Save Argyle Campaign

1bryan

Surprised this hasn't been mentioned here yet. I registered interest in participating in the crowdfund (as I'm sure others here have). This mail came from Vaughters overnight;

Hi Bryan,

The #SaveArgyle crowdfunding campaign went live this morning along with a commitment from the Fairly Group to match donations up to $2 million.

They, like I, have been humbled and inspired by the show of support from Slipstream Sports fans in the wake of our truly disappointing news. Their matching offer, if successful, would provide us with $4 million of the $7 million we need to race in 2018.

We are grateful for your donation commitment to our crowdfunding efforts, and I’m reaching out to you now to ask you to follow through on that commitment here: #SaveArgyle

In total, nearly 6000 people have pledged to donate nearly $800,000. It was this response that gave us faith that the #SaveArgyle campaign would be successful. Thank you.

The crowdfunding campaign serves a dual purpose. We’re not only looking to bring in the funds necessary to keep this team alive but also to demonstrate to another sponsor that we have the most engaged and invested fans in the business.

Here are a few more ways you can help us:

If you have a lead for corporate financial support, please email directly (j.vaughters@slipstreamsports.com)
Make noise about the #SaveArgyle campaign on social media
Follow and thank our friends at Fairly Group (Twitter: @Fairly_Group || Instagram: @FairlyGroup) for their matching donations to the #SaveArgyle campaign

-JV

I have mixed feelings about this. Apparently they had a sponsor lined up but it fell through at the 11th hour. Apparently that sponsor was Unibet, which is very surprising given what happened the last time they sponsored a team. I'm curious to know why it fell through (according to Vaughters the talks were far enough advanced that they were talking about what the team buses would look like). Vaughters strikes me as a difficult individual and that has me wondering if it fell through because of his stubborness.

Weighing up the pros and cons of contributing. The pros, as I see them, are;
- worldtour team may not fold. Riders, support staff, etc keep their jobs.
- our national champion, Ryan Mullen, is part of that team.
- Dan Martin started professional life at that team
- despite the misgivings of others, their results suggest they are genuine in their efforts to be a clean team. That sends a badly needed message for the sport.
- potential for future, supporter driven, teams.
- Vaughters, condundrum that he is.

Cons;
- Vaughters (see above)
- the team seemed to act as a bit of a haven for ex-discovery/USPS riders for a while (Danielson, etc)
- crowdfunding a team at this level seems a bit anathema. Would be better to crowdfund a smaller project (ie: the cliff pratt team in last year's Ras na mBan), or just buying something on the Aquablue site with your $50 or $100.


Personally I'm leaning towards throwing them $100, mostly because of Ryan Mullen and my other favourite current rider, Toms Skujns.

At the time of posting they're at around $227k. I wouldn't be optimisting they'll hit their goal of 10 times that amount.

rtmie

It was mentioned on cycling transfers thread.

It is a non typical use of crowd funding. Normally that's for once off investment in say a product. Team running cost and hence sponsorship is a repeating requirement year by year.

While crowd funding may get them out of a hole this year, but like you I think it is ambitious target, they won't be able to go back to that well next year.

1bryan

now I'm thinking I'd rather crowdfund a new AquaBlue bus

Keeks

1bryan wrote: »

- our national champion, Ryan Mullen, is part of that team.

Mullen was rumored to be leaving the team even before this issue was announced.....

Macy0161

Kinda torn on this one. I definitely think that Vaughters/ Slipstream has been good for cycling. Notwithstanding what we've later found out about TUE's in Sky, I always preferred the slipstream approach to that of Sky when it came to ex-dopers.

However, Vaughters has spent the last number of years highlighting how there isn't a return for investors, and the flawed business model, so I do feel his continual sponsorship issues to be a bit of a self-fulfilling prophecy to be honest. It can't be a shock that if you always talk down the finances that you'll struggle for sponsorship? Not that what he's arguing is necessarily untrue, just doesn't make sense to be doing it while you are out there trying to get people on board. And basically spamming twitter and email for leads is hardly professional either!

1bryan

Keeks wrote: »

Mullen was rumored to be leaving the team even before this issue was announced.....

he hasn't mentioned anything on social media about the troubles in the team, has he? Maybe he's not the type to want to use his social media for those reasons, but his leaving would definitely influence my decision.

Does anyone know if David Millar is still associated with this team? I know he was part owner in their Garmin-Slipstream days. I presume he drifted off after. I'd be inclined to keep away from anything to do with him.

Keeks

1bryan wrote: »

he hasn't mentioned anything on social media about the troubles in the team, has he? Maybe he's not the type to want to use his social media for those reasons, but his leaving would definitely influence my decision.

He is out of contract at the end of the season and no mention of there was no mention of him re-signing......that's enough to get rumors going

terrydel

Akin to begging is all this is imho.
Its a business, if they cant make it work, tough. I wont be bailing them out.

terrydel

1bryan wrote: »

he hasn't mentioned anything on social media about the troubles in the team, has he? Maybe he's not the type to want to use his social media for those reasons, but his leaving would definitely influence my decision.

