People tend to think of sponsors as just names and indecipherable logos that adorn a team’s kit from a distance never to be seen unless a racer has their podium photo finish.

Sponsors are a lot more than just organizations, businesses or individuals that seek to gain some sort of marketing exposure — these are people who believe in cycling, as a sport and as an endeavour that is healthy and good for a person. I truly do believe that at its essence, this is what a sponsorship is about and vice versa — the team believes in the product that they’re displaying and wearing, day in and day out.

Sure, at the Pro team level, riders and racers may not care as much about who the sponsors are as opposed to a monetary value but there are plenty of domestic teams who are backed by people who think gosh, cycling is good.

At the end of 2006, I helped start a small cycling team alongside some of the best people one could ask for. They know who they are. Together, we ventured forth and garnered sponsors — local small businesses whose product we liked and thought might be interested in sponsoring a small local cycling team. Surprisingly, we found that most, if not all, were amenable and signed on. It’s a commitment that not many would back given cycling is still an odd child in the grand scheme of American sport.

The team is moving ever forward, backed by the same sponsors and with new ones for 2008. This is commitment.

A dear comrade, Mr. Ben Popper, who races for HRS-Rock Lobster, recently posted a photo of a care package that Paul Sadoff, owner and operator of Rock Lobster sent him. It’s from a new sponsor, Bob’s Red Mill (whose products are ace). Of the photo, Mr. Jonathan Fairman — whose attitude I’m fond of — racer and co-operator of Courage, posted the following:

I love to see companies like Bob’s Red Mill get involved in cycling. We should all make note of such a commitment to our sport when we make purchasing decision. Also, never be afraid to contact a company and thank them for supporting cycling. Between the economy and the general public’s take on the state of cycling it is not an easy to bring in outside sponsors. Eat up!

This is what we’re talking about when we talk about sponsorship.