Lance no longer a Postie. He's now a, umm, Discoverie

cheapie · 06-16-2004, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Lance Armstrong was confident he had found a sponsor his son Luke could endorse when he took the stage to announce Discovery Communication's takeover of the title sponsorship of his U.S. Postal team in 2004.

"My son would be very proud of me for standing up here with a T-Rex giving a press conference," Armstrong said, gazing at the skeletal tail of the life-size Tyrannosaurus-Rex reproduction that dominates the lobby of Discovery's Silver Spring, Maryland world headquarters.

Perhaps more important to cycling fans than Luke's approval, Armstrong confirmed that, unlike the T-Rex and the miniature wooly mammoth standing rigid in the marble lobby, he would not disappear from the scene after this year's Tour de France. Prior to the signing of the Discovery deal, the 33-year-old had stated that if a sponsor could not be found to keep the team's structure intact, he would retire at the end of the season rather than ride for another team.

"There are a lot of people in cycling who thought that this would perhaps be a magical summer, and history would be made and a sixth Tour would be won, and I would go away forever. And that is an idea," laughed Armstrong. "But as I sat around [thinking]...I just didn't want to go away. I still love what I do, and I still love the bike."

With that, Armstrong committed to continuing his career beyond this year's Tour de France, win or lose. "I just didn't want to retire. So I'm glad I'll be back for at least a year, maybe two."

At the post-announcement press conference, Armstrong fielded several questions regarding the doping allegations set forth in David Walsh and Pierre Ballester's book, "L.A. Confidential," but preferred to discuss his thought on this year's Tour and the years ahead.

With the team's future guaranteed by what Discovery U.S. Network's President William Campbell would only describe as a "multi-year, multi-million dollar deal," Armstrong felt that it would be easier for the Tour riders to concentrate on the task at hand in July, rather than finding a job for next year.

"[The Tour] is a place where the riders showcase their best skills and it's where they talk to the other teams about their future. If we did not have Discovery, then I would have had guys at the Tour who might possibly be thinking that they're not going to be my teammates any longer, that it would be the final Tour," said Armstrong. "Then you start to wonder if that ever leaks into their mind - how hard they work for the team, and do they start looking out for themselves. I have full faith in the guys we have. I don't think that would be a problem, but it's not something you want to have to think about. So for us to be able to take this news back to them - these great guys that I've race with for years and years and years, and say look, we're all safe here guys, the program's going to stay intact, and we're going to be able to do what we're all doing and love to do - it's a big relief."

Often criticized for his singular focus on the Tour, Armstrong also hinted that, by choosing to ride for at least one more year, he might shift his focus and potentially broaden his palmares in the final years of his career.

"I'm torn because the Tour is so big and it is truly the event that means the most to cycling and to me," said the five time champion, "but there are days when I think about the classics in the springtime in Belgium, and I think about the World Championships, and I think about the hour record, and I think about the Giro or the Vuelta. I really want to not necessarily win those events, but I want to do them. The Giro I've never even done. To do 12 or 13 or 14 years professionally and have to say you never did the Giro I think would be a shame."

But for now, as has been the case in June since 1999, the sole focus is on the Tour. Asked by a Boston Globe reporter who his chief competition would be, Armstrong had all the right answers.

"I know you're from Boston, so do I have to say Tyler? Tyler is the biggest rival. You can put that on the front page of tomorrow's Globe," Armstrong joked, before giving a more detailed analysis of the competition based on his recent Dauphiné-Libéré. "I think last week - frankly, I know last week - I saw a very good Tyler Hamilton, a very good Iban Mayo. Most specifically with Tyler, I saw that his team was very good - Phonak was incredible, very strong, very deep."

Armstrong also did not discount his archrival Jan Ullrich, currently leading the Tour of Switzerland.

"I think Ullrich is going to be super," he said of the German, who he now must consider as part of a potential 1-2 punch. "Ullrich got a little bad news two or three days ago when he lost Vinokourov at the Tour of Switzerland, crashed out with a broken collarbone. We don't know yet if he's going to do the Tour, but if they both show up it's a double headache for us."

With Postal bowing out in 2005 and Discovery taking over, Armstrong was also quick to recognize the faith that the team had placed in him during his comeback from cancer.

"My manager made many many phone calls, and nobody took the calls. Nobody wanted the sick kid from Texas on their team. And one little team that was okay then, not great, took the call and took the guy on the team and gave him an opportunity in 1998 and stood by him, and stood by the team," Armstrong said of the team with whom he has become nearly synonymous. "I never would have won the Tour if it wasn't for the Postal service. I'm eternally grateful, and I've got a ton of great friends there."

Despite Armstrong's deep attachment to the Postal years, he was all smiles when Campbell presented him with a Discovery jersey, telling Armstrong, "We wanted to show everyone how great you will look when you get your seventh win in 2005." Over the applause of the assembled Discovery channel workers, Armstrong, fingers crossed, responded only, "Lets get through number six first, Billy."

