Armstrong, Stapleton, Tailwind Call It Quits - Here Is Why
Cycling’s poisonous environment is no place to invest $15 million a year.
At least that’s the conclusion Lance Armstrong and the other owners of America’s most successful cycling team reached this week.
“We couldn’t in good conscience ask someone to spend the sort of money that it would require to sponsor the team in the current situation,” said Bill Stapleton, general manager of Tailwind Sports. “It’s not an environment conducive, in our opinion, to make an investment.”
Discovery Channel officials Friday called off their search for a new a sponsor and announced the team will end its successful 10-year run at the end of the 2007 season.
Armstrong said the root of the problem wasn’t had nothing to do with Tailwind’s apparent inability to secure a new title sponsor.
“We had a firm commitment for three years. It wasn’t signed and sealed, but we were 90 percent there,” Armstrong said. “No. 1, this isn’t about a lack of a sponsor. If that were the case we would say that in October, not in August. No. 2, it’s not a statement. We’re just deciding it’s a good time to step aside.”
The decision to pull the plug on a sponsor hunt officially closes the door on the Armstrong era in cycling that began when Armstrong joined the then-modest U.S. Postal Service team in 1998 after fending off cancer.
“It’s an end of an era today. It’s a sad day. We leave with our heads held high, how we managed to run the team and staff. We won eight of nine Tours,” Stapleton said. “There’s some sadness.”
Stapleton, Armstrong, Discovery Channel team manager Johan Bruyneel and Bart Knaggs, a principal at Capital Sports and Entertainment, fielded questions from about a dozen journalists late Friday evening in a conference call to expand on the surprising decision to end efforts to find a new sponsor.
The collective weight of doping scandals, political in-fighting, tanking credibility and perceived chaos within the ranks of professional cycling proved to be too much.
Though they hinted the management team might consider returning to the sport at a future date, they said their decision doesn’t come with a hidden agenda.
“We’re not trying to send any message. We had to make an individual decision,” Stapleton said. “We reached a different conclusion than other people. Maybe some of those based in Europe have different reasons for being in the sport.”
When asked what could help save the sport’s credibility, Armstrong said, “I don’t want to pretend to have the answer. That’s the $100 million question.”
“Perhaps there’s a Bernie Ecclestone (Formula 1 owner) who can come in and solve a lot of the sport’s problems and perhaps even own the sport. If that might happen, that’s something we might be a part of in the future,” Armstrong said. “Right now, everything in cycling - the teams, the races, the organizers, the riders, the press, the fans - all of these things are at war. We need some semblance of balance.”
Armstrong said growing rancor between the UCI and Tour de France owners ASO only made the decision to step outside the ring even easier.
“It’s a sad for American cycling,” Armstrong said. “The guys at ASO are talking about taking the Tour back to national teams like they did in the olden days. If something like that would happen, someone’s $15 million investment is worth zero. Issues like that are too unknown. It’s too risky to ask for that kind of money. There are too many questions within the sport.”
Armstrong become of the principal owners of the team while still racing, but admitted that with his busy schedule with the Lance Armstrong Foundation and other commitments made it difficult for him to stay close with the team.
Bruyneel, who confirmed he would retire and not accept a role with another team, said the decision was made over the past week of discussions between the foursome.
“We just feel like we had to be fair and had to be honest about the situation,” Bruyneel said. “Most of the riders will go away with the Discovery Channel stamp on their back and I’m pretty sure they are very wanted and popular on the market.”
Finally, Armstrong defended the team’s performances over the years.
“We’re proud of our record. We had our fair share of controversies, but our record stands for itself. We won eight Tours, a Vuelta, a Giro and other races and not one positive test*,” Armstrong said. “I’m not sure if there are many other teams who can say that right now. Couple that with our ethical record, despite all the gossip and nonsense that goes on.”
Written by: By Andrew Hood
VeloNews European correspondent
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