Hellooooo? Anyone watching the Tour?

[rij73]

Wait a second! Is this beef thing for real??? If so, as a vegan, I guess I won't root for anyone on that team. You with me Ariel?

[Kalidurga]

Yeah, I found the beef sponsorship interesting, too, especially in light of this article by the team chiro over at the Chipotle site:

So, our guys are eating very little wheat products (bread, pasta) and also very little red meat (which also has a pro-inflammatory effect on the body).

Guess this means the ex-Saunier-Duval/soon-to-be-Scott-Beef team is going to be one inflammatory crew.


(Sorry, couldn't help it , go ahead and groan again )

[Kalidurga]

And there's more! From VeloNews (no link this time, don't want anyone clicking where they shouldn't ):

American Beef signs on as co-sponsor of Scott squad

By VeloNews.com
Posted Jul. 25, 2008
The former Saunier Duval-Scott team will continue as Scott-American Beef after the squad’s title sponsor announced Wednesday that it would leave professional cycling in the wake of a drug scandal at the Tour de France.

Italian rider Riccardo Riccò tested positive for a new version of the banned blood booster EPO after the stage-four time trial, prompting the team to pull out of the race last week. Both Riccò and his compatriot Leonardo Piepoli, who had won the prestigious Bastille Day stage but had not failed a dope test, were sacked last Friday.

Also signing on with American Beef, based in Chihuahua, Mexico, are the Vuelta a Chihuahua, the state government of Chihuahua and Tierratech, according to a press release issued Friday and signed by general manager Mauro Gianetti and team manager Joxean Fernández Matxin.

Scott-American Beef will race at the Clasica San Sebastian, and its management has also been in touch with Unipublic, organizers of the Vuelta a España, in an attempt to “clarify definitively the events which led them to leave the Tour de France and to lose their main sponsor,” the announcement continued.

"We consider that what happened at the Tour is sad but do not have to condemn the whole team, who always showed fair play,” said Ricardo Creel, president of American Beef. “Those who are guilty must be punished, but all other honest racers, as well as the whole staff of the team, must be able to end the season with complete peace of mind.”

Saunier Duval, part of a German company specializing in domestic heaters and air conditioners, was the second sponsor to turn its back on cycling at this year's Tour.

The first was Barloworld, which acted after Moises Duenas tested positive for the banned blood booster on stage four.

Shame on me for ethnocentrically assuming that American Beef was a U.S. company Will this be the first Mexican-sponsored team in the Pro tour?

Trek, I'm picturing a jersey with a great big bull's head on it, horns and all. That could be intimidating to the other teams!

[7rider]

Will this be the first Mexican-sponsored team in the Pro tour?

What Pro Tour?

Didn't all the teams (save Astana) decide to pull out of the ProTour (effectively killing it)?
http://www.velonews.com/article/80207

[Kalidurga]

What Pro Tour?

Didn't all the teams (save Astana) decide to pull out of the ProTour (effectively killing it)?
http://www.velonews.com/article/80207

Dunno. That's one bit of news to which I haven't paid much attention. It's less interesting than a team being sponsored by cows on bicycles.





In case you couldn't tell, work's a bit boring today....

[Zen]

I can't get the chihuahua part out of my head

[Kalidurga]

Are you thinking dog meat, or chihuahuas riding on cows on bicycles?

Now you've got me thinking about the old Taco Hell commercials...

[ny biker]

All the teams pulled out of the Pro Tour. The teams at the TdF voted to do it, and then Astana said they would go along with the majority.

[rij73]

OK, now Scott-American Beef has to be the MOST ridiculous name for a pro bike team. I doubt those guys are downing many cheeseburgers no matter how much they ride...