« CNN.com | Report: Cyclist Lance Armstrong, wife to divorce | Main | Daily Peloton | USPS Ready to Rumble in Spain »
September 05, 2003
SI.com | Two top sponsors say farewell at Tour of Spain
Veteran sponsors ONCE and iBanesto will leave the sport at year's end, giving their riders one more chance to shine on the mountain summits and sizzling plains of Spain.The iBanesto team has included five-time Tour de France winner Miguel Indurain, and ONCE's present star is Joseba Beloki, who was second in last year's Tour de France.
With the Vuelta kicking off on Saturday, there is still some hope that one or both teams will find new sponsors that allow the teams to stay together under new ownership:
So far, only iBanesto's Juan Miguel Mercado has committed to a new team, joining Belgium's Quick Step in 2004. Those who have no new team in sight can use this race to better their chances of a new home, according to Francis Lafargue, spokesman for iBanesto.Yet fans of the Vuelta hope the teams will be scooped up in their entirety by single sponsors, said Luis Roman, of the Spanish Cycling Federation.
Posted by Frank Steele on September 5, 2003 in Tour news | Permalink
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
https://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341bf6df53ef00d83464340969e2
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference SI.com | Two top sponsors say farewell at Tour of Spain:
Comments
The Americans love this race, we are all watching either before or after work. Obviously, Lance and the US Postal Team has brought this sport to every home daily for 3 weeks, however we all have become hooked on the sport and still learning all the sportmanship, rules and dangers of this race. Your crazy not to continue your support of your Spanish Teams. Americans are very aware of "sponsors". Here it is an honor to be a sponsor. Sincerely
Posted by: Greg Deibert at Jul 15, 2004 11:24:29 AM
The Americans love this race, we are all watching either before or after work. Obviously, Lance and the US Postal Team has brought this sport to every home daily for 3 weeks, however we all have become hooked on the sport and still learning all the sportmanship, rules and dangers of this race. Your crazy not to continue your support of your Spanish Teams. Americans are very aware of "sponsors". Here it is an honor to be a sponsor. Sincerely
Posted by: Greg Deibert at Jul 15, 2004 11:24:51 AM
