Tweet
T-Mobile ends cycling sponsorship
T-Mobile has been sponsoring cycling since 1991
T-Mobile is to end sponsorship of its cycling team after a succession of doping scandals. Britons Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins now look set to ride for the rebranded Team High Road.
"We came to this decision to separate our brand from further exposure from doping in sport," said T-Mobile chief executive Hamid Akhavan.
Less than two weeks ago, T-Mobile rider Patrik Sinkewitz was given a one-year ban for taking illegal substances.
In June, several former T-Mobile riders, including Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis, admitted past doping.
Deutsche Telekom, the German telecommunications giant and umbrella company for mobile phone division T-Mobile, had been sponsoring cycling since 1991.
It signed a new deal - supposed to run until 2010 - after this year's Tour but will now negotiate a separation.
606: DEBATE
Have your say on the latest blow for cycling
Stapleton, the team's American manager, was brought on board earlier this season in a bid to rebuild the team from scratch, with emphasis on a zero tolerance anti-doping culture.
He will continue at the helm of Team High Road and said: "We hope to go forward independently with the team to achieve our goals of continued competitive success and being a leader in anti-doping efforts in professional cycling."
The Discovery team of Tour de France winner Alberto Contador disbanded in August after failing to find new sponsorship.
Cavendish and Wiggins both revealed recently that they would miss next year's Tour to concentrate on the 2008 Olympics but the news will still hit their preparations.
Wiggins and his former team Cofidis were thrown out of the Tour last year after one of the team, Italy's Cristian Moreni, failed a drugs test.
T-Mobile has been sponsoring cycling since 1991T-Mobile is to end sponsorship of its cycling team after a succession of doping scandals. Britons Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins now look set to ride for the rebranded Team High Road.
"We came to this decision to separate our brand from further exposure from doping in sport," said T-Mobile chief executive Hamid Akhavan.
Less than two weeks ago, T-Mobile rider Patrik Sinkewitz was given a one-year ban for taking illegal substances.
In June, several former T-Mobile riders, including Tour de France winner Bjarne Riis, admitted past doping.
Deutsche Telekom, the German telecommunications giant and umbrella company for mobile phone division T-Mobile, had been sponsoring cycling since 1991.
It signed a new deal - supposed to run until 2010 - after this year's Tour but will now negotiate a separation.
606: DEBATE Have your say on the latest blow for cycling
Stapleton, the team's American manager, was brought on board earlier this season in a bid to rebuild the team from scratch, with emphasis on a zero tolerance anti-doping culture.
He will continue at the helm of Team High Road and said: "We hope to go forward independently with the team to achieve our goals of continued competitive success and being a leader in anti-doping efforts in professional cycling."
The Discovery team of Tour de France winner Alberto Contador disbanded in August after failing to find new sponsorship.
Cavendish and Wiggins both revealed recently that they would miss next year's Tour to concentrate on the 2008 Olympics but the news will still hit their preparations.
Wiggins and his former team Cofidis were thrown out of the Tour last year after one of the team, Italy's Cristian Moreni, failed a drugs test.