From Lemond To Hushovd, It’s Goodbye For Team Credit Agricole
SAINT-ARNOULT-EN-YVELINES, France, Oct 11, 2008 (AFP) - Credit Agricole team manager Roger Legeay has played down the negative effect of cycling’s numerous doping scandals as he prepares his riders for their last race as a team.
At Paris-Tours this Sunday, the penultimate one-day classic of the season, Legeay will wave goodbye to more than 20 years of cycling history while lamenting his failure to attract a replacement sponsor.
French banking group Credit Agricole announced last year this would be their last season in the sport.
But Legeay refuses to believe the numerous drugs scandals to have tarnished the sport have proved counter-productive.
“It’s never come down to that at all,” Legeay said here Saturday.
“As far as I’m concerned, potential sponsors know what mine and the team’s philosophy is all about. We’re totally transparent.
“And, there’s a huge difference between all the positive anti-doping measures that are being taken and the sport’s reputation, which is quite negative.
“That doesn’t mean cycling isn’t beyond reproach. But which sport is? There will always be someone who is willing to cheat.”
As well as having a reputation for being one of the healthiest in the peloton, for cycling fans Credit Agricole is also known as the team which became the successor to Gan and, before that, Z.
While British track great Chris Boardman was a major signing for Legeay at Gan, it was another, arguably bigger name whose arrival at Z effectively allowed Legeay’s legacy to continue.
The Frenchman admits that had American icon Greg Lemond, who won the third and final yellow jersey with Z in 1990, not decided to join the team might have folded soon after.
Highlighting the “fragility” and traditional short lifespan of teams in the sport, Legeay added: “If Lemond didn’t sign for us, Z would have folded within three years.
“It started off purely by chance, but we went on to build something that passed the test of time.”
In the intervening years top riders like Australian Stuart O’Grady, German Jens Voigt and Americans Jonathan Vaughters and Bobby Julich have come and gone.
Most went on to other teams while Vaughters retired and is now manager of the Garmin team.
Meantime, Legeay has watched the squad he has nurtured in recent years take flight one by one.
While listing existing difficulties in the market place, and competition from within France for sponsorship, Legeay admits watching the end of an era has been tough to take.
“At one time we were the only French team along with Festina, which was registered in Andorra,” he said.
“What’s hard to accept now is that a team with as much history as Credit Agricole hasn’t managed to find a replacement sponsor.”
File Photo by: CorVos Pro
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