grouhds
-that.
Eny station signing
uP for
the combined
MotoGP/Fl
rights
pack-
age
could
be specifically forbidden
from
giving extra aiftime to a
rival bike series
- especially
one so evidently
successful
as
the
revitalized
World
Superbike
Championship?
The
cVC takeover of
Formula One
leaves
Ecclestone with even
more
money
in
his pockets while still
wieldin8
huSe
inflirence.
Although CVC
has the m4ority
stake
and- controlling
interest in
AlPha
Prema,'it
is Eacles(one's
expertise
that
:
they
have bdu8ht
into
-
iust
as they
did
'with
Ezpeleta
qnd
D9r.na
In the sPortins
context,
CVC might be
!.een as
enlight-
ened
asset-strippers; since,
like the
banks
that
previousy
held control
of
both car and
bike racing, they
have no emotional
ties to
the sport. But
the British
finan.iers do
understand
its value and
potential for
growth, and through
Dorm,
they rebrand-
ed the 500cc
Wodd ChampionshiP
in
2002, tuming
MotoGP
into a su.cessrul
product.
Their
involvement
has been lo\iv_
key but has enabled
the
FIM series to do
very well in terms
of
its financial develoP-
ment. CVC obviously
plans to do the same
thing with
Formula One.
But Cy'C's
acquisition
of F I
,
alongside
iB
ongoing
irwestrnent
in Doana, begs the
question of whether
they'll hold on to
dle
af
lzl
L
E
ilItY
m
if.x
I
o
o
o
P
o
Altadis
vs.
Yamaha:
Update
There
is no schedule
for resolution
of the
dispute betvveen
Gauloises
owners
Ahadis
and Yamaha concerninS
sPonsorshiP of
Valentino Rossi
and
the
factoD/ lYotoGP team,
and it
could take a
year or more
to
resolve.
according
to Danny
Hindenoch
of Altadas
Altadis
had a con(ract
with Yamaha
for 2006, but
things started
to
go
wront
midway through
last
).ear,
when it emerSed
that
Rossi
wanted
to ride in an
independent
team, without ciSarette
sPonsor-
ship.
lt was resolved
with a
major uPset, when
Altadis
walked away
from Yamaha
- taking
also its
Fortuna sPonsorshiP
for the
second
Yamaha
team
-
and Camel
stepped
in to fill the
gaP.
This
not only
left
Rossi still advertisjng
citarettes, but also
meant
that Honda
volenlino Ro55i
team owner Sito
Pons
quit MotoGP after losing
the Camel
backinS
to Yamaha.
"The
matler
is under
the arbitralion
Process
in Paris.' said
Hindenoch.
"There
are three
arbitrators, and
whatever
they decide will
be final,
There is no
+pea].
I don't know
when they
will decide. lt could
take two
or three
years."
Altadis
had used
the same
process in its action
againrt Alex Barros,
who
broke his Gauloises
contract
to
ioin
Honda
from Yamaha.
The
process in that cas€
took 18 mon(hs,
and Altadis
was awarded some
$1.8
million in damages.
i\4ichoel Scott
"?Irurf;"'
-rt lt
a
j.
0.'
\
,
r. r
-'a'
rt.
.t
wurra
G
aa
CYCLE
NEWS
.
APRTL 5, 2006
I
t.
I
.l
x
I
Er
ffii
r
(Lefi)
Adom Rogo
won lhe Wo d
lndoor Triols Chompionship
ogoin.
k'
VE
(Below)
Tte rurprise
of
the indoor
seoson
wqs Toni Bou ond
his Beto.
tsot4
1l
L
*,.-.,
i:r'.{e
I
\
t.
