Is this a golden age of pro-cycling or the beginning of the end?

[BJH]

I have made this point about super teams before and one of the arguments coming back was how could this be the case when HTC have pulled out. I do believe that this is happening / will happen. We are seeing some really big budget teams coming together and a rationalisation of many of the smaller ones.
I also don't think this has anything to do with whether cycle manufacturers could afford the cash, the money will come provided cycling continues to attract publicity. the fact that ITV opted to show major races this year in addition to the TDF says they think there's a market. If they do then others will want to be associated.
When Peugeot sponsored it's team, how much came from the cycle manufacturing and how much from the cars? The co sponsors through that period tended to be major oil companies; BP, Shell and Esso so we can assume it was the cars.
HTC's timing certainly doesn't appear to make sense, but others will follow. The comparison with football makes sense for me, football gate receipts wouldn't cover a fraction of the wage bills, but sponsorship can. Mores success breeds more publicity.
For my money, a golden age is here ( at least for GB cycling) but what these changes herald for the future who knows - hopefully not the morally bankrupt attitude of our footballers and now even our rugby players.

 

[Smokin Joe]

I have made this point about super teams before and one of the arguments coming back was how could this be the case when HTC have pulled out. I do believe that this is happening / will happen. We are seeing some really big budget teams coming together and a rationalisation of many of the smaller ones.
I also don't think this has anything to do with whether cycle manufacturers could afford the cash, the money will come provided cycling continues to attract publicity. the fact that ITV opted to show major races this year in addition to the TDF says they think there's a market. If they do then others will want to be associated.
When Peugeot sponsored it's team, how much came from the cycle manufacturing and how much from the cars? The co sponsors through that period tended to be major oil companies; BP, Shell and Esso so we can assume it was the cars.
HTC's timing certainly doesn't appear to make sense, but others will follow. The comparison with football makes sense for me, football gate receipts wouldn't cover a fraction of the wage bills, but sponsorship can. Mores success breeds more publicity.
For my money, a golden age is here ( at least for GB cycling) but what these changes herald for the future who knows - hopefully not the morally bankrupt attitude of our footballers and now even our rugby players.

Budgets were much smaller in those days, all but the star riders were paid a pittance and there was nowhere near the level of support for the teams that they now get. Riders in the TdF even had to wash their own kit at the end of each stage.

All the cycle industry can now afford to do is supply the equipment in return for the publicity, someone like Shimano could conceivably afford to be the main sponsor if a top team, but why do they need to when half the peloton are on their kit anyway?