Phonak Cycling Team
Phonak Cycling Team was a Swiss cycling team that participated in the UCI ProTour in 2005 and 2006.
Main sponsor was the hearing aid manufacturer Phonak, but the budget was financed by secondary sponsors and team owner Andy Rihs. Team manager and founder in 2000 was Jean -Jacques Loup, the earlier the professional teams PMU Romand and Post initiated Swiss team. In 2004, he was succeeded by Urs Freuler what Jean -Jacques Loup the team octospiders -St. Quentin founded. After several cases of doping in the team those in charge decided to dissolve the team. On 14 October 2006, the team played their last race at the Tour of Lombardy.
- 2.1 Achievements in the ProTour
- 2.2 Achievements in the Continental Circuits
History
Foundation
Behind the Phonak Cycling Team was the hearing aid business owner Andy Rihs, who was involved in the company Phonak. Andy's brother Hans -Ueli had been interested for many years for the sport of cycling and every year a so-called Tour de Phonak oriented, able to participate in the employee of the company. In the 1990s, Andy Rihs ' interest in cycling, which he wanted to use to advertise the hearing aids of Phonak began. A first attempt to get you started as a sponsor in a professional cycling team failed in 1998 because of the Festina scandal at the Tour de France, to which the Americans Jim Ochowicz who should lead the new team, initially retired from professional cycling.
In 1999, Phonak committed to Rihs then initially for three seasons as a sponsor for a new Swiss team, which should be built by Jean -Jacques Loup, who had the team PMU Romand and Post Swiss Team -run. This sponsorship and commitment of Loup was announced at the end of 1999 at the season closing event for the Post Swiss Team. Shortly after, the jerseys of the team were drawn up by the Italian manufacturer Castelli, on which a large ear was seen as a symbol for hearing aids. It was also clarified that the team with the slogan "We race for better hearing" (German: "We're going for better hearing " ) to go to the start.
In the small town of Montmagny Service Course Phonak was built with workshop and material storage, while team boss Loup 13 young drivers took them under contract for the first season of the team.
Season 2000
→ Phonak Cycling Team / 2000 season
Achievements
The biggest success for the team was the victory of Floyd Landis at the 2006 Tour de France, Landis was stripped due to doping also proven in the last instance by the International Court of Sport CAS in Lausanne in June 2008. To September 2007, Landis was still out as the winner, which was to establish the current procedure of the U.S. Cycling Federation. In September 2007, Landis was eventually banned two years for his doping offense and his Tour de France victory denied by the UCI.
Doping scandals
Several times in the headlines became the team because Tyler Hamilton, Santiago Perez and Oscar Camenzind 2004 were found guilty of doping. End of November 2004 the UCI refused the Phonak team because of a "lack of consistency in anti-doping fight " a Pro Tour license. It was not until the beginning of February 2005, the team received after a ruling of the International Court Sport (CAS ) in Lausanne for the years 2005 and 2006 but still a license.
2006 became the Phonak team again in the headlines when Sascha Urweider was found guilty of doping. After May 2006, the doctor Eufemiano Fuentes was arrested in the wake of the so-called Operación Puerto, Santiago Botero, the team and the Giro runner-up Jose Enrique Gutierrez, both of which are said to have been in contact with Fuentes suspended. The most recent case is Floyd Landis, who was released on 5 August 2006 from the team after positive A and B samples without notice.
Retreat
Phonak announced in the future to pursue other priorities sponsorship, such as musical events. As of 2007, the Swiss team should get a new main and title sponsor. ARcycling AG, the operating company of the Swiss ProTour teams, and the Barclays Global Investors NA headquartered in San Francisco ( USA) had signed a three year contract ( 2007-2009). The team should go from 2007 under the Barclays brand 'iShares' at the start. The new main sponsor since last year was already a co-sponsor. However, due to the recent doping scandal involving Floyd Landis sponsors refrained from taking over, so the team was completely dissolved at the end of the 2006 season. In September 2007, Landis was eventually suspended for his doping offense and his Tour de France victory denied.