Via the very web 1.0 Cyclingnews (third item).
Australian online tourism company, Roamfree.com, backed by former Australian Rules footballer turned businessmen Tony Smith, has announced that it will commit $20 million into setting up an Australian team, with the aim of obtaining a ProTour licence for 2009 in order to compete in the Tour de France. The ambitious plan, originally put forward earlier this year, is dependant on additional support from another corporate back and Australian Tourism or government support.
Assuming they go with a full squad of riders (T-Mobile has 27), including the triple threat of a quality rider in each discipline; one sprinter (McEwen), one classics guy (O’Grady) and one Tour GC guy (Rogers), then you’re looking at some serious money a season up front before you even get to a good supporting cast of riders who can deliver your key riders to the pointy end of the race – not to mention the additional infrastructure – that’s if you want to be seriously competitive in a variety of races.
That competitiveness does not come cheap. Giving some context to the task at hand, Tailwind Sports was looking at a sum of $45 million over three years from any naming sponsor replacing Discovery Channel.
So while there is $20 million on the table that could finance maybe two full seasons of campaigning, it’s a difficult task if you’re attempting to do so with a squad full of high quality Australian riders and looking to make an immediate impact race and marketing wise. The money down is a great start, but it’s just not enough in the long term.
As mentioned there still needs to be another big name sponsor with deep pockets and global interests, plus a few solid peripheral sponsors. But who?
Well Macquarie Bank would work well in the capacity of a naming rights sponsor, in fact it’s a good fit with their global interests in transport infrastructure (roads, airports), and of course they already own this country and it’s politicians so why shouldn’t they own our cycling team as well?
Thinking about a twosome involved in travel and transport becoming involved in cycling and you get a nice sounding fit, dare I call it synergistic?
As for a major peripheral sponsor? Well Trek would certainly look good under the riders as a global co-sponsor of a fresh looking and sounding English language team that has zero historical baggage, and they have the scale and experience to do the job.
Forget about doping and momentary political infighting, by most metrics the sport is in overall rude good health, so at the moment pro cycling is a very cheap buy for the right sponsor or set of sponsors.
This sport isn’t dead, it’s a sleeping giant from a global marketing perspective.
By the way, if this gets up? That loud sucking noise you hear is the sound of sporting sponsorship dollars heading from other Australian sports in the direction of cycling.
Additional media.
Crossposted from Spinopsys.
