- While we may uphold
the individual stars of our sport of cycling,
the fact is that no rider can be successful
at the top level without the support of a strong team.
In this video, we look at five teams
that have had such strength and depth
that they've helped rewrite the record books
and change the course of cycling history...
Some for better; some for worse.
Founded in 2010 with lofty ambitions of winning Grand Tours,
Team Sky have been particularly influential
in what is arguably the biggest and definitely the
most watched race in the cycling calendar,
The Tour de France.
Their first yellow jersey came in 2012
through Bradley Wiggins, and they've added four more
with Chris Froome since then.
The British squad has a big budget
and a wealth of talent to call on,
and a polarised opinion among the cycling public.
Are they revolutionising the sport or killing it?
In the early to mid 2000s, US Postal dominated
the Tour de France, and at the head of their ranks
was the infamous Lance Armstrong,
who won a record seven yellow jerseys
between 1999 and 2005.
Back when we didn't know any better,
it was plain to see that Armstrong,
as well as his team, were considerably stronger
than anyone else at the Tour.
Aided by loyal domestiques like George Hincapie,
Levi Leipheimer, and Tyler Hamilton;
however, in 2012, the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency
released the report that contained statements
from a total of 11 riders that had ridden previously
for US Postal exposing the details
of what they called, "the most sophisticated,
professional, and successful doping programme
that sport has ever seen."
The report prompted the UCI to strip Armstrong
of his seven Tour de France titles and banning him
from the sport for life leaving a permanent black mark
on cycling's record books.
The UCI's number one ranked cycling team
between 1994 and 2000, Mapei was home to some
of the greatest riders of that generation:
Johan Museeuw, Michele Bartoli, Andrea Tafi,
Franco Ballerini, Frank Vandenbroucke,
and a young Paolo Bettini.
The list goes on and on.
The team excelled in particular at the Spring Classics
with this photo from the 1996 edition
of Paris-Roubaix encapsulating Mapei's dominance
as Museeuw, Tafi, and Gianluca Bortolami swept the podium.
The team's golden era came to a close in 2003
when Mapei withdrew their sponsorship.
However, in their place stepped
former Mapei team manager Patrick Lefevere
and new sponsor Quick Step.
Despite several team name changes,
Quick Step have remained a steadfast sponsor
of one of the best teams in pro cycling
right up until the present day.
Emerging from the ashes of the T-Mobile doping scandal
of 2007, Team Highroad, as it was known back then,
acquired a sponsorship of Columbia Sportswear
and HTC Electronics, and enjoyed an incredible run
of victories at the Tour de France
with the team building their hopes around
a brash, young sprinter named Mark Cavendish.
It was between the years of 2008 and 2011 where
the Manxman won the majority of his total 30 stage wins
of the Tour de France, thanks in no small part
to their leadout train including Bernie Eisel
and Cav's right-hand man, Mark Renshaw.
Their tactics were used to devastating effect
in the bunch sprints,
and we'll always remember that win
on the Champs-Élysées in 2009
where both Cavendish and Renshaw had time
to raise their arms in celebration
with the rest of the pack trailing in their wake.
Despite winning an incredible 49 Grand Tour stages
in just four seasons, team owner Bob Stapleton
had to disband the franchise having been unable
to secure a new sponsorship.
An abrupt end, indeed.
But don't feel too sorry for the HTC alumni.
The likes of Cavendish, John Degenkolb,
André Greipel, and Tony Martin have all gone on
to enjoy pretty successful careers since then.
Under the leadership of former rider Cyrille Guimard,
Renault Gitane, then after the Renault-Elf,
were a very big deal in the late 70s and early 80s.
A thoroughly French team with
a very strong star rider, Bernard Hinault.
In an era when there wasn't really
such a thing as Grand Tour specialists,
Le Blaireau not only won
five editions of the Tour de France,
two editions of the Giro d'Italia,
and two editions of the Vuelta a España with Renault,
he also added a tour of Lombardi,
a Liège-Bastogne-Liège,
and two Paris-Roubaix wins as well.
However, we must mention that Renault also housed
an impressive set of young riders
who went on to big things in the sport.
Future sport director Jean-René Bernaudeau
and Marc Madiot spent their formative years with the team.
So, too, did Charly Mottet, Laurent Fignon, and Greg LeMond.
Renault retired from pro cycling sponsorship in 1985,
but Cyrille Guimard's team lived on
under the guises of Systeme U until 1990
and Castorama until 1995.
There you go.
Five teams who, in their own unique ways,
helped shaped the course of cycling history.
Can you name any others that have made a similar impact?
Let us know in the comments down below.
(electronic music)