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Team ??? – Sky to end sponsorship of cycling team

  • Ron 

In an open letter to fans, the cycling squad Team Sky announced that naming sponsor Sky would cease sponsorship of the team at the end of of 2019.

The team, a winner of multiple grand tours with Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas over the last nine years, brought a new technically-minded approach to training methods and equipment selection, but their wins did not come without controversy. Much like the dominant US Postal team of Lance Armstrong in the early part of the century, allegations of doping and illegal enhancements has dogged Team Sky.

Sky as sponsor and Team Sky as squad say that they have ambitious goals for the 2019 season and that the commitment to do everything to succeed is fully in place.

The change in direction for Sky is likely driven by their recent acquisition by U.S. based Comcast. Fox, which has a 15 percent stake in Team Sky, is also pulling out of cycling, said Sky, which owns the remaining 85 percent of the outfit through the Tour Racing company.

”We plan to be together in 2020 if at all possible,” said Chris Froome, who has raced for Team Sky since its debut in 2010 and won four Tour de France titles. ”We will all be doing everything we can to help make that happen – in different colors with a new partner with the same values, focus and desire to win.”

Sky spent 34.5 million pounds ($43 million) last year – easily the highest team budget in the Pro Tour – and generated only 6.7 million pounds ($8 million) in revenue that didn’t come from the owners. The team was reliant on the 25.3 million pounds ($32 million) in title sponsorship in 2017 from shareholders Sky and 21st Century Fox.

‘The start of a new chapter for Sky is a natural moment, 12 months gives Team Sky time to plan for the next phase,” team chairman Graham McWilliam wrote on Twitter. ”The decision was taken by Sky in the last few weeks. Comcast are aware and supportive of what we have decided to do, but this is our decision not theirs.”

McWilliam said it was a ”priority” to find new backers to allow the team under Dave Brailsford to remain one of the most successful in cycling.

”While Sky will be moving on at the end of next year, the team is open minded about the future and the potential of working with a new partner, should the right opportunity present itself,” said Brailsford, the team’s general manager.

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