’s ‘no past or present doping ethos’ as the only way forward.

The Suspicious List makes interesting reading with some awkward names on it sharing Lance’s 4 score, or exceeding it.

Pro-tour cycling and cyclists need to go through a hell of a lot more pain than rabobank leaving, and deliver a hell of a lot more integrity before anyone will take anything they say at face value.

Yeah and he was part of the problem too. He’s now on various anti-doping boards trying find solutions. Don’t understand your point really.

And do you know for sure he isn’t still part of the problem?

If the the most tested athlete, in the most tested sport 🙄 has been pretty much proven to be the circus master in all this, who could have any confidence in any of them or what they say?

Well some good news for the riders at least:
http://www.rabosport.com/news/item/25803

He still races though! Think about the message:

Lie and cheat to make money. If you get caught, a two year slap on the wrist. Apologise profusely, write an autobiography about how wrong you were (making loads of cash), come back a hero and get to ride on your countries Olympic team!

Your right redemption and forgiveness is such a terrible thing. Should we burn him , hang him or death by a thousand cuts?

Your right redemption and forgiveness is such a terrible thing. Should we burn him , hang him or death by a thousand cuts?

No, he can have a normal life doing whatever he wants, just not professional cycling. I don’t have any issue with him at all, but then I’m convinced that cycling isn’t clean right now and probably won’t ever be.

I’m also not that bothered about it to be honest, I’m just amazed at how selective people are about their attitude to dopers, some are the devil, the others are heros. Hardly a surprise the sport isn’t clean…

Its a sad day yes but it’s inevitable.

I’m of the opinion that a few more sponsors do the same and we have a scratch year where nothing happens, no races, no events. The following year start all over again.
That includes no TdF,Giro,Vuelta.

Still you have to look at Rabo, them being a bank and all. Thier margins have been cut so they’re looking to save some money.. sponsorship is the biggest draw off the bottom line, simple economics IMO.

They need thanking and thank them to continue in grass roots stuff.

The changing face of the ProTour eh.

UCI should fold BTW.

It might be enough to kick start Change at the UCI, big sponsors pulling out will hit them the only place they care about, their pockets.

Sky is a rare model in the sponsor being the owner of the team. Bet they wish they’d implemented additional doping controls ala Garmins no needle policy rather than deciding it was too expensive/inefficient. Their New initiative to get members to sign a declaration looks like too little too late, and as it includes ex dopers in any team position I have a suspicion Sean Yates might struggle to sign it

I’m just amazed at how selective people are about their attitude to dopers, some are the devil, the others are heros.

if you cannot differentiate between a repentant doper and one would does not even admit ever doing it despite the evidence then I cannot help you.
Say Bertie who still insists he ate steak for example.

I would not call him a hero he is a very naught boy who has done some stuff to clear up his image and make the sport cleaner. I can see why it will not be enough for everyone.

I think truth and reconciliation would be a better approach tbh than lifetime bans in getting to the bottom of it all and making the sport cleaner
once we ae there lifetime bans may make some sense

The Suspicious List makes interesting reading with some awkward names on it sharing Lance’s 4 score, or exceeding it.

Wiggins got a 5

(for those too lazy to read it, 0-1 no suspicions, 2-4 some abnormality in their bio passport, 5 circumstancial evidence, 6-10 overwhelming eviddence)

despite the evidence

You mean his book?

LA wrote a few books saying he was a clean rider and a nice guy too.

Actions speak louder than words and when push came to shove, DM lied and cheated to make money. That tells you all you need to know about him. No matter how many books he writes.

Having a repentant doper doing well financially from his doping (makes for a more interesting biography) isn’t exactly showing doping as a poor career choice. He’s actually an advert for Dope and Repent (TM) as a career path for a professional cyclist.

Their New initiative to get members to sign a declaration looks like too little too late, and as it includes ex dopers in any team position I have a suspicion Sean Yates might struggle to sign it

And only two weeks ago they sent the core of the team to Monaco to Vino’s farewell race rather than Paris – Tours.

If they were truly anti-doping, they wouldn’t have gone to an end of career jolly for an unrepentant cheat.

I think you are missing the point.

DM immediately admitted doping and confessed the full extent of it.
He accepted his 2 year ban. He apologised. He accepted personal responsibility for his actions. He came back at a lower level, without team leader aspirations. He has spoken up and been a supporter of clean riding.

Contrast that with:
Virenque: deny, deny, blame his team, blame the soigneur, blame evryone else.
Contador: deny, deny, contaminated meat, blah, blah.
Armstrong: deny, deny, deny deny.

You can’t see any difference?