Saunier Duval drops sponsorship

[RC Vikings]

04:39 PM: Another doper takes out another sponsor
Heating and air conditioning manufacturer Saunier Duval has formally announced that it will immediately cease its sponsorship of the cycling team that bears its name. The news comes after the team pulled out of the Tour de France when its team leader Ricardo Ricco tested positive for a new form of EPO, a Continuous Erythropietin Receptor Activator.
Meanwhile, L'Equipe reports that Ricco's roommate, Leonardo Piepoli has admitted using CERA, a drug that he and others thought was undetectable

[creekster]

WHen Ricco was caught I read an interview with a drug testing expert who was surprised that CERA had been detected as he said there ahd been no test for it. Today I read that Roche, CERA's manufacturer, had manufactured CERA with a molecular marker to allow WADA and other agencies to detect illegal use.

[pelagius]

Only slightly related but my range is pretty limited in this forum. My department is pretty heavily European (I try to play up my Americanism as much as I can ... you know wear Cowboy boots, wear t-shirts that say soccer sucks, talk really loud and try to dominate every conversation, and yell at them for not keeping their non-utensil hand off the table when we are at dinner ... they seem to really appreciate it). Anyways, a few years ago many of them were fans ... but now they go out of their way not to pay attention to it. Particularly my German colleague who was a huge fan (Creekster level of intensity). Do you know if this is fairly typical reaction from continental folks of late and has the TdF really taken a hit in Germany or is my friends reaction fairly idiosyncractic?

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by pelagius

Only slightly related but my range is pretty limited in this forum. My department is pretty heavily European (I try to play up my Americanism as much as I can ... you know wear Cowboy boots, wear t-shirts that say soccer sucks, talk really loud and try to dominate every conversation, and yell at them for not keeping their non-eating hand off the table when we are at dinner ... they seem to really appreciate it). Anyways, a few years ago many of them were fans ... but now they go out of their way not to pay attention to it. Particularly my German colleague who was a huge fan (Creekster level of intensity). Do you know if this is fairly typical reaction from continental folks of late and has the TdF really taken a hit in Germany or is my friends reaction fairly idiosyncractic?

part of it may be the decline and disgrace of Jan Ulrich and the demise of the T-mobile (German) team.

This is sort of like the decline in American interest since Armstrong retired.

[pelagius]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

part of it may be the decline and disgrace of Jan Ulrich and the demise of the T-mobile (German) team.

This is sort of like the decline in American interest since Armstrong retired.

Are there any German teams left?

[MikeWaters]

Originally Posted by pelagius

Are there any German teams left?

Is Gerolsteiner German?

Anyway, it's sort of like Team Columbia. It's an American team, with only one American. Is it a victory for American when Cavendish from Britain wins? Or when Kirchen, from Luxembourg, has the yellow jersey?

[creekster]

Originally Posted by pelagius

Particularly my German colleague who was a huge fan (Creekster level of intensity). Do you know if this is fairly typical reaction from continental folks of late and has the TdF really taken a hit in Germany or is my friends reaction fairly idiosyncractic?

Lol. I have made a conscious effort not to drone on about the tour this year at work. One of my partners stopped by my office today and asked me why I had come in late and I told him it was the Alpe d'Huez stage and I watched at home. He cut me off and said, "Oh yes, the tour. I want to tahnk you for not talking about it so much this year. It has been nice."

Waters is right, IMO, Ullrich's disgrace has been a huge problem for them, along with Zabel's decline due to age, and Kloden's absence due to French stupidity. Maybe Kohl will stir things up if he continues.

Gerolsteiner is german, I think.

[creekster]

Originally Posted by MikeWaters

Is it a victory for American when Cavendish from Britain wins? Or when Kirchen, from Luxembourg, has the yellow jersey?

On Versus when they post the standings they always put a little american flag by all the columbia and Garmin riders' names, even though almost none of them are American. They do not do this for any other teams. So it looks like they think it matters.

[pelagius]

Originally Posted by creekster

Waters is right, IMO, Ullrich's disgrace has been a huge problem for them, along with Zabel's decline due to age, and Kloden's absence due to French stupidity. Maybe Kohl will stir things up if he continues.

Gerolsteiner is german, I think.

Apparently Kohl does not excite (I just asked) ... An Austrian riding for a German team is not enough. He wants a non-doping version of Ulrich ... He also found it endearing the Ullrich had trouble staying in shape in the winter ... gained weight or something like that.

[creekster]

Originally Posted by pelagius

Apparently Kohl does not excite (I just asked) ... An Austrian riding for a German team is not enough. He wants a non-doping version of Ulrich ... He also found it endearing the Ullrich had trouble staying in shape in the winter ... gained weight or something like that.

They used to call Ullrich Bagel Boy and strudel boy and so forth. WhIle true he lost form every year, and more so than most riders, he was never really fat. But he certainly had that repuation. Most serious bike riders are really fat snobs, like waters.