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2010 Vuelta a España wildcards

Page 5 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Oct 6, 2009
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BroDeal said:
Kloden does not deserve any sympathy. He sold out, and he knows it.

The young riders got screwed, but their managers should have known that they were signing on to an Armstrong vanity project. Maybe they did not realize to what ridiculous extremes it would be taken, i.e. Brakjovic wins the Dauphine and he may not get a Tour slot. Poor Fumi Beppu bought out his Skil cotnract to join RS, probably thinking that he would get a chance to increase his stature in Japan by finishing the Giro or Vuelta; talk about screwed.

Remember Popo's interview where he talked about (1) Lance probably retiring after the Tour and not knowing whether the sponsor would still be around, and (2) going to races and having no strategy given to the team by the DS - no plan in place, just ride for training because this race doesn't matter.

Popo's interview took place before the Landis allegations came to light. If they knew then that LA was going to retire after the Tour and the team possibly cease to exist, what must they think now?

I think Unipublic were wise not to waste a Vuelta invite on a team that may not even exist at the time of the race. Better to invite a team with more chance of being around at race time.

But I too, would've invited Vac or Skil instead of Sky.
 
Libertine Seguros said:
Yes, they could have had a very strong roster for the Vuelta. But their press posturing about California and the Tour being the only races important to them made Unipublic feel like they didn't care about the race, so Unipublic decided they'd rather have a less stellar team who wanted to be there, because wouldn't you rather have a less stellar lineup fighting it out tooth and nail than a premier league lineup rolling around not caring too much?

I'm not saying that RS would send the A squad to roll around doing nothing at the Vuelta, but they kinda owed the race at least enough respect to make the organisers feel they merited an invite, rather than just assuming they'd get one.

The only press i have read about the vuelta from any team is Caisse d’Epargne. Maybe I am missing all the good news but I truly don't see any other teams or big riders talking up the vuelta this year. It is always, well it depends if i make the TdF roster. All I am saying Radioshack is in the majority here, not the minority and at the same time they would have a much better roster than most of the teams invited.
 
offbyone said:
The only press i have read about the vuelta from any team is Caisse d’Epargne. Maybe I am missing all the good news but I truly don't see any other teams or big riders talking up the vuelta this year. It is always, well it depends if i make the TdF roster. All I am saying Radioshack is in the majority here, not the minority and at the same time they would have a much better roster than most of the teams invited.

I think you are glossing over Radio Shack's rather vocal insistence that they only two races that mattered this year were the ToC and TdF--you've not heard that from Astana or Saxo Bank (two of the teams you singled out). Couple that with the investigations swirling around the Team and its management, and you can see the logic in excluding the team.
 
Beech Mtn said:
Remember Popo's interview where he talked about (1) Lance probably retiring after the Tour and not knowing whether the sponsor would still be around, and (2) going to races and having no strategy given to the team by the DS - no plan in place, just ride for training because this race doesn't matter.

Popo's interview took place before the Landis allegations came to light. If they knew then that LA was going to retire after the Tour and the team possibly cease to exist, what must they think now?

I think Unipublic were wise not to waste a Vuelta invite on a team that may not even exist at the time of the race. Better to invite a team with more chance of being around at race time.

I remember those Popo comments. It is obvious that the team members are unhappy. They found out that they hitched their cart to a tired out horse on its way to the glue factory instead of the race track.

The way Armstrong has treated his teammates is sickening.
 
Sep 25, 2009
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i think publicus, beach mnt and brodeal nailed the issue.

the unfortunate riders who signed up with la/jb knew too well they are a a fodder for armstrong.

it's stupid to pretend they did not know they signed with the most one-sided team there is. hence they are getting their pay no matter what and should be happy.

to me, the 2 non-invites from the two major gt owners mean the shift of power. the uci and its cronies are losing it. perhaps new political post-texas reality is upon us

at luckyboy

you can find the popo comments some place in the armstrong thread. i posted it a bunch of weeks ago, then the velolive posted the full interview in English. the link is somewhere there.
 
Oct 6, 2009
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Was the Vuelta supposed to be one of the races Taylor Phinney was going to ride for RadioShack as an espoirs?
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Moose McKnuckles said:
You misunderstand. I agree that it's what RS should have done, and I'm not disagreeing that their management are self-important boors. However, all I am saying is that it's a shame that their behavior has now erased the chances of younger riders, or domestiques like Kloden, to shine. They really had nothing to do with the decision-making. They race basically where they are told. It's the management's fault, not the riders'. I'm not saying this from the point of view of the Vuelta or RS, but rather from the point of view of a cycling fan missing out on even more exciting racing.

