Sponsor Saxo Bank continues to support Bjarne Riis' team after the exit of Contador
A sigh of relief for Bjarne Riis as his team’s main sponsor, Saxo Bank, has opted to continue its support for the team even after the departure of Alberto Contador.
The Danish team was devastated after CAS made its decision against the Spaniard and handed him a two-year ban.
Moreover, he was also stripped off his victories, including the Tour de France 2010 and the Giro d’ Italia 2011.
Contador’s exit from the side means all the points he earned during the season will also be void.
He contributed as many as 68 percent of the total points which helped the Danish team in securing the World Tour license.
As per the section 2.15.040.2 of the UCI, any professional team’s license can be reviewed and can also be revoked considering the pre-defined principles.
It states, "If the information taken into account in granting the licence or the registration of the UCI ProTeam has changed such that the issue conditions are no longer fulfilled”.
“Or the commission considers that the new situation does not justify the issue of a licence or registration," it continues.
Alberto’s suspension also prevents him from riding the major events for the season ahead, including the Tour de France, Giro d’ Italia and the 2012 Olympic Games.
The cyclist can, however, participate in his home Grand Tour, Vuelta a Espana 2012 in the coming season.
The latest news from Saxo Bank will really ease a lot of pressure off Bjarne Riis’ shoulders and the sponsor is willing to pay almost 8 to 9.4 million Euros annually.
However, it is not certain how much amount Riis will have to bear after Contador’s departure.
Saxo Bank Director Lars Seier Christensen briefed that everyone is frustrated on the sad news and also denied any wrongdoing by the cyclist.
He told sporten.tv2.dk, “But such is the system, and we must look ahead and there'll be winning races anyway. We will not comment on the detailed conditions in our contract”.
Saxo Bank is supporting the team since 2008 and signed a three years contract till 2010. The bank extended its support through 2011 and is keen to continue with the team through the 2012 season.
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