# Lance to Launch New Team for 2010?



## zosocane (Aug 29, 2004)

From cyclingnews.com ...

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2009/may09/may04news2

Lance Armstrong believes there is a "high" probability he will start a professional team of his own for the 2010 season. The American expects the announcement to come this July, after he races the Tour de France.

"The name? That of the principal sponsor. Its probability? High. You will know it in July. Even if it is hard to convince sponsors to give money with the economic crisis and news of doping."

Discuss.


----------



## Einstruzende (Jun 1, 2004)

Team Livestrong pb Nike (or Trek). That's my guess.


----------



## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

Going to have to bet it will have Livestrong and Trek in there somewhere.

But who will he weedle away from other teams to make it a solid group, or will he go with developing riders?


----------



## ProRoad (Oct 13, 2008)

seems to be pretty good pals with horner and levi lately. Awesome, LOL.

Brian


----------



## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

first two questions that come to mind:
1) is JB retiring?
2) is phinney already that good?

and then it gets into equipment sponsors and riders. and how much his gila solidfied this decision/announcement. not sure when the interview took place, but it was after they were accepted to the gila.


----------



## JSR (Feb 27, 2006)

Kazakhstan seems to want to get out of cycling, based on reports of funding problems earlier this year. I therefore think Lance will buy the Astana license, bring along JB and as many of the riders as he likes, and go from there.

Livestrong could certainly be a sponsor. There have been other charities to have sponsored pro teams. Lance seems to have some influence at Livestrong. 

It's hard to say who the other sponsors might be. Certainly SRAM. Maybe Nike. Probably Trek. But there is a market in sport sponsorships and cycling presents opportunity for the right sponsor (viz. Garmin and Columbian signings from last year). Look for North American companies making a push into Europe. RIM, Google, Fiat/Chysler (= reverse flow from EUR to USA), North Face or Patagonia (to compete directly with Columbia), etc.

JSR


----------



## LostViking (Jul 18, 2008)

I think it would be a great idea - especially if he uses the team not only to promote his cause but also develop young American riders and continue to popularize the sport Stateside. 

He'll need to put together a team of established veterans who can and will win stages/races as well as assist him in training younger riders.

I'm curious to see what kind of "culture" a Armstrong Team would have. Leaders like JB and Riis have established distict team cultures or attitudes - interesting to see how involved Lance would be and the effect of that on the team.

With Astana's shaky financing situation - I predict a wholesale abandoning of ship by anyone not contractually obligated. Conti will finally have the Captaincy securly in hand...as the ship sinks!


----------



## LostViking (Jul 18, 2008)

JSR said:


> Kazakhstan seems to want to get out of cycling, based on reports of funding problems earlier this year. I therefore think Lance will buy the Astana license, bring along JB and as many of the riders as he likes, and go from there.
> 
> Livestrong could certainly be a sponsor. There have been other charities to have sponsored pro teams. Lance seems to have some influence at Livestrong.
> 
> ...


1+ Totally agree! :thumbsup:


----------



## culdeus (May 5, 2005)

If Phinney is the real deal can we get coors on board to bring back the classic? A stateside team like this could be just the incentive to get sponsors for that event to return. I can dream.


----------



## Sojourneyman (Jun 22, 2007)

I'm banking on Trek-Livestrong presented by Juan Pelota's. 

It's all so that Lance can create his coffee empire.


----------



## snosaw (May 30, 2006)

_*Quote from culdeus "can we get coors on board to bring back the classic? "*_ How 'bout New Belgium Brewery?
That would be awesome! Imagine a 21 day Tour of CO? Too many punishing hills to choose from. Imagine a stage starting in Aspen, over Indy Pass, down to BV and finishing at the summit of Cottonwood Pass? Estes Park to Granby via Trail Ridge Road? Mt. Evans? Durango to Ridgeway to Telluride and back to Durango, aka Death Ride? 
Keep the dream going!!


----------



## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

Juan Pelota Pro Cycling team. 

Motto: We only need Juan!

Oakley could be a sponsor. Nike as well. Trek too. Giro. SRAM. Zipp. 

Riders: Probably - Levi, Horner, Noval, Popovych etc from Astana along with some LiveStrong guys now.

Would probably/possibly be a revamped Astana team I suppose although nothing has been said by Johan/Lance/Levi etc about the Astana sponsorship issues. Could well take off in July like he said once the sponsorship issues with Astana is sorted out.

//How come no one from Astana has mentioned anything about the Kazakh $ issue etc?


----------



## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

my guess is that he'll try to pick up Peter Stetina - this guy is going to be the next US GC contender - better suited to grand tours than Phinney.


