# BMC Ends Astana Sponsorship...



## DIRT BOY (Aug 22, 2002)

GRENCHEN, Switzerland (BRAIN)—The first shoe has dropped. 

Swiss bicycle manufacturers BMC has terminated its sponsorship agreement with the Astana pro cycling team as a direct result of the team’s drugging scandal.

“The reason for this is the latest case of doping that occurred in the Astana team during the Tour de France that has just ended,” said Markus Zehnder, head of marketing and communication for BMC. Astana team leader and pre-race favorite Alexandre Vinokourov tested positive for homologous blood doping during the Tour and has since been fired by the Astana team.

“Whether BMC will engage again in the future as a sponsor of a professional cycling team is still an open question. The other current BMC sponsoring activities in professional cycling, mountain biking and triathlon are not concerned by the present decision,” Zehnder said in a press statement.

Bigger, multi-million-dollar sponsorship questions remain, one of the biggest among them being whether Deutsche Telekom will continue supporting the German T-Mobile team in the wake of team rider Patrik Sinkewitz’s positive test for testosterone during his training for the tour. T-Mobile has fired him, as well. Sinkewitz had already withdrawn from the Tour after a bad crash.

Deutsche Telekom will announce its decision within two weeks, a spokesman said. The telecommunications giant will weigh not only the Sinkewitz scandal, but also others, as it reviews its relationship with cycling. 

Among other disgraces from the Tour, Team Rabobank yanked yellow jersey holder Michael Rasmussen from the Tour as it learned he’d lied about his whereabouts when he missed pre-race doping tests. Cofidis rider Cristian Moreni, who tested positive for testosterone during the race, was ejected from the race, and both the Astana and Cofidis teams left the Tour after the alleged doping by their riders was revealed.

And the Paris streets had hardly been cleared of Sunday’s final stage before news came that the A sample of Spanish rider Iban Mayo, Prodir Saunier-Duval, has tested positive for the artificial blood booster EPO. The team has suspended Mayo pending outcome of the B sample tests.


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## CFBlue (Jun 28, 1999)

DIRT BOY said:


> Swiss bicycle manufacturers BMC has terminated its sponsorship agreement with the Astana pro cycling team as a direct result of the team’s drugging scandal.
> 
> “Whether BMC will engage again in the future as a sponsor of a professional cycling team is still an open question.


I certainly didn't expect that. Good on them for taking a stand rather than thinking only of the bottom line. I think the bikes are beautiful and hope to see them under a worthy team next year. 

I wonder what Astana is going to ride for the rest of the season? BMC bikes with no BMC logos?


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## IAmCosmo (Jul 26, 2005)

Well, the past two teams they have sponsored haven't turned out too well. Honestly, I don't blame them for being apprehensive about sponsoring a new team...


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## monkey9 (Jul 4, 2007)

They still have a team racing in the US.


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## wasfast (Feb 3, 2004)

I think you'll see more sponsors leave pro cycling because of all the doping allegations. The point, after all, is advertising for the companies. Being associated with cycling is becoming very negative unfortunately.


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## rufus (Feb 3, 2004)

wasfast said:


> I think you'll see more sponsors leave pro cycling because of all the doping allegations. The point, after all, is advertising for the companies. Being associated with cycling is becoming very negative unfortunately.


yep. it could get real ugly, and there might be four or five real lean years in the cycling world, fewer teams, less money paid to riders, a lot of guys without contracts, etc. 

but if that's what it's gonna take to clean up this sport, then I'm all for it.


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## shabbasuraj (May 14, 2005)

Phonak.. Astana...

bad luck for a young company...

BMC = Bikes Made for Cheaters


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## zosocane (Aug 29, 2004)

Who's that guy that owns Phonak?? Rhis? He must feel so 'friggin burned. He owns BMC also. Putting up all that money for Team Phonak and now the technical sponsorship for Phonak. :cryin: 

Que mierda.


