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Giro finale Photo ©: Bettini
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Road Season Preview 2004
The
racing season is upon us, and Cyclingnews has been there as the major squads
have rolled out their line-ups for 2004. In this section we've gathered together
all our stories from the team launches to provide an overview of what the teams
say they're going for this year - if they all succeed, that top step in Paris
is going to be mighty crowded at the end of July.
Over the next few weeks we'll also be looking at the national scenes around
the world. For many riders and teams the World Cup and the Grand Tours are years
away if they're attainable at all, but there's still plenty of exciting racing
among them in the 'minor leagues'.
Below we provide an alphabetical listing of links to stories on all the team
presentations that have been covered on Cyclingnews.com.
Country by country
Belgium and the Netherlands: Small countries, big sport
With seven teams in Division I and one in Division II, Belgium and the Netherlands
are regaining their status as two of the top cycling nations. Belgium in fact
boasts five Division I teams, a result of a comparatively high level of sponsorship
in a country with a population of just over 10 million. It's a sure sign that
cycling is still very much a part of the culture, and companies can see the
value of advertising by sponsoring a sport that gets so much media coverage.
The Netherlands, which for years had Rabobank as its only Division I squad,
now has a second one in BankGiroLoterij.
Team breakdown for Belgium
and the Netherlands
France - Target: Le Tour
It is sometimes difficult to judge just how popular cycling remains in France,
but with six Division I teams in the professional peloton, and many of the sport's
biggest races held on French soil, the nation's investment in the sport is evident.
Three Division III teams are also sponsored in France, including Crédit Agricole's
development team, but the lack of Division II teams shows just how important
a top ranking is for French sponsors, all of whom harbour hopes of selection
for the Tour de France each year. The Tour is for almost any team the ultimate
goal, but will always hold particular importance for local sponsors seeking
maximum exposure in France.
Team breakdown for France
Spain & Portugal: Still a force
Despite the crisis of sponsorship that seems to have struck Spain over the
last few seasons, the combined forces of the Iberian Peninsula is still able
to boast six teams in Division I and four in Division II. Interestingly, the
trend in Spain has been one that is tending to move away being dominated by
large corporations to a situation where governments of the autonomous regions
and provinces are taking a leading role in taking up the slack. But one thing
is certain: the landscape of Iberian cycling has been altered significantly
this season with the departure of long-time sponsors ONCE and the back seat
position of Banesto. With these changes in sponsorship, the emergence of a strong
Euskaltel-Euskadi and the new Division I Saunier Duval squad, it is no longer
a simply a question of deciding between ONCE and Banesto when electing the best
Iberian team.
Team breakdown for Spain
USA part 1 - men's teams: Wide open road
With Saturn's exit from cycling sponsorship after 12 years' involvement, one
or two riders like Tom Danielson have landed contracts with big European teams,
while most, largely through circumstance, will continue to race in the United
States with other domestic teams. What this will most likely mean is a much
more even domestic racing scene this year in the US - for the men, teams such
as Navigators, Colavita-Bolla, Health Net, Jelly Belly and Webcor, among others,
are now all in with a chance at winning a number of the major events, such as
Redlands and Sea Otter, Tour of Georgia, USPRO Championships, New York City
Cycling Championships, San Francisco GP (T-Mobile GP), as well as races on the
Pro Cycling Tour.
Team-by-team analysis for
the US men's circuit
USA part 2 - women's teams: Can anyone beat T-Mobile?
With Saturn's exit from cycling sponsorship after 12 years' involvement, one
or two riders have landed contracts with European teams like Team SATS or Equipe
Nürnberger Versicherung, while most of the women, largely through circumstance,
will continue to race in the United States with other domestic teams. The team
most likely to benefit from Saturn's departure is T-Mobile, however, other teams
like Rona-Esker, Genesis Scuba, Basis-Aude and Quark could well prevent the
predicted whitewash caused by the women in pink and black.
Team-by-team analysis for
the US women's circuit
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