----------



## traumabill (Sep 16, 2007)

Shot in the dark, but I'd venture to say that if Stetina doesn't stay with JV, that he'll end up on another Shimano equipped team based on his last name....


----------



## Mootsie (Feb 4, 2004)

I think Stetina is locked up already for next year with Garmin. I would be shocked if LA's team would have Nike as a sponsor. They got out of cycling (save for a few sponsored athletes) a few years ago. Even Mellow Johnny's wasn't sporting Nike's brand. 
I think the more likely sponsors will be Livestrong Amgen....and that's not a joke. Look who put big money into the TOC this year...Amgen.


----------



## JohnHenry (Aug 9, 2006)

Mootsie said:


> I think Stetina is locked up already for next year with Garmin. I would be shocked if LA's team would have Nike as a sponsor. They got out of cycling (save for a few sponsored athletes) a few years ago. Even Mellow Johnny's wasn't sporting Nike's brand.
> I think the more likely sponsors will be Livestrong Amgen....and that's not a joke. Look who put big money into the TOC this year...Amgen.


I am curious about this. There were several pics of LL wearing gloves with a big, fat yellow NIKE Swoosh.
Is NIKE out of cycling for e'eryone, save for LA? or out of cycling?


----------



## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

fornaca68 said:


> From cyclingnews.com ...
> 
> http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2009/may09/may04news2
> 
> ...



Isn't the cost of a pro team about 10 million per year? I don't see LiveStrong being a primary...maybe secondary sponsor...


----------



## Mootsie (Feb 4, 2004)

JohnHenry said:


> I am curious about this. There were several pics of LL wearing gloves with a big, fat yellow NIKE Swoosh.
> Is NIKE out of cycling for e'eryone, save for LA? or out of cycling?


They don't make cycling gear for the masses anymore only sponsored athletes like LA, LL and a few others.


----------



## lancezneighbor (May 4, 2002)

I will guess a non bicycling company. With Trek, Livestrong, Nike, Oakley as lower level sponsors.


----------



## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Phinney is only 19 guys... give him a few more years before you throw him in a pack w/ Boonen and Freire.

How old's Stetina? still a few years to develop, I bet.


----------



## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

Phinney is a big boy: 6ft 4in and 180lb; Stetina is 5ft 10in and 140 lb and 21 years of age. In terms of development, I'd say it's easier to turn Stetina into a good time trial rider than Phinney into a good climber re all around ability as a GC guy for a grand tour.


----------



## bwhite_4 (Aug 29, 2006)

I too am thinking Big Pharma company with stake in the cancer sector. Livestrong name will play a part of course. Doubt Nike will be involved since they got out of cycling for the most part. Trek of course will there and maybe Shimano will be back with Lance as they were before. Although, if they keep winning on SRAM, they'll do all they can to keep Lance.

I'm curious how the Astana sponsorship will play out and what JB would do.


----------



## Jokull (Aug 13, 2007)

uzziefly said:


> //How come no one from Astana has mentioned anything about the Kazakh $ issue etc?


This link was posted on the Bikeradar forum yesterday, from a Kazakstan newspaper, quoting the head of the Kazakstan cycling federation as saying that Astana will cease to exist after the Giro: http://translate.google.ca/translat...st=0000000026&nd=1&sl=ru&tl=en&hl=en&ie=UTF-8


----------



## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

I've had a feeling that Astana would be gone by next year and that LA would form another team.


----------



## Einstruzende (Jun 1, 2004)

Contador because a super hot commodity then. I get the feeling that in spite of the fact that he is the current GC top dog, Lance's team won't be able or willing to pay his asking price.


----------



## waldo425 (Sep 22, 2008)

I'm not too surprised. Been expecting it for a while. 

It will probably be him/ livestrong, Nike, Sram and Trek as the sponsors.


----------



## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

*don't forget*

Oakley and Giro as well. he'll be able to round folks up. Astana was bound to go. With both Kazahk 'heros' serving doping suspensions, it was onlya matter of time


----------



## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

i feel like a n00b. i completely forgot about the whole astana payroll issues. and that was like, what, only two weeks ago?

i dont see an american car company jumping in, based on finances. chrysler/fiat is a long shot in my book. while livestrong will most certainly be on the jesrey, if not the name, i dont think getting a major pharma company onboard would be a good idea. i know sponsorship is sponsorship, but "with all the doping allegations..." 

this may be an exercise in, "remember when i won all those french races and you stood by me? how about you guys help me out here."
could we see motorola as a minor sponsor?