You think they were told any different when they signed up.. they must have known what they where getting into.

Wonder how this affects Taylor Phinneys chances of progressing to the full RS this year and riding the vuelta?
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
offbyone said:
Sky Professional Cycling Team- THe biggest joke of all the teams listed. Wiggo is riding the giro and the tour. They have been targeting the TdF all year. .

Harsh.. firstly Sky have not been targetting the tour, Brad has, and sky have been for the british fans (cos its the only race half the british fans know about). To some DS's the classic campaign was far more important (sadly for them it didnt go brilliantly well, ok, but not brilliant).

I think with stage wins in paris nice, tirreno, the dauphine and the giro, along with holding the pink jersey, to say they are the biggest joke is a bit harsh..

they also did a lot of spanish backscratching earlier in the season. I dont actually see what RS have done over SKy to warrant a spot in their place. If you can put up a really good argument i would be interested, but dont just say RS could have sent a good squad.. its about a season, a teams performance, a teams attitude towards the various races etc that all adds up.

I still stand by what i said that if vaconsoliel had gone instead of sky i would have been hard pressed to find an argument against vacon being there.
 
BroDeal said:
Kloden does not deserve any sympathy. He sold out, and he knows it.

The young riders got screwed, but their managers should have known that they were signing on to an Armstrong vanity project. Maybe they did not realize to what ridiculous extremes it would be taken, i.e. Brakjovic wins the Dauphine and he may not get a Tour slot. Poor Fumi Beppu bought out his Skil cotnract to join RS, probably thinking that he would get a chance to increase his stature in Japan by finishing the Giro or Vuelta; talk about screwed.

You hit the nail on the head with this post. July last year there was the announcement of the new team and Radioshack was on-board for the long term. Then came the statements of building the powerhouse with the feeder team. Then the talk of “one more year on the bike” will make Armstrong stronger and more competitive. The trash talk of Contador as the year closed out and many of the new signings would have thought they were joining one serious cycling team. Then came the downfall. Post TDU the gut started to form. Very little time was spent in Europe building the team. Riders rode aimlessly at races not knowing who they were riding for or what the race strategy was. When Armstrong did ride in Europe his team spent the races chaperoning him 10 minutes down on small mountain stages. However some of the riders were holding out hope of maybe riding the Giro then that fell through they thought they could ride in support of Armstrong at the Tour. That hope has seemed to disappear as well. The Tour team was selected long ago and contains only the “insiders” – young aspiring riders need not apply. Armstrong seems less and less interested in racing, his expanding waistline and strange comments about not wanting to race to hard on the descents are just plain weird. Landisgate just underlines the problem with this team. They were always a one horse trick and now that horse has bolted they really don’t know what to do.

Contrast this with Astana. The team was ravaged by Armstrong and the Hog at the end of last year. They tried to destroy the team. It wasn’t until December did Contador re-build the team and look at the way they’ve performed in 2010. If they weren’t winning they were having a go. They shared the wins and everyone had a shot at riding a big race. You can see the spirit in the team and the all riders seem genuinely happy when another team-mate wins a race. They are active in the peloton and appear to have great respect from all those around thm. When another team wins they congratulate that team. No trash talk, no daily tweets, no excuses just good old fashion bike racing and the season has been better for having Astana ride the way they have.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
thehog said:
You hit the nail on the head with this post. July last year there was the announcement of the new team and Radioshack was on-board for the long term. Then came the statements of building the powerhouse with the feeder team. Then the talk of “one more year on the bike” will make Armstrong stronger and more competitive. The trash talk of Contador as the year closed out and many of the new signings would have thought they were joining one serious cycling team. Then came the downfall. Post TDU the gut started to form. Very little time was spent in Europe building the team. Riders rode aimlessly at races not knowing who they were riding for or what the race strategy was. When Armstrong did ride in Europe his team spent the races chaperoning him 10 minutes down on small mountain stages. However some of the riders were holding out hope of maybe riding the Giro then that fell through they thought they could ride in support of Armstrong at the Tour. That hope has seemed to disappear as well. The Tour team was selected long ago and contains only the “insiders” – young aspiring riders need not apply. Armstrong seems less and less interested in racing, his expanding waistline and strange comments about not wanting to race to hard on the descents are just plain weird. Landisgate just underlines the problem with this team. They were always a one horse trick and now that horse has bolted they really don’t know what to do.

