Its official – Lance Armstrong has announced that Radio Shack will be the major sponsor for a new U.S. cycling team scheduled to start up in 2010 with Lance as one of the featured riders. Now the fact that a major electronics and computer hobby shop as signed on as a major sports team sponsor may not seem to make sense up front, when compared to some of the other companies that have sponsored professional cycling teams in the past, includingthe following UCI registered teams:
- House of Paint – South Africa
- Polygon Sweet Nice Team – Indonesia
- Team Budget Forklifts – Australia
No announcement yet about what the future Team RadioShack cycling kits will look like, but if cyclists didn’t have enough of an image problem with all the car drivers out there on the road, we can just imagine some of the new insults that will be hurled out car windows at the few brave cyclists to show their Lance loyalty by purchasing a Team Radio Shack kit for the next club ride….”Nice pocket protector with your spandex, DORK!”….”Hey nerd! Get a real slideruler instead of that skinny carbon-fiber seat post…”
Imagine cyclists everywhere adding a piece of white masking tape to the frame of their Oakleys.
New Team RadioShack bike could be the big leadout for the sprints and mountains next year
Disagreements and arguments about the aerodynamic versus mechanical advantages of tubulars/clinchers and Shimano/Campy will now require a minimum of a PhD in engineering and well as submission of all relevant calculations including applicable theories and proofs supporting each position.
Move over former cycling fashion king, Mario Cippolini, cause there’s a new wave of style rolling over the peloton. Armstrong already wears black socks with his cycling socks. Will he have to trade them in for a pair of calf-high dingy white athlete socks to match the new brown Hush Puppy cycling shoes?
No news yet on if Trek will continue on as Armstrong’s bike ride of choice, but could Trek’s Madone be replaced by one bike fan called “the keenest bike in the world…”
Team RadioShack cycling kit and team bus
Armstrong’s potential new ride could give him a distinct advantage over future rivals next year on some of the more difficult climbs of the Tour de France and could make things pretty interesting on the slopes of the Tourmalet.
This new sponsorship also makes us wonder about team uniforms and the team bus. Are plaid shirts with colors not found in nature and khaki shorts with a pocket clip for the boy scout Swiss Army knife on the horizon?
Granted, there are probably a few jokes being made in the peloton about Armstrong’s new team. Finally, French professional cyclists have something that seems geekier than they are. Although a cyclist vs. computer nerd battle probably won’t do much for the TV ratings on Versus, unless they throw both groups into the ring of a Pro Bull Riding contest as replacement rodeo clowns.
New RadioShack team manager Napolean Dynamite takes team motopacing
No official word about long time team manager Johann Brunyel following Lance Armstrong to the new Team Radio Shack. If for some reason, Johan decides he’s too Euro-cool for the Radio Shack gig, our vote for Radio Shack team manager, in case Lance Armstrong gives up a call to ask our opinion, goes to Napolean Dynamite. He’s got the cycling background based on this photo.
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superb article . Will definitely copy it to my blog.Thanks.