Since a few other members of the Pewag Racing Team (whose kit she's wearing) are affiliated with Storck, maybe there was some issue getting it to her in time or some other commitment conflict?

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ZONE3 - We Last Longer

I don't see much value in it. And cosmetically ugly.

Why not? Who cares if someone thinks the bike is ugly. If you are a professional then you don't give your endorsement for free. Craig Alexander did this long ago but it never really caught on.

https://www.triathlete.com/...ers-un-branded-bike/

She's been riding that P2 for a while, and I thought I read, or heard during the race broadcast, that despite other options, she'd opted to stick with it because her team hadn't found a bike that worked as well for her. Assuming Pewag is one of those pro teams with a bike sponsor, I'd guess she declined to use the team bike and had to cover the competitor branding as a condition of being on the team.

Usually when pros cover up brand labels, it's not because the racer is trying to avoid giving a brand free endorsement, but because one of the racer's sponsors doesn't want the racer endorsing one of their competitors. Pewag appears to be sponsored by Storck, which makes Tri bikes.

To quote a famous Texan, 'no gifts' a professional athletes are billboards and if they want to cover the logos...I am all for it.

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"see the world as it is not as you want it to be"

They should absoluitely cover up every logo for all their equipment. If they don't, it's free advertising for those brands and why would you pay for free advertising when it's being provided for free?

Cover all logos they are not getting paid for

It probably makes the most sense for more established professionals to do this.

-They have lots of other sponsors, so if one or two items are blacked out it doesn't look like no one wants to sponsor them.

-Lower level pros have a hard time just finding sponsors (sponsors rarely seek them out). If a low-level pro has a blacked out bike or helmet, sponsors are unlikely to see an opportunity vs. if Frodo or Ryf does.

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

In that case, shouldn't the lower level pros black out their bikes and other equipment? What good does providing free advertising do?

In an instagram world... not sure why anyone need to give free publicity to any brand...

I would tend to agree BUT, one possible reason is that it may give you a foot in the door. I have zero experience endorsements so I’m completely speculating here.....Not for an established brand like Cervelo, but maybe for a smaller brand...,if you can show that you have won using their brand, that might begin to build a relationship with that Company such that it wants to endorse you. Companies generally want athletes who actually like their products and chances are, of you willing to use the product when not paid to do so, you will be a good brand promoter.

Besides, other than a helmet and bike, what other equipment are you actually going to be able to effectively tape over?

Pretty much this. Many moons ago my pops had a shoe contract with Converse, but preferred SpotBilt shoes for games on astroturf, so he would cover up the logo in tape, and draw a Converse logo on it.

For lower level pros, I don't think it matters. BUT, they need to act like they are sponsored by every logo they race with, because the last thing you need is a company actively NOT want to sponsor you because of your actions. Plus, show value as an athlete to those brands you like and develop that relationship.

I'll agree with you on small brands, but nothing major like Cervelo

Agree with DFW. Taping over logos might prevent some free advertsing, it might however attract interest. I never heard of this pro and now I know she won on an old P2 that she picked without getting paid. How did she benefit from taping over the logo? And does Cervelo care one bit?

In addition, I would guess very few people notive or concern themselves what bikes non-sponsored pros rides, and for good reason.

The expense of a tri bike frame for a pro is quite small in proportion to their overall budget. If I were a non-sposnored pro I would have a relationship with a local shop that benefitted the local shop. The get a proven workhorse like a Speed Concept or IA at wholesale, take care of it, and keep it for years. Then spend the time and effort I would have spent chasing an inferior bike on something more worthwhile.

Frodo used to magic marker over the logo on his tires when he wasn't sponsored. I've also seen tape over the logos on aerobar extensions...and, of course, wheels.

The guy's a consummate professional. During his indoor ironman, he had a pair of oakleys sitting on his head (above his sweatband) even though the whole run was indoors. He made sure every sponsor got some love.

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Well, yes when I said “bike”, I was including all components on the bike. I was trying to think of other tri gear where tape (or a sharpie) would be effective. I guess you could sharpie a wetsuit too!

Back in my day. I had a deal with the local bike store but not with the companies themselves.

I took off a few sticker that I could and made sure that the companies that did support me were visible and it was super easy and didn't effect anything.

More to the fact they say we are pro but pay for everything is Ironman Professionals pay for entry into Kona once they have qualified.

Could you imagine if Lebron or Brady had to buy a ticket to the game so he could play?

Weird Sport.

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Technique will always last longer then energy production. Improve biomechanics, improve performance.
http://Www.anthonytoth.ca, triathletetoth@twitter

I'm Teresas coach. The P2 was bought 2nd hand when we were testing out moving up to long course after a couple of good half IMs.
We've debated changing bikes a few times in the last couple of years but nothing matched her position well enough, nor would paying thousands for a handful of seconds make sense (the P2 really is very good).
This year she is with Pewag team, who do use Storck. The bikes hadn't arrived in time so she covered the Cervelo logos out of respect for the team sponsor (other Pewag athletes have done this when the Storck didn't work out). Now her partner Dan is working out whether he can get the Storck to fit. If it doesn't the P2 will continue to set race records.

We discussed painting the frame black, but paying a few hundred dollars for something that won't make her faster didn't stack up. Stickers are cheap and can be removed if the commissaires don't like them for a UCI race (note that she won the Elite National TT champs too).

That logic applies to any beginning pro (TA not really a beginner having won 4 out of 7 IMs) - spending the cash for a decent paint job (that won't chip or look garbage) is hard to justify and a distraction. Plus it usually reduces the resale value. Which is why you don't see it happening more often.

I've seen a couple cases where pros have duct taped over a logo on their race kit. It's usually temporary; they lost/dropped a sponsor but updated kit hasn't arrived yet.

Pro cyclists have these conundrums a lot. They switch teams, but the stuff from the new sponsor hasn't arrived by Jan1. Alex Dowsett noted in his last video that he was zwifting on the trainer from his last team only because the trainer from his new sponsor has yet to arrive.

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ECMGN Therapy Silicon Valley:
Depression, Neurocognitive problems, Dementias (Testing and Evaluation), Trauma and PTSD, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Appreciate you chiming in! It's interesting to hear about the equipment decisions made when it comes to a situation like that

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Dominic Pollizzi

First saw TA at ironman cairns a few years ago and more recently busso. You both seem to have a good partnership, she’s a pocket rocket and you both must be doing something right !

As for the previous post, I agree with logo’s etc even on suits. Example Tim Reed tattoos Prep’d hydration on his upper chest and unzips the top part on the run since his kit doesn’t have it yet.

Agree re; jan and his product placement. Even the maurten bottles

i take a view contrary to most who're posting here. i get asked several times a year by brand managers who i think they should sponsor. in most cases, when it makes any sense at all, i recommend an athlete already using the product. without covering up the logo. i explain that this is the most authentic athlete for the brand.

on the other hand, i would never sponsor an athlete who covers up the branding on a product. that's an automatic "move onto the next candidate."

for those of you who think the athlete should cover up the branding unless the athlete is getting paid, fine. but if you ever feel that a deal is inauthentic, is only made for money, then you might reflect in the incongruity of these two positions.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I understand not painting it, but is there any reason not to sand the frame down? Guessing cost is the major factor there?