A New Sponsor for a Troubled Sport

Posted by: Jack Ewing on June 16

As someone who’s interested in both sports and business, I’ve enjoyed following U.S. entrepreneur Bob Stapleton’s attempts to bring better management to pro cycling—a sport which could certainly use it. On June 16, Stapleton announced some good news for the team that has been without a primary sponsor since last year. Portland, Oregon-based Columbia Sportswear Company has signed on as new main backer.

Columbia’s decision is a bit of positive news for cycling, which has seen sponsors flee amid a seemingly unending series of doping scandals. Stapleton, a cycling enthusiast who was one of the founders of the company now known as T-Mobile USA, took over the cycling team in late 2006 when T-Mobile was still the main sponsor. But the German-owned telco dropped out of the sport last year amid revelations of doping going back to the 1990s.

Stapleton’s riders will don new blue, black and yellow Columbia uniforms on July 3, just in time for the start of the Tour de France July 5. You have to give the sportswear company credit for courage. Though cycling’s overseers have gotten tougher about doping, use of performance-enhancing drugs is still a problem. What’s more, there’s a behind-the-scenes power struggle between the Amaury Sport Organization, which owns the Tour de France, and UCI, cycling’s official governing body, which runs cycling’s Pro Tour.

In a conference call with reporters June 16, Stapleton raised the possibility that the tension will in effect lead to two rival cycling leagues, one run by ASO and the other by the UCI. “You could see two rival circuits for some time. I’m not excited about that, but I think that could be outcome next year. It’s quite a headache for the teams,” Stapleton said.

Stapleton says he’s trying to be a neutral peacemaker, taking advantage of his status as a newcomer without all the baggage of cycling veterans. But in the past Stapleton has expressed admiration for ASO’s management and tougher anti-doping stance. Once a victor has emerged, he says, cycling could emerge stronger, with better marketing and a more coherent organization.

Across the sporting world, better and cleaner management practices are slowly replacing the old boys’ networks that tend to prevail in events such as soccer or auto racing. I don’t expect Stapleton to work miracles, but he’s an important part of this positive trend.