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## darbo (Dec 9, 2002)

Slipstream could probably use some nicer rides than whatever they've got now (Felt? Javelin? something like that). Hey, BMC, third time's a charm, tape over the astana with some argyle, and put Dave Millar on one of those crazy TT bikes


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## funktekk (Jul 29, 2006)

darbo said:


> Slipstream could probably use some nicer rides than whatever they've got now (Felt? Javelin? something like that). Hey, BMC, third time's a charm, tape over the astana with some argyle, and put Dave Millar on one of those crazy TT bikes


Ha... they almost have the same colors too.


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## snowman3 (Jul 20, 2002)

wasfast said:


> I think you'll see more sponsors leave pro cycling because of all the doping allegations. The point, after all, is advertising for the companies. Being associated with cycling is becoming very negative unfortunately.


I agree. If they aren't getting good press, then it's not money well invested. So I'd expect some lean times in the near future.


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*Bmc*

Blood
Mixed
Cyclists


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## Swift65 (Oct 6, 2005)

It's OK for these companies to exploit those taiwanese children for their own profits, we'll still buy and ride those frames, but if one of their riders cheats we get all bent out of shape and boycott them. Get real people, the people that run these companies most certainly have done something unethical at some point in their careers to get ahead and profit. They're all crooked ass hypocrits as far as I'm concerned. I guess we all need to go out and build our own frames since we are all perfect and have never cheated or lied in our lives for personal gain or protection!!!!!!!

Who wants to cast the first stone?


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## bikeboy389 (May 4, 2004)

Swift65 said:


> It's OK for these companies to exploit those taiwanese children for their own profits, we'll still buy and ride those frames, but if one of their riders cheats we get all bent out of shape and boycott them. Get real people, the people that run these companies most certainly have done something unethical at some point in their careers to get ahead and profit. They're all crooked ass hypocrits as far as I'm concerned. I guess we all need to go out and build our own frames since we are all perfect and have never cheated or lied in our lives for personal gain or protection!!!!!!!
> 
> Who wants to cast the first stone?


Umm, who said anything about boycotting them? I think the closest we got, apart from the jokes on the BMC acronym, was someone saying he still liked the bikes. Hardly a call for boycott.

The companies pay money and hand over bikes for the publicity, and if the team is worthless on that score, why would they continue with them? The way I see it, that decision has a lot less to do with what BMC might think of cycling or the teams and a lot more to do with what they think the bike buying public thinks. It doesn't have anything to do with BMC being sqeaky clean themselves.

But if you want to rant about how awful corporations are, and how awful we must be if we ever support one, knock yourself out. With a hammer, preferably.


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## dsilver668 (Jul 31, 2007)

Well i think it was a good idea. If sponsors pull out of team acused of or found guilty of cheating then it might force the teams to clean up their act. Think of Steroid use in body building a few decades ago. I don't say it still doesn't happen but the sport as a whole descided enough was enough. So my hope is the price paid for cheating out weighs the benifits. This will cause teams to police themselves if they want to stay in business. I think BMC bikes are very pretty albet I haven't riden one yet. there is a dealer in Southern Cali that I need to visit to do a test ride.


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## OnTheRivet (Sep 3, 2004)

Swift65 said:


> It's OK for these companies to exploit those taiwanese children for their own profits, we'll still buy and ride those frames, but if one of their riders cheats we get all bent out of shape and boycott them. Get real people, the people that run these companies most certainly have done something unethical at some point in their careers to get ahead and profit. They're all crooked ass hypocrits as far as I'm concerned. I guess we all need to go out and build our own frames since we are all perfect and have never cheated or lied in our lives for personal gain or protection!!!!!!!
> 
> Who wants to cast the first stone?


What? 

non se·qui·tur non sek-wi-ter, -toor; Lat. nohn se-kwi-toor] 
–noun
1.	Logic. an inference or a conclusion that does not follow from the premises.
2.	a statement containing an illogical conclusion.


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