Reuters is running a story today about a supposed “Landis effect” on race sponsors. In this particular story, the promoters of a one-day race in Zürich, Switzerland have had to cancel this year’s event, due to an inability to find a title sponsor. The article says:
Organizers of Zürich’s traditional one-day cycling race say they have been forced to cancel this year’s events, partly as a result of the doping scandal involving American rider Floyd Landis.
In a statement released on their Web site on Friday, the Zürich’s cyclists’ association said it had been unable to find a main sponsor for the race, with Landis’ positive doping test following his 2006 Tour de France win apparently hindering progress.
According to the statement, the organizers had been close to securing a sponsorship deal last summer with “a well-known Swiss company” but the company in question pulled out following the news of Landis’ test.
Apparently, the companies they’ve approached have never heard (or don’t believe) the saying, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity.” Sponsors of cycling races are a notoriously nervous bunch, and the slightest whiff of the stench of a scandal will send the more squeamish among them running for the hills. The last few years have seemed like a non-stop parade of doping scandals in cycling, with the Floyd Landis case being just one in the series.
Granted, a scandal involving the Tour de France winner is likely to be a prominent one, but what of Operation Puerto, which has tainted more riders, including a few big names, like Jan Ullrich and Ivan Basso? Whether the accusations against any of these riders are true, the taint of scandal affected the riders, and the sponsors of their teams. But, of course, no specific races were adversely affected by Operation Puerto, unless you count the contenders who couldn’t take place in the 2006 Tour, and the riders who were left twisting in the wind while unable to compete the rest of the season.
No riders were accused of doping in specific races, yet, due to the Operation Puerto investigation. Many events have not yet been tainted by the Operation Puerto scandal. But sponsors don’t make decisions in a vacuum, and they don’t do so based on the alleged behavior of one individual in one specific race. The sponsorship equation is much more complicated than that.
Sponsors will, however, cite examples like the Landis case in order to justify their actions — whether that’s dropping their commitment to a team (causing the folding of Phonak, for example), or their commitment to a race. It’s easy to pin the blame on someone else. It’s much harder to accept responsibility for one’s own actions. So let’s be clear about this: The Zürich race isn’t being canceled because of anything Floyd Landis did. Pinning that on Floyd is a bum rap that further sullies his name.
No, the Zürich race has been canceled due to the Nervous Sponsor Effect. They’re too afraid a scandal would fling some mud on their precious name to put up the money for the event.
This should more accurately be called the WADA effect. First, had WADA acted ethically, we would still not know that Floyd’s stage 17 test was positive. Second, we are seeing the mess that the WADA case is and how even a potentially innocent athlete can get smeared in the process. Add to this the fact that UCI isn’t standing up for their sport (and might be a part of the problem). Why would any sponsor want to be associated with that?
MyTooSense,
You’re right, of course, that WADA and UCI share a whole chunk of responsibility for the current situation. It is amazing that sponsors shell out their cash to support a sport that is so constantly under attack. Good thing they all haven’t run for the hills — yet.
Rant:
Whatever evils one thinks Landis might have comitted by doping (assuming he did), the fact that it was leaked to the media immediately, and Pound is making “god dam Harley” and “nazi frogman” statements has made it far far worse for the sport. See the list of winner of the 2006 tour, ask anyone employed by Phonak team, ask Bill Stapleton at tailwond who is looking for a new sponsor, ask Zurich GP. WADA was suppose to protect the intgrity of the sports, not ruin sponsors and races that had nothing to do with doping. Had WADA/LNDD followed the rules and kept this quiet for months as it was adjudicated behind the scenes, the sport would have been much better off.
Maybe WADA and LNDD are finally getting it which is why we have had no media leaks about the b-samples.
ORG:
“…no media leaks about the b-samples.”? I guess you spoke too soon.
WADA and LNDD don’t and won’t get it. If they lose, they lose all credibility. They are in the fight for their lives and you know the cliche about cornered animals.