Contrast this with Astana. The team was ravaged by Armstrong and the Hog at the end of last year. They tried to destroy the team. It wasn’t until December did Contador re-build the team and look at the way they’ve performed in 2010. If they weren’t winning they were having a go. They shared the wins and everyone had a shot at riding a big race. You can see the spirit in the team and the all riders seem genuinely happy when another team-mate wins a race. They are active in the peloton and appear to have great respect from all those around thm. When another team wins they congratulate that team. No trash talk, no daily tweets, no excuses just good old fashion bike racing and the season has been better for having Astana ride the way they have
.

ditto..

got to say contador is gradually growing on me. I was expecting him to diss vino and there be an all out war but the relationship seems pretty good. I still doubt his "training plan" but as a bloke hes growing on me
 
One gets the feeling that The Hog and Armstrong are like two guys who show up at high schoolers' parties years after graduating but have now reached the age where they are being told not to come around because they are creeping out the young girls.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
BroDeal said:
One gets the feeling that The Hog and Armstrong are like two guys who show up at high schoolers' parties years after graduating but have now reached the age where they are being told not to come around because they are creeping out the young girls.

I thought it was just Lance did the Ollson twins.. Didnt realise Johan was in on it.
 
Apr 17, 2009
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BroDeal said:
Kloden does not deserve any sympathy. He sold out, and he knows it.

The young riders got screwed, but their managers should have known that they were signing on to an Armstrong vanity project. Maybe they did not realize to what ridiculous extremes it would be taken, i.e. Brakjovic wins the Dauphine and he may not get a Tour slot. Poor Fumi Beppu bought out his Skil cotnract to join RS, probably thinking that he would get a chance to increase his stature in Japan by finishing the Giro or Vuelta; talk about screwed.

Given the manner Beppu left Skil isn't this karma?

Then again either way he gets screwed out of a GT
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Johan Bruyneel has blocked me on twitter..
1184007060p5fI7Y.jpg
 
Apr 17, 2009
402
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9,280
BroDeal said:
One gets the feeling that The Hog and Armstrong are like two guys who show up at high schoolers' parties years after graduating but have now reached the age where they are being told not to come around because they are creeping out the young girls.

Probably too much time around McConaughey:

That's what I love about these high school girls, man. I get older, they stay the same age.
 
offbyone said:
That is an absurd argument. For most of these big teams the vuelta is not a target. Look at some other teams invited:

Cervelo Test Team - Umm sastre is reportedly riding the TdF and already had a rough time at the giro no way he rides the vuelta also
Xavi Tondó? Phil Deignan was top 10 last year.

Sky Professional Cycling Team- THe biggest joke of all the teams listed. Wiggo is riding the giro and the tour. They have been targeting the TdF all year.

Saxo- Hard for me to believe the likes of spartacus or the shlecks are going to ride the vuelta after the tour and fabian peaking already during the classics
Spartacus and the Schlecks peaked for the Classics last year, rode the Tour, and started the Vuelta. Spartacus wore the maillot oro for seven days and won two stages, you might have recalled.

Astana- Contador isn't planning on this race. Vino already rode the giro. They are targeting the TdF too.
They're part of the 16-team agreement. They had to be invited. Plus, Pereiro.

Look, GC challengers aren't the ONLY thing that makes a Grand Tour team. Garmin don't offer anything for GC but won three stages last year, and with the likes of Iglinskiy on hand, and de la Fuente (who wore the mountains jersey for a couple of days last year), Astana have some options for other ways of keeping the race interesting.

