FILE: CYCLING - Discovery Channel cycle team will disband at the end of 2007 season after failing to find a sponsor

Record ID: 572624

  • Title: FILE: CYCLING - Discovery Channel cycle team will disband at the end of 2007 season after failing to find a sponsor
  • Date: 11th August 2007
  • Summary: (FILE - PARIS, FRANCE) (FILE - JULY 25, 2004) (REUTERS) U.S. FANS CHEER ON ARMSTRONG/U.S. FLAGS/CYCLISTS ON TRACK/FINISH OF RACE ARMSTRONG ON PODIUM, WEARING YELLOW JERSEY OF RACE WINNER
  • Embargoed: 26th August 2007 13:00
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  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA3MYAASOCINR5KNEIOU0WXLWKM
  • Story Text: Discovery Channel will disband at the end of the season after failing to secure a new sponsor, the U.S.-based team's manager Johan Bruyneel told Belgian television on Friday (August 10).
    "I had contacts with candidate sponsors but the situation in the sport is so bad that nobody wants to be involved with us," Bruyneel told VRT television in a telephone interview in Dutch.
    Team owners Tailwind Sports confirmed in a statement that the outfit, formerly known as U.S. Postal, "will cease operations at the conclusion of the 2007 cycling season".
    It was forced to search for a new backer after Discovery Channel executives opted early in the year not to renew their title sponsorship, which had lasted three years.
    With the sport blighted by doping cases, Bruyneel could not find a new sponsor.
    Discovery Channel had a good Tour de France this year, taking the overall individual and team titles, while riders from other teams failed doping tests. Astana and Cofidis teams withdrew all their riders after doping scandals. Michael Rasmussen of Rabobank was forced to quit while leading, because of testing irregularities.
    Alberto Contador, a climber for Discovery Channel, took over as overall leader and held first place to the finish. Contador countered rumours on Friday (August 10) by making a public declaration in Madrid that he had never used drugs. The Spanish rider was joined at the news conference by Bruyneel, who did not make any announcement about the fate of the team at that time.
    Later, Bruyneel disclosed that he was retiring at the end of the season.
    The U.S. Postal team, latterly Discovery Channel, became famous as the team of Lance Armstrong. The U.S. rider won seven consecutive Tour de France races between 1999 and 2005, a feat unprecedented in the history of the race.
    His victories are more remarkable as he won after treatment for an aggressive cancer that nearly ended his life.
    The team's riders have claimed eight Tour de France titles, one Giro d'Italia win and one Tour of Spain (Vuelta a Espana) with Armstrong winning seven consecutive Tour de France titles, and Contador taking the crown this year.
    Armstrong, co-owner of the team, said: "I don't think you have seen the last of this organisation in the sport but clearly things need to improve on many levels, with a more unified front, before you would see us venture back into cycling."
    Apart from Contador, Levi Leipheimer and George Hincapie, both of the United States, will be the most prominent Discovery Channel riders now looking for places in other teams.
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