Tinkov

I don't know what to think of this dude, except that he has giant gonads. His marketing strategy is either insanely brilliant or insanely stupid. Either way, it's insane. By signing riders such as Danilo Hondo and Tyler Hamilton, he certainly has generated buzz and interest in his team, and thus his brand. However, is this attention the kind he wants? It's a fallacy to say that all publicity is good publicity. And when the next Puerto-style witch hunt hits cycling, I'm sure his team will be public enemy number one, given past history. Not lining up for the start of races does not make for good sponsor visibility. But then again, who the hell am I to say? I'm not the guy who became a self made multi-millionaire out of Siberia. One thing is for sure: the soap opera that is European cycling is sure to continue thanks to Oleg.