According to Discovery Communications, Armstrong will be featured in programming on a number of the company's nine channels, which include the Discovery Channel, the Travel Channel, FitTV, and the Health Channel. And while Armstrong was enthusiastic about continuing is budding television career, he reiterated what he calls "his policy." "When I race, I race, and I can't really think about too much of what goes on in the future."

For now, Armstrong's future is still atop a bicycle. And with a new sponsor in the bag, he can put off one particular thought for just a little longer.

"If this were to be my final year," said Armstrong, "I would have to sit here and imagine and think to myself that I would be retired in five and a half weeks, and I can't imagine that."

gear02 · 06-16-2004, 07:58 AM

hmm...pretty cool...the Discovery channel

IrishSS · 06-16-2004, 10:34 AM

Cant believe the Postal Service dropped their sponsorship. I wonder if it had anything to do with the latest doping allegations. I really dont think it would, as theyve stood behind him the past 5-6 years through the same allegations.

cheapie · 06-16-2004, 10:43 AM

look at it this way. chances are the team wanted a ton of money for the continued sponsorship. there is only downside for this team. lance is getting older. if lance loses the tdf biking will not be as popular and generate as much press and attention for the USPS. also, lance might retire in teh next couple years and then the team won't get nearly as much coverage. plus, there will be residual value from their sponsorship over the last few years. they'll still have their name in front whenever anyone mentions lance, shows highlights, or until the discovery channel name becomes synonomous w/lance. as the marketing director, i would have done the same thing.

also, the book was just announced in the last week or so. the end of the sponsorship was news over a month ago.

DaFunkyUnit · 06-16-2004, 11:00 AM

in the recent Nike ads, Lance is still sporting the USPS logo.

cheapie · 06-16-2004, 11:11 AM

yup. the Postal contract runs through this season.

mcs328 · 06-16-2004, 12:04 PM

Interesting. Didn't know that location was the world heardquarters. It's only 5 miles or less away from me. The area is booming but the streets are not...it's a very high traffic area. You can see the T-Rex driving by...very nice.

yippiekiyeh · 06-16-2004, 02:32 PM

The reality is as such... USPS is facing huge criticism regarding sponsoring Lance Armstrong. With the budget forcast in the red (USPS gets no government $$), one must consider cutting unnecessary costs. I guess the upper management believe that this is an unnecessary cost. I would say that they are so wrong.

I was glad to hear that LA was given a chance to succeed with USPS, but I feel that USPS were the lucky ones...

LA's Nike commerical is just plain cool.

IrishSS · 06-16-2004, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yippiekiyeh & cheapie

What they said...

Makes sense, and I hadnt known about the sponsorship change prior to this article. Guess it would have made a little more news about it. Alas, I'm prolly just not looking in the right places.

06-16-2004, 10:34 AM	#3
IrishSS Rear Admiral Lower Half Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: NoVa Posts: 2,644	Cant believe the Postal Service dropped their sponsorship. I wonder if it had anything to do with the latest doping allegations. I really dont think it would, as theyve stood behind him the past 5-6 years through the same allegations. __________________ Spigs, you MFR#1N! Last edited by IrishSS : 06-16-2004 at 06:29 PM.

06-16-2004, 11:00 AM	#5
DaFunkyUnit Rear Admiral Upper Half Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: the peanut gallery Posts: 3,909	in the recent Nike ads, Lance is still sporting the USPS logo. __________________

06-16-2004, 12:04 PM	#7
mcs328 Admiral Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Maryland Posts: 6,578	Interesting. Didn't know that location was the world heardquarters. It's only 5 miles or less away from me. The area is booming but the streets are not...it's a very high traffic area. You can see the T-Rex driving by...very nice. __________________

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06-16-2004, 07:58 AM	#2
gear02 Admiral Join Date: Apr 2000 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 7,223	hmm...pretty cool...the Discovery channel

06-16-2004, 10:43 AM	#4
cheapie Chief of Naval Operations Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: raising my pimp hand strong Posts: 13,038	look at it this way. chances are the team wanted a ton of money for the continued sponsorship. there is only downside for this team. lance is getting older. if lance loses the tdf biking will not be as popular and generate as much press and attention for the USPS. also, lance might retire in teh next couple years and then the team won't get nearly as much coverage. plus, there will be residual value from their sponsorship over the last few years. they'll still have their name in front whenever anyone mentions lance, shows highlights, or until the discovery channel name becomes synonomous w/lance. as the marketing director, i would have done the same thing. also, the book was just announced in the last week or so. the end of the sponsorship was news over a month ago.

06-16-2004, 11:11 AM	#6
cheapie Chief of Naval Operations Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: raising my pimp hand strong Posts: 13,038	yup. the Postal contract runs through this season.

06-16-2004, 02:32 PM	#8
yippiekiyeh A Friend of a Friend Join Date: May 2001 Location: WESTSIDE! Posts: 1,673	The reality is as such... USPS is facing huge criticism regarding sponsoring Lance Armstrong. With the budget forcast in the red (USPS gets no government $$), one must consider cutting unnecessary costs. I guess the upper management believe that this is an unnecessary cost. I would say that they are so wrong. I was glad to hear that LA was given a chance to succeed with USPS, but I feel that USPS were the lucky ones... LA's Nike commerical is just plain cool.

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