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The German public has had a frosty relationship with professional cycling since the numerous doping scandals of the early 2000s.
In a sport seeking to extend its attractiveness to potential sponsors, re-engaging the hearts and minds of Europe’s strongest economy could go a long way.
Announced during the first rest day of the 2014 Tour de France, cycling will once again have a German-sponsored team in the professional ranks from 2015. Cooktop company Bora are taking over as principle sponsors of Pro-Continental team NetApp-Endura.
With sponsorship of the team currently guaranteed for five years, will this be the first step on cycling’s road to reconciliation with mainstream Germany?
It has been four long years since Germany’s last professional cycling team, sponsored by Milram, folded back in 2010. With sponsorship dollars proving hard to come by for small continental teams and the few professional races that survived the backlash of the early 2000s, the success of German’s elite men in some of cycling’s most prestigious races has slowly opened up a small window of opportunity for the sport to regain a foothold.
The announcement of Bora’s commitment to sponsoring the team through to at least 2019 fortuitously comes at a time when even German television is slowly reconsidering its stance on broadcasting cycling live.
Recently not even the Tour de France has been able to penetrate the airwaves of German television, but the recent successes of a new cleaner generation, headed by Marcel Kittel, appears to be winning back hearts and minds.
Compared to the recent news surrounding Bora’s sponsorship, Team Stölting’s ambition to upgrade from Continental to Pro-Continental for the 2015 season and beyond has flown under the radar. However, the small German Continental team could be a revelation next year, with 20-year-old Silvio Herklotz potentially Germany’s long-awaited ‘next big thing’ for the general classification in major stage races.
After years of dismissal by the German people, despite the exploits of Tony Martin, John Degenkolb and Kittel, it would be monumental to see two German sponsored teams back in the professional ranks, and the slow reintroduction of live TV coverage.
However, the road to German reconciliation will require virtue and diligence, with Bora reportedly contractually allowed to withdraw their sponsorship in the event of the team being involved in a doping scandal.
There will probably be setbacks along the way, but we could eventually see a German team in the World Tour, with Team Bora shooting for 2017.
Eventually, after years without a visit, let alone a prestigious Grand Départ, maybe soon we will once again see the Tour de France visit German soil.
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