A year after Lance Armstrong stepped down from professional cyclings throne, a new team concept has emerged.

Instead of raising the individual to the highest level of perfection, Sean Tucker, owner of Toyota-United Pro Cycling Team LLC, wants to raise the fans to team status. Hes also attracting elite riders to form a winning team.

Tucker has developed a unique business model to make his team sustainable, which includes fan memberships, merchandise sales and sponsorships.

Hes looking to grow the sport of team cycling to a higher level in the United States.

In town for the Cascade Cycling Classic, the 38-year-old entrepreneur and part-time resident of Bend first dreamed of owning a cycling team during his own professional cycling career in the 1990s, but he lacked the money.

He garnered the necessary seed money to invest in Toyota-United through some fortunate real estate and stock investments as well as work-related earnings.

He also thought of hundreds of ideas to attract fans to the team, he said.

Worldwide, cycling is a broken business model, he said. Sponsors are the sports only revenue sources, so the teams rarely make money.

Tucker envisioned a cycling franchise that relies upon fan memberships and merchandise sales for a majority of its revenues and boosts enthusiasm for the sport in the United States.

We want to build a sports franchise that doesnt rely on one sponsor, he said. The fan-club concept is used in other sports and its more sustainable than the one used currently in cycling.

Unlike most sports, Tucker explained, cycling does not have a stadium to use as a revenue source and relies upon single sponsors without the concessions, ticket or advertising revenue that a stadium generates.

Instead, Toyota-United has a big tent at every race where fans sign up to become members, Tucker said. Or, they can sign up online at www.toyota-united

.com.

Fans pay for different levels of membership in exchange for merchandise and a long-standing relationship with the team, Tucker said. In addition, members get access to special content on the teams Web site such as rider diaries and coaches race notes.

In other sports, fans pay money to see their teams, but cycling is free, he said. This model gives fans an opportunity to support their teams so that they can continue to enjoy the entertainment from our team. If they dont want to pay, they can also be free members, too.

Already, the club has attracted more than 12,000 members, a majority of whom have picked the free option.

But, the club also has Platinum members, who pay $5,000 and receive a limited-edition team bike, made by United Bicycles LLC, a subsidiary company owned and operated by Tucker in partnership with Easton Sports, he said.

In addition, 15 percent of annual membership dues will be donated to the United Cycling Foundation, a charity designed to raise awareness and funds for homelessness.

The team also has 10 sponsors, including Toyota Motor Sales, USA, which inked with Tucker two weeks before the team won its first competition the Tour of California in February. Toyota-United is currently neck and neck with HealthNet for first place in the National Racing Calendar standings.

Beverly Lucas, a Bend-based marketing manager for Felt Bicycles, which sponsors Colavita, a rival cycling team, predicted that Tuckers model would give more fans the opportunity to enjoy the sport.

Its fantastic, she said. Its a brand new concept that doesnt just think about the team, but the fans as well. Theyve also scored some guys that make them a great team.

Toyota-United has signed some of the sports best riders, including Ivan Dominguez, JJ Haedo and Chris Wherry to contracts, which included signing bonuses.

The bonuses became necessary because riders did not know who we were, Tucker said.

As the season has proven successful, hes working on re-signing many team members to multiyear deals.

One reason for the teams success has been a $4 million team bus outfitted with all the comforts of a high-end motor home thats logged 29,211 miles since February, he said.

The bus is for the riders to relax, but it also creates a scene around the team, he said.

Tucker hopes that increasing television exposure on cable channels such as Outdoor Life Network and ESPN will further increase awareness about American cycling and attract more fan members.

American cycling is the strongest its ever been in terms of awareness and economic potential, he said. Our goal is to become the most dominant team, have the largest fan base and develop excitement about the sport of cycling in the United States.