Sponsors get shafted, too!

As you all know, I have felt free to express my opinion on the poor performance of Mr Becca, and the way he broke the terms of his contract to support Leopard Trek for four years, without even explaining why.

I then did some research into sponsorship, and I read a book all about the Linda McCartney team and their problems, and I came to the inescapable conclusion that sponsors are fickle and elusive, and we just have to be grateful for what we get from them, and cannot really expect them to behave like professionals, disgraceful and annoying though that is.

Now I have realised that it goes both ways.

Eddie Merckx Cycles had a three year deal with Quickstep, and 2011 was the second year of that deal. Now Quickstep are merging with Omega-Pharma,  and the new combined team have brought in a whole bunch of the HTC Highroad riders, along with their Specialized bikes.

So Specialized are taking over as bike supplier/sponsor for the team, and Eddie Merckx Cycles have been shoved out.

The news report contains lots of lovely positive phrases and quotes from Eddie Merckx Cycles, as you would expect, but I can almost feel the gritting of teeth going on underneath, can't you?

Does this make me feel better, knowing that sponsors can find their contracts to be worthless, and can find themselves thrown out at a moments' notice, just like the riders?

Well, no, actually: I would much prefer to live in a world where a contract is binding,  and cannot be broken at a whim.