Also, because of long flat stages with searing heat, lots of breakaways go the distance in the Vuelta with people who are out of the race. Therefore bringing in teams and riders willing to be part of that becomes more important than it would be at the Tour.
 

flicker

BANNED
Aug 17, 2009
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thehog said:
You hit the nail on the head with this post. July last year there was the announcement of the new team and Radioshack was on-board for the long term. Then came the statements of building the powerhouse with the feeder team. Then the talk of “one more year on the bike” will make Armstrong stronger and more competitive. The trash talk of Contador as the year closed out and many of the new signings would have thought they were joining one serious cycling team. Then came the downfall. Post TDU the gut started to form. Very little time was spent in Europe building the team. Riders rode aimlessly at races not knowing who they were riding for or what the race strategy was. When Armstrong did ride in Europe his team spent the races chaperoning him 10 minutes down on small mountain stages. However some of the riders were holding out hope of maybe riding the Giro then that fell through they thought they could ride in support of Armstrong at the Tour. That hope has seemed to disappear as well. The Tour team was selected long ago and contains only the “insiders” – young aspiring riders need not apply. Armstrong seems less and less interested in racing, his expanding waistline and strange comments about not wanting to race to hard on the descents are just plain weird. Landisgate just underlines the problem with this team. They were always a one horse trick and now that horse has bolted they really don’t know what to do.

Contrast this with Astana. The team was ravaged by Armstrong and the Hog at the end of last year. They tried to destroy the team. It wasn’t until December did Contador re-build the team and look at the way they’ve performed in 2010. If they weren’t winning they were having a go. They shared the wins and everyone had a shot at riding a big race. You can see the spirit in the team and the all riders seem genuinely happy when another team-mate wins a race. They are active in the peloton and appear to have great respect from all those around thm. When another team wins they congratulate that team. No trash talk, no daily tweets, no excuses just good old fashion bike racing and the season has been better for having Astana ride the way they have.

Plus they have VINO and he gots game I mean he proclaims to have won with class. I think I will write a Rap song about Vinos' career 99-2010.

I'm Alex V. and I got it goin on and on and on. I will ask Dr. Dre, Snoop Dog and Ice Cube to sing it and Vino be pantomining doin jiggy with the ladies. Hell yeah!
 
Oct 6, 2009
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Libertine Seguros said:
<snipped>

They're part of the 16-team agreement. They had to be invited. Plus, Pereiro.

Don't be surprised if Contador rides the Vuelta. He has been awfully coy about his post-TdF plans for this year. There have been mentions of someday doing the Tour-Vuelta double or the Giro-Tour double. He apparently wants to try both of the "doubles" some time in his career. I have no idea whether this year is the time, but wouldn't him count out just yet.

And yeah, Astana have Pereiro and DDLF and quite a few guys who could ride the Vuelta. Some good domestiques are going to be left off the Tour team just because of sheer numbers, and the Vuelta will be a nice consolation prize.

My impression is that Allan Davis will ride the Vuelta too as prep for worlds, but I haven't seen that confirmed anywhere yet.
 
TeamSkyFans said:
Harsh.. firstly Sky have not been targetting the tour, Brad has, and sky have been for the british fans (cos its the only race half the british fans know about). To some DS's the classic campaign was far more important (sadly for them it didnt go brilliantly well, ok, but not brilliant).

I think with stage wins in paris nice, tirreno, the dauphine and the giro, along with holding the pink jersey, to say they are the biggest joke is a bit harsh..

they also did a lot of spanish backscratching earlier in the season. I dont actually see what RS have done over SKy to warrant a spot in their place. If you can put up a really good argument i would be interested, but dont just say RS could have sent a good squad.. its about a season, a teams performance, a teams attitude towards the various races etc that all adds up.

I still stand by what i said that if vaconsoliel had gone instead of sky i would have been hard pressed to find an argument against vacon being there.

Sky built a team around one guy with TdF as the ultimate target and they based all this around one race result. They have made it real clear that they are targeting the tour and no other race as their top priority. I just can't see how their vuelta team is going to be have a strong roster when all their big riders have targeted a different part of the season.
 

ttrider

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Apr 23, 2010
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Would love to see Contador do the Vuelta, after it he has about 5-6 months rest anyway
i mean this year he had an 8 month break from the sport.
He may as well do something in the time and a double in front of his home fans would be something very special

Im really dissapointed that trs arent doing the vuelta as people have said if levi or kloeden was sent they would have a strong leader, excellent domestiques and a sprinter in Steegmans. I think it is definitely a sign of organisers etc just being fed up with Armstrong and the California is 4th GT crap. The investigation and popovichs comments obviously don't help either

Personally i would have not allowed sky, maybe they struck a deal tho of Boassen Hagen, lovkwist and Greg Henderson. Otherwise i can't see how they made it at all even considering the media side

Vaconsoleil must be devastated, they made a massive push this year and have ultimately come up short