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End of an era? Saturn pulls plug on cycling team
Just days after celebrating victory in San Francisco’s T-Mobile International, riders on the Saturn Cycling team have been told that they may well be without jobs in 2004.
In a conference call with riders late Wednesday afternoon, Team Sports manager Tom Schuler said that the program’s major sponsor, the Saturn division of General Motors, will end its sponsorship at the end of the year.
Saturn, whose 12-year involvement in American cycling makes it the longest-running major team sponsor on the domestic scene, had been rumored to be ending its support for its elite men's and women's team programs, and Wednesday’s conference call confirmed that. Saturn’s plans for event sponsorship in 2004 remain unclear, but earlier this year, the company ended plans to sponsor Colorado’s 134-mile Boulder-to-Breckenridge road race, known as the Saturn Classic.
Several Saturn riders contacted by VeloNews confirmed the Wednesday call. In a letter to members of the team, Schuler said he was hoping to secure a new sponsor for the team his firm manages, but still has no guarantees for next season.
“Saturn has meant a great deal to the sport of cycling,” Schuler said in a news release issued late Wednesday. "We do plan to add new marketing partners to this winning cycling platform."
“Team Sports is looking for new sponsorship, but they also have told us we that can take other offers if we want to,” said a Saturn rider, speaking on condition of anonymity. “I might be patient at first and wait to see what Team Sports will have to offer.”
Another member of the squad said the announcement was “not a huge surprise.”
“We had sort of been expecting something like this,” he said. “Still, it hurts when it happens.”
“I’m sure that I speak for everyone on the team and on staff when I say that I really hope that the entire program can be saved," said another. "As a business person, Tom is top notch. If anyone can do it, I’m sure he can.”
Saturn sponsorship and promotions manager Christine Rivers said the relationship with Team Sports and the team has been a good one for the auto maker.
“Over the past 12 years, we have seen tremendous success with Saturn Cycling,” said Rivers. “We’ve had the opportunity to interact with consumers around the country who have come out to support our team and the events we have chosen to sponsor. Road cycling has been an ideal showcase for our products and a perfect venue for Saturn retailers who have embraced cycling events in their local communities. We have had the pleasure of working with incredible people, both on the bike and behind the scenes.”
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