Not surprising. CSC has been involved for what, 7 - 8 years? That's fairly long actually. All sponsorships like this have a life cycle and this one has reached it's end point.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Fleck,
You are right indeed, but this is not a good time for the end of a life cycle in cycling sponsorship. But Bjarne Rijs has a great package deal to offer, so hopefully he'll find takers.

Herbert

You are right indeed, but this is not a good time for the end of a life cycle in cycling sponsorship.

Herbert,

I think that I know what you are getting at. However, the CSC team has been remarkably clean - other than the Basso affair and Riis's own admission of usage, years after the fact. In both instances CSC, stayed the course.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Don't forget Tyler Hamilton.

I would like to believe this.

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Searching for the bliss of ultimate exertion.

Regardless of a clean rep or not, it's not a great time in the history of cycling to be looking for sponsors. A lot less companies are willing to lay out the cash these days, than there were a couple years ago.

Steve,
I was actually hinting at the economy in general.

H

I can only hope that means Cervelo will stop painting the carbon Soloist fire-engine red. If they do, it moves to #1 on my "next road bike purchase" list. I don't mind a little red (like the new P3), but the Soloist is too red for my taste.

On a similar point, I could never understand why Cervelo buyers put up with having a (non manufacturer's) corporate logo as standard on their bikes. Did CSC pay to have that on there and does that help to keep the price down, or is it just a nod towards the bikes being 'professional' standard?

Will current bikes seem very outdated next season, kind of like a Discovery Channel Madone?

If Riis's team get sponsored by, say, McDonalds, does the golden arches logo go on every Cervelo next year?

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Richard Melik | I work for the following companies | Zwift.com | Freespeed Bike Fit (UK)
Manager | David McNamee

I thought you could remove the CSC sticker?

Bob

The CSC sticker is over the clear coat so you can remove it, we see a 50% leave it/remove it ont he Cervelos that leave our shop.

No idea, i've never owned one! I see a lot around with the sticker still on though so assumed it was fairly permanent.

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Richard Melik | I work for the following companies | Zwift.com | Freespeed Bike Fit (UK)
Manager | David McNamee

Frankly it didn't bother me. Far from it, I thought the Cervelo, CSC, Team Rijs partnership was positive for all involved and I have no problem at all with CSC being recognised on the bikes. That's kinda what sponsership is about isn't it.

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TriRaceBook.com
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Hawaii Qualification Analysis

You would not believe how many team replica bikes we sell. For Example we have sold more of the Liqugas Cannondale System Six bikes than we have the standard Sys Six paint scheme.

I see your point, I suppose it is a personal thing, if a company wants a logo on my bikes they are going to have to pay for it!

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Richard Melik | I work for the following companies | Zwift.com | Freespeed Bike Fit (UK)
Manager | David McNamee

I have no issue with team replica bikes as I know there is a huge market for them but I suppose I have always seen Cervelo paint options as a standard scheme rather than a 'team' scheme. However, you could argue that there is ONLY the 'team' option available as CSC ride the same colour bikes. Hadn't really considered that before.

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Richard Melik | I work for the following companies | Zwift.com | Freespeed Bike Fit (UK)
Manager | David McNamee

I totally agree with you. I don't object to the option of a team replica, but it has to be an option. The only option for a carbon Soloist (and many other Cervelo bikes) is the Team CSC version. Few (if any) bike manufacturers do the same thing (I really can't think of one). What if UPS and Colnago sponsored a team? Can you imagine the only color you can get a C-50 in is crap-brown? I don't think Ernesto would stand for it.

CSC probely helped desgin the bikes so they wanted some credit

Actually Red seems to be Cervelo's signature color and as a Shop it makes it easier to sell the brand since they are the same bikes that CSC Races not a custom bike that is made at a different place and painted a team color then the Colnago's that we sell. That makes more of a difference to my customers than paint ( in the majority of cases) but i understand that paint color and schemes do come into consideration.

Same Protour bike that John or Jane AGer/Cat 4 racer/enthusiast can buy or another brands market offering.

I learned from my rep that CSC is more of a test, feeder board for the Cervelo so i would guess that they did help with the bikes but I doubt that CSC riders designed the bikes I mean Jens is a hammer on the bike but I doubt he is great with Engineering :) Although he is German....

I'm thinking that the timing isn't too bad in terms of the announcement as it allows Team CSC to court potential sponsors for almost the entire season instead of scrambling around at the end of the season or during the Tour. If nothing else it gives the riders just a little more incentive to achieve the best possible results for marketing the team.

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-Darrell

Bjarne Riis was helpful enough in designing the R2.5 that Cervelo named the bike after him.

R
2 (II in roman)
.5 ( looks like an S)

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http://www.Felipe-Bastos.com
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Blog: felipebastos.blogspot.com
Facebook: facebook.com/felipebastos
Twitter: @felipebastos1

How long before the end of that year was it announced that Discovery would not renew?

http://www.velonews.com/article/11627

The Discovery announcement was roughly 1 month earlier than this CSC one.

I really hope for them that this won't happen to CSC, but I am also careful to not mistake wishful thinking for reality.

H

So, if Cervelo would decide to sponsor another pro cycling team, which would cause more seizures within the company: Slipstream argyle or Liquigas green? :)