beatlemethisbeatlemethat
Jan 26, 2001, 11:16 PM
A team of vegetarian cyclists that raced professionally under the banner of Linda McCartney Foods has collapsed after its sponsorship was pulled by Sir Paul McCartney.
The all-vegetarian squad was "dissolved" by its founder, Julian Clark, 48 hours before the team's 2001 launch and a week before Mr Clark is due to face deception charges.
A Kent police spokesman confirmed yesterday that Mr Clark is set to appear at Maidstone Crown Court next Friday on seven counts "of a sporting nature stretching back over two years".
In a message on a cycling website, Mr Clark blamed sponsors, ill health and personal debt for his decision, which has left some 40 people without jobs.
Team manager Sean Yates and rider Max Sciandri, who have been winners in the Tour de France, met with McCartney Food representatives this week after the team heard that there were no funds for the new season. "We were told by Tim Treharne, Sir Paul's representative, that Sir Paul has called it a day," Mr Sciandri said yesterday of the meeting where Treharne phoned the former Beatle to see if he would reconsider.
Riders from 10 countries arrived for today's London presentation of the team to discover there were no funds for an ambitious season in Europe. Yesterday they were paying their own airfares home. In his website message, Clark said it was with great regret that he was forced to dissolve the team.
"This action has been caused by the decision not to support the team from one of this season's sponsors and by the low level of support by the team's main named sponsor. Not, as wrongly assumed,by the disappearance of funds," it said. "We have struggled to keep this team together for so long now, but due to ill health and the personal debts we have accrued we cannot continue supporting a sponsor that is not prepared to support the team with the level of investment it requires."
Linda McCartney Foods ended a three-year sponsorship last year but agreed to allow the team to carry their name and logo to help attract sponsorship. The backing announced this year from Australian wine producers Jacob's Creek was confined to racing appearances in Australia.
A premature announcement that Jaguar Cars would be a sponsor was refuted by Jaguar UK, and hundreds of items of racing clothing had to be scrapped because they bore the car company's logo.
A forlorn appeal for sponsorship was made by Olympic bronze medallist Sciandri before he returned to his family in Italy. "The team is ready to race. We are just waiting for a miracle, but it's almost impossible," he said.
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Peace, Love, and Beatles,
Stefanie
Beatle Me This, Beatle Me That (http://beatlemethisbeatlemethat.virtualave.net/)
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"After all is said and done, you can't go pleasing everyone, so screw it"
--John Lennon
The all-vegetarian squad was "dissolved" by its founder, Julian Clark, 48 hours before the team's 2001 launch and a week before Mr Clark is due to face deception charges.
A Kent police spokesman confirmed yesterday that Mr Clark is set to appear at Maidstone Crown Court next Friday on seven counts "of a sporting nature stretching back over two years".
In a message on a cycling website, Mr Clark blamed sponsors, ill health and personal debt for his decision, which has left some 40 people without jobs.
Team manager Sean Yates and rider Max Sciandri, who have been winners in the Tour de France, met with McCartney Food representatives this week after the team heard that there were no funds for the new season. "We were told by Tim Treharne, Sir Paul's representative, that Sir Paul has called it a day," Mr Sciandri said yesterday of the meeting where Treharne phoned the former Beatle to see if he would reconsider.
Riders from 10 countries arrived for today's London presentation of the team to discover there were no funds for an ambitious season in Europe. Yesterday they were paying their own airfares home. In his website message, Clark said it was with great regret that he was forced to dissolve the team.
"This action has been caused by the decision not to support the team from one of this season's sponsors and by the low level of support by the team's main named sponsor. Not, as wrongly assumed,by the disappearance of funds," it said. "We have struggled to keep this team together for so long now, but due to ill health and the personal debts we have accrued we cannot continue supporting a sponsor that is not prepared to support the team with the level of investment it requires."
Linda McCartney Foods ended a three-year sponsorship last year but agreed to allow the team to carry their name and logo to help attract sponsorship. The backing announced this year from Australian wine producers Jacob's Creek was confined to racing appearances in Australia.
A premature announcement that Jaguar Cars would be a sponsor was refuted by Jaguar UK, and hundreds of items of racing clothing had to be scrapped because they bore the car company's logo.
A forlorn appeal for sponsorship was made by Olympic bronze medallist Sciandri before he returned to his family in Italy. "The team is ready to race. We are just waiting for a miracle, but it's almost impossible," he said.
------------------
Peace, Love, and Beatles,
Stefanie
Beatle Me This, Beatle Me That (http://beatlemethisbeatlemethat.virtualave.net/)
//0-0\\//0-0\\//0-0\\
"After all is said and done, you can't go pleasing everyone, so screw it"
--John Lennon