7-Eleven (cycling team)
Motorola ( 7 -Eleven until 1990 ) was an American professional cycling team
The team was founded in 1981 by Jim Ochowicz as the first professional team in the United States in cycling under the name of the former main sponsor 7 -Eleven. 1985 debuted the team with the participation in the Giro d' Italia in European cycling. With Andrew Hampsten, the team was able to win a Giro stage. A year later, the first participation of the 7-Eleven team took place in the Tour de France 1986. In the race of Canadians Alex Stieda was able to pull the first North Americans the yellow jersey, Davis Phinney became the first American to a stage of the Tour de France. The following year, 7 -Eleven achieved the greatest success with the total victory of Andrew Hampsten Giro d' Italia.
Following the departure of previous sponsors took over Motorola, a U.S. electronics company, in 1991, the sponsorship. As athletic director at that time served, inter alia, Hennie Kuiper and the five-time speed skating Olympic champion Eric Heiden.
Lance Armstrong began his professional career in 1992 at Motorola and won a year later, his first stage of the Tour de France as well as, surprisingly, the Road World Championships. In the following years, George Hincapie, Bobby Julich, Kevin Livingston and Axel Merckx were committed.
1995 accident the young Italian Fabio Casartelli, 1992 winner of the Olympic road race, due to a fall in the Tour de France fatal. At the next stage the entire Motorola team went as a sign of respect for the main field adjacent to the finish. Lance Armstrong won the Clasica San Sebastian in the autumn of the same year.
After the 1996 season ended his cycling Motorola commitment. George Hincapie then moved to the emerging American professional U.S. Postal team. Lance Armstrong and Bobby Julich switched to Équipe Cofidis.
The previous Team 7 -Eleven was inducted into the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame in 1997 as the first U.S. professional cycling team that successfully contested races in Europe.