News for July 6, 2002

Edited by John Stevenson

Ullrich to break silence today

Jan Ullrich will comment publicly for the first time today on his non-negative test for amphetamine. Ullrich and the German cycling federation have called a press conference for July 6 in Franfurt am Main.

The Ullrich affair has increased fears that Deutsche Telekom will withdraw its sponsorship as part of its planned reduction in non-traditional marketing. (See next story.)

To add to the team's troubles, the ARD - the 'pool' of German broadcasting corporations that also supports the team - has said that its continuing involvement is contingent on the conclusion of Ullrich's doping case.

"Telekom says, there must be no doping case, and so there must also be no doping case for the ARD," said ARD sports coordinator Hagen Bossdorf. "We have a clause in our sponsorship agreement with Telekom that permits us to step out if there is a doping case."

Telekom rider and current world number one Erik Zabel said that "the current stories about Ullrich are not favourable for the image of a sponsor."

Nevertheless, Zabel said Telekom should continue for at least one more year. "I hope that Telekom's clock hasn't run down. I hope to complete my contract with the team, until 2003."

While it's uncertain whether Telekom will renew its sponsorship into 2004 and 2005, Telekom marketing director Jürgen Kindervater reached out to Ullrich. "We will not drop him like a hot potato," said Kindervater.

"We have a social responsibility to Ullrich as a human being and we want to help him out of this hole."

Telekom cuts advertising budget

In a move that may affect its ongoing sponsorship of Germany's number one cycling team, Deutsche Telekom has announced a reduction in its advertising budget.

"We will reduce the total advertising budget by double figures in percentage terms," Telekom marketing director Jürgen Kindervater told the Düsseldorfer Handelsblatt newspaper.

The reduction will particularly affect 'non-traditional' advertising, while the company's spending on radio, TV, magazines and newspapers will only be affected "slightly," said Kindervater

According to the paper, Telekom's total advertising budget for last year was two billion Euro. Two thirds was spent on 'non-traditional' advertising such as direct marketing, sponsorship and events.

Lefevere reveals new Lotto-Domo team structure

Domo team manager Patrick Lefevere says he will still be at the helm of the merged Lotto-Domo squad. Cyclingnews spoke to Lefevere yesterday in the Tour village.

Cyclingnews: What's going to be the structure of the new team?

Patrick Lefevere: "Normally I'll be the sporting manager and Christophe Sercu will be the business manager. It will be a new company, It won't be either mine or Sercu's, or part of 'The Pool'. " [The Pool is the current business structure of the Lotto-Adecco team - Ed]

Philippe Van Holle of Belgian news outlet La Derniere Heure, told Cyclingnews that he believes Lefevere is in favour of the team merger for personal health-related reasons. It will take some pressure off him.

Litespeed not happy with Lotto-Domo merger

By Jeff Jones

The merger between the Lotto and Domo teams next season has not been greeted enthusiastically on all fronts. While the move will certainly create a 'more Belgian' Belgian team, the fallout is that foreign riders, staff and some sponsors will lose their place. One such sponsor is US bike manufacturer Litespeed, which is in its first year as the full bike sponsor of a professional team. However with the heavy involvement of Eddy Merckx in the Lotto-Domo squad, its very likely that the team will be on Merckx bikes next year (as Domo is now).

"The development in Belgium is very disappointing for us," commented Litespeed's marketing director Herbert Krabel to Cyclingnews. "We have established such a great relationship with the team and all the riders and the team itself has been successful on their Litespeeds. Thus any development that moves away from this successful model has to be seen as negative.

"To 'merge' the second best team in the World with the 14th best does not create the number one team. The Domo team really has never achieved what Lefevere had promised, despite a budget that was bigger than the proposed Lotto-Domo 2003 budget. Why would anyone trust him now? Lotto-Adecco has really achieved phenomenal success with a small budget and great management. The Domo team also comes with a lot of baggage with Virenque and Vandenbroucke, and Lotto always stood very firm against these issues.

"The Belgian press and public is also not very excited about this proposal, after all how would New Yorkers feel if the Yankees and the Mets 'merged?'"

When it came to Eddy Merckx, Krabel did not pull any punches. "Does Eddy Merckx really care about the sport of cycling as much as he claims? After all, with 25 pro cyclists (mostly from Belgium), four directeurs sportifs, four mechanics, four soigneurs and at least one team doctor (all from Belgium) possibly without a job, how can that be called a 'great development for Belgian cycling?'

"Or does Eddy really have other motives? Without this 'merger' there could be the very real possibility that neither Eddy Merckx bikes or Axel Merckx would be in next year's Tour."

"We have built lots of bikes for Eddy Merckx including the bike on which Lance won the Worlds in Norway, and have had a great relationship with him. However ever since we officially entered the European peloton we got the vibe and heard rumours that he did not appreciate us being in "his backyard" and that the Lotto Team was so successful on those Litespeeds.

"While obviously nothing has been decided in regard to the 'official bike supplier' for the proposed Lotto-Domo team, he certainly has made it clear what his goals are.

"As a company we really see it this way, should one door close in front of us, two other will surely open up. As of now though, our attention is focused on the Tour where we feel very confident to get at least two stage victories with Lotto-Adecco-ABX."

Cofidis extends to 2005

Cofidis, the French telephone credit company, has announced that it will continue its involvement in team sponsorship until at least 2005.

The company has sponsored a cycling team since 1997. Announcing the continuation of its support yesterday, company president Francois Migraine said that the five year involvement in cycling had increased recognition of the company from 2 percent to 32 percent.

Migraine also announced that Cofidis rising star David Moncoutie has renewed his contract until 2005.

Referring to recent withdrawals of sponsors such as Mapei and BigMat, Migraine said, "At this time, when sponsors are announcing that they are stopping, the image of cycling is improving and that is an incentive to stay."

Traksel stays with Rabobank

20 year old Dutch rider Bobbie Traksel has extended his contract for another two years with Rabobank, through until the end of 2004. He signed a contract on Friday, and is considered by team management to be a good prospect for the one day classics. This year he won the Dutch race Veenendaal-Veenendaal.

US Postal case: no substances found, admit French investigators

Associated Press reports that French judicial sources have admitted that no doping substances have been found in the samples obtained in the investigation into the US Postal team.

The revelation follows a similar admission by investigator François Franchy and indicates that the investigation should close in the next few weeks.

(All rights reserved/Copyright Knapp Communications Pty Limited 2002)