----------



## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

JohnHenry said:


> I am curious about this. There were several pics of LL wearing gloves with a big, fat yellow NIKE Swoosh.
> Is NIKE out of cycling for e'eryone, save for LA? or out of cycling?


Nike only sponsors certain athletes and the TdF category jerseys. 

Lance, Levi (not too much other than shoes from what I know) and Michael Rogers as well.

Not sure of anyone else actually.

Levi and Mick Rogers use the Nike Poggio shoes in white.

Lance uses a special Livestrong shoe (I suspect it's the Poggio) and well, Livestrong gloves and all of course.

Nothing for us consumers though.

I really dig the Nike Swift TT gloves and am glad I have 3 pairs (one is wearing out though).


----------



## TedH (Jan 1, 1970)

bwhite_4 said:


> I too am thinking Big Pharma company with stake in the cancer sector..


Working in big pharma, I wouldn't bet money on this. Given the amount of layoffs and M&A activity in the sector this year, and the backlash at direct to consumer advertising, asking the board for $10M would get ridiculous scrutiny and likely fail. Further, pharmaceutical advertising is banned in Europe, so a title sponsor could face the Unibet situation again. Highly doubtful anyone would sign on for more than a supporting role.

As for Amgen TOC, they sponsor and advertise in the US only during the races.


----------



## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

Jokull said:


> This link was posted on the Bikeradar forum yesterday, from a Kazakstan newspaper, quoting the head of the Kazakstan cycling federation as saying that Astana will cease to exist after the Giro: http://translate.google.ca/translat...st=0000000026&nd=1&sl=ru&tl=en&hl=en&ie=UTF-8


Oh? 

I wonder what's happening after the Giro then.

Funny no Astana riders say anything.


----------



## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

Nike is out of the cycling clothing business. They are still in the shoe business and strongly backing Livestrong.
http://www.supertouchart.com/2009/0...rong-stages-product-for-lance-armstrong-2009/


----------



## LostViking (Jul 18, 2008)

*Alas, and what of Conti perchance?*



Einstruzende said:


> Contador because a super hot commodity then. I get the feeling that in spite of the fact that he is the current GC top dog, Lance's team won't be able or willing to pay his asking price.


Exactly my thinking. If Astana goes under and Livestrong and whoever take over - does that automatically release Conti contractually? If not...well Lance could choose to let him go or keep him on. 

All the drama aside - Conti is a huge talent - does Lance really want him racing for Liquigas or Quickstep (or, heaven forbid, Saxo Bank). Might be better to keep him on then let him go.

If they decide to let him go, who has the money at this point to pay Conti what he no doubt deserves? Hard to imagine Conti sitting out the rest of the season because no other team has a big enough checkbook to pick him up.

I knew this season would be interesting! :thumbsup:


----------



## lancezneighbor (May 4, 2002)

bwhite_4 said:


> Doubt Nike will be involved since they got out of cycling for the most part. quote]
> 
> I think Nike will be involved in a small way just for the name recognition. The association with Lance for most people is important even without cycling.


----------



## harlond (May 30, 2005)

Related story:

http://bicycling.com/blogs/boulderreport/


----------



## Jimbolaya (Jun 2, 2008)

uzziefly said:


> Motto: We only need Juan!


How about... "All for Juan, and Juan for all." 
It's a little more team oriented.


----------



## sbsbiker (Mar 29, 2008)

If Pharm ad's are banned how does Silence/Lotto get away with it? Silence is an anti-snore drug pruduced by Omega-Pharm. 

http://www.omega-pharma.be/uploads/silence_EN.mov

In this economic time who has cash to sponser a $10mil team, Wal-mart, or Exxon? Haliburton?


----------



## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

harlond said:


> Related story:
> 
> http://bicycling.com/blogs/boulderreport/


That story sums it up pretty well. I'm sure that if Teo knows anything, he can't tell us. I think his absence from this thread says a lot.


----------



## traumabill (Sep 16, 2007)

Uzzie,

Cav has Nike shoes, Tommy D did last year, now on Sidi's..


----------



## Mootsie (Feb 4, 2004)

TedH said:


> Working in big pharma, I wouldn't bet money on this. Given the amount of layoffs and M&A activity in the sector this year, and the backlash at direct to consumer advertising, asking the board for $10M would get ridiculous scrutiny and likely fail. Further, pharmaceutical advertising is banned in Europe, so a title sponsor could face the Unibet situation again. Highly doubtful anyone would sign on for more than a supporting role.
> 
> As for Amgen TOC, they sponsor and advertise in the US only during the races.


What about Predictor & Silence behind the Lotto team? Or are they OTC meds?


----------