Does anyone know if David Millar is still associated with this team? I know he was part owner in their Garmin-Slipstream days. I presume he drifted off after. I'd be inclined to keep away from anything to do with him.

Has he still got his absurdly pretentious clothing line going?
The videos online for that beggar belief.

neris

https://twitter.com/larrywarbasse/status/902982908666896384

rtmie

neris wrote: »

https://twitter.com/larrywarbasse/status/902982908666896384

Ha, excellent and catty! That is for sure what my kids would call "a burn"

rtmie

JV promising news soon:
https://twitter.com/Vaughters/status/903386038646820865

Macy0161

rtmie wrote: »

JV promising news soon:

Wouldn't (uni)bet on it...

Mefistofelino

Either he's just sold the team bus to AquaBlue or he's received an unsolicited email from "sonyericsson@hotmail.com" promising untold funding.

brocbrocach

1bryan wrote: »

Does anyone know if David Millar is still associated with this team? I know he was part owner in their Garmin-Slipstream days. I presume he drifted off after. I'd be inclined to keep away from anything to do with him.

Millar is gone gone gone. Supposedly being part-owner involved having 0.1 of a share or something! He got peed off when he wasn't picked on the Tour team in his "farewell year". He had the shoes custom made for it and all so wasn't a happy bunny when he was unceremoniously passed over!

In some ways I have a contempt for the team and the the culture that MBA Vaughters represents but I wouldn't like to see them go under either. I'd be happy to see them keep going.

terrydel

brocbrocach wrote: »

Millar is gone gone gone. Supposedly being part-owner involved having 0.1 of a share or something! He got peed off when he wasn't picked on the Tour team in his "farewell year". He had the shoes custom made for it and all so wasn't a happy bunny when he was unceremoniously passed over!

In some ways I have a contempt for the team and the the culture that MBA Vaughters represents but I wouldn't like to see them go under either. I'd be happy to see them keep going.

Jesus, Millar is so far up his own arse he practically invented the scourge of cycling pretentiousness.

CramCycle

The only good news they could come out with is if the majority, if not all staff and riders, got picked up by various other teams (or got employment elsewhere). It is a sad thing but relying on crowdfunding , it is unlikely they will pick up a heavyweight sponsor to cover all their needs for the future, so are just kicking the can down the road. I could be wrong.

1bryan

6 days left and only a quarter ways towards the target.

doesn't look like they'll get within an asses roar of it.

Macy0161

1bryan wrote: »

6 days left and only a quarter ways towards the target.

doesn't look like they'll get within an asses roar of it.

It was never realistic was it? At best it was going to be used for marketing the team to sponsors - "look, we have x number of supporters willing to put up money to save the team".

Keeks

why would you support this....you need to pledge at least $1000 to get a jersey, any less and all you get is access to a members area of a website

cunavalos

And even if they were to find the money, i presume it may be too late for some of the riders leaving them with a depleted squad for next year, which would only delay the inevitable folding of the team next year or the following year.
Talansky has even announced his retirement at 28 to focus on his family and new career.



To be honest i don't see many of the Pro Continental teams being in a rush to replace Cannondale in the World Tour due to the increase in budget required. The French teams are probably best placed but they are happy for a TdF/ Paris Nice or Dauphine wildcard plus the Coup de France races

brocbrocach

Lose a Talanskey and a Uran and maybe a Rolland and there's your shortfall right there.
They can keep going without their star names, hope to nick a few surprise results with their young talent, and who knows if another sponsor is found over the course of a year. Deadly Doug might even fork over a million for old times sake when all other avenues are exhausted.

1bryan

Keeks wrote: »

why would you support this....you need to pledge at least $1000 to get a jersey, any less and all you get is access to a members area of a website

only $50 for a mug.

and you'd want to be a mug to pay that much for one

TheBlaaMan

http://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/3406/cannondale-drapac-owner-slipstream-sports-reportedly-saved-by-mystery-new-sponsor

Keeks

TheBlaaMan wrote: »

http://www.cyclist.co.uk/news/3406/cannondale-drapac-owner-slipstream-sports-reportedly-saved-by-mystery-new-sponsor

One stream of revenue that Slipstream explored was crowdfunding. With the Fairly Group promising to match donations up to $2 million, current backing stood at $2.4 million after just one week.

Eh?

Cycling news reporting they are enforcing 2018 contracts

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/report-cannondale-drapac-tells-riders-it-will-enforce-2018-contracts/

“As of right now, I am informing you that if you have a contract with Slipstream Sports for 2018, we are enforcing your contract. More to come,” Vaughters said in the email, according to VeloNews

neris

https://twitter.com/Ride_Argyle/status/906157969829711872

neris

New sponsor EF education. Good to see they got a sponsor on board and will be around next year


http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/ef-education-first-revealed-as-cannondale-drapacs-new-title-sponsor-for-2018/

Not just a sponsor , looking to become owners so things are looking a lot more secure for them now.

1bryan

Ryan Mullen signs for Trek. I think most expected he'd leave Cannondale. He just confirmed it there now.

CramCycle

Is it possible to enforce the contracts if they told them they were free to look around only a short time ago?