2) Leave your Ego at the Door:

                This should be a no brainer; sponsors want you to come through for them. They want you to say you're going to do something and then work as hard as you absolutely can to do it. If you fail to achieve what you set out to achieve but still gave it your all, then most will forgive it. Laziness, however, and flakiness, are generally looked upon as deal breakers.

                The feeling I got from many of the team managers I spoke to is there is a feeling of entitlement among many younger riders. These managers, mostly former racers themselves who have grown up and gone through all of the challenges that these young guns will face, and did so without the glitz and glamour, usually respond with a "Work first, ask later" attitude. Lee Fryberger, Corner Grass Race Team manager, put it succinctly: "Work hard and present yourself and the sport positively. If you do that well, you won't have to come to me and tell me how good you are, I will have already seen it myself. I don't have time for a rider who needs to be baby sat, or is going to act immature; it isn't good for the team or the sponsors, regardless how well he does."

                "It's hard for many riders to accept, but there will always be more riders than there are sponsored rides," says Hudgins.

                "I don't have time for the rock stars and the princesses," says Eight-0-One captain and manager Guy Giroux. "I've been around a long time, I know how important presenting a good image is."