AC to Saxo, is Riis better off without the Schlecks?

[craig1985]

Now that Contador is confirmed to join Riis at Saxo Bank - Sungard (from hence forth it will be known as Team SBS), but the Schleck's have left to start up their own team, do you think that is better for Riis that the Schleck's are leaving and gain Contador instead, or was he just better off keeping the Schleck's, who are both Ardennes Classic winners?

 

[Cerberus]

Now that Contador is confirmed to join Riis at Saxo Bank - Sungard (from hence forth it will be known as Team SBS), but the Schleck's have left to start up their own team, do you think that is better for Riis that the Schleck's are leaving and gain Contador instead, or was he just better off keeping the Schleck's, who are both Ardennes Classic winners?

Definetly trading up. Le Tour >> the Ardennes from a sponsirship perspective and no one says Contador cannot win a classic. Sure it's possible that Schleck will take another step up next year and win the Tour which would suck for Riis, but going by what we know now Riis is clearly better off now. not that he had a choice, as I understand the Schlecks started leaving first, so it wasn't a choice between the Schlecks and Contador it was a choice between Contador and either no one in the GC or whoever else could have been gotten like sanchez or Menchov. I'd say he chose wisely.

 

[khardung la]

Now that Contador is confirmed to join Riis at Saxo Bank - Sungard (from hence forth it will be known as Team SBS), but the Schleck's have left to start up their own team, do you think that is better for Riis that the Schleck's are leaving and gain Contador instead, or was he just better off keeping the Schleck's, who are both Ardennes Classic winners?

I don't think Riis is sad with the change. And probably the Schleck bros should be a bit intimidated by the new situation. Cancellara and Larsson in the TTT, plus a team that has already a structure vs. a ghost team that probably has to be built from scratch...

The TTT will probably define the whole Tour, and there is no one that Schlecks can hire to match a TTT driven by Cancellara, Larsson and Contador.

 

[Cerberus]

I don't think Riis is sad with the change. And probably the Schleck bros should be a bit intimidated by the new situation. Cancellara and Larsson in the TTT, plus a team that has already a structure vs. a ghost team that probably has to be built from scratch...

The TTT will probably define the whole Tour, and there is no one that Schlecks can hire to match a TTT driven by Cancellara, Larsson and Contador.

And Porte, and for the mountains Chris Anker Navaro and a couble of other Spanish rider (plus Porte can climb fairly well to). It looks to be a hell of a scary team Riis is assembling. Who would have thought that before the Tour?

 

[craig1985]

And Porte, and for the mountains Chris Anker Navaro and a couble of other Spanish rider (plus Porte can climb fairly well to). It looks to be a hell of a scary team Riis is assembling. Who would have thought that before the Tour?

Jens Voigt and Stuart O’Grady are also said to be leaving for the Schleck team. But I think they will survive without them.

 

[python]

i tip my hat off to riis.

had i been in his shoes, i'd be a bit off balance when the schlecks and the best ds deserted him at the most sensitive moment.

yes, he is better off with berto but i don't see smooth sailing between these two diametrically different temperaments, though i must admit also obviously intelligent professionals.

 

[595RED]

Now that Contador is confirmed to join Riis at Saxo Bank - Sungard (from hence forth it will be known as Team SBS), but the Schleck's have left to start up their own team, do you think that is better for Riis that the Schleck's are leaving and gain Contador instead, or was he just better off keeping the Schleck's, who are both Ardennes Classic winners?

Yeah be afraid, the riders left at Riis cycling are all class acts, this has the makings of the best edition of this team ever. Team Luxembourg will have to rally to match this horsepower. Will surely take some getting used to seeing Conta in Saxo jersey riding against Schleck.

 

[hrotha]

Gotta give it to Riis, this is brilliant of him.

 

[Zerak-Tul]

I think Riis would have liked to keep the Schlecks on his team, from a perspective of "they were his boys" it was his project from the start to develop them and make GT winners out of them. I think he would have liked to get them up onto that highest step.

But business is business and they decided to leave and do their own thing when things looked uncertain on Saxo, and you can't blame them for that, that's their choice.
Getting the most dominant rider in the field today as replacement, I doubt Riis has much to be upset about.

As for team Lux, I think they'll have a hard first year, like we saw Sky this year, and Cervelo with Sastre and so on. Obviously the Schlecks should be a bit more consistent in their performances than Wiggins/Sastra, but starting a new venture (business/team) of this magnitude is always tough in the first year, even if most of the crew will be veterans of cycling.

 

[unsheath]

If I were the Schlecks I'll be sweating bullets and praying to high heaven there isn't a long TTT in the 2011 edition. SBS looks a scary outfit which ever way you look at it.

 

[Cerberus]

If I were the Schlecks I'll be sweating bullets and praying to high heaven there isn't a long TTT in the 2011 edition. SBS looks a scary outfit which ever way you look at it.

Praying will neither help nor hurt, there's a TTT in 2011, but it's only around 20 k. Not enough to be totally decisive I would think, but enough to gain a bit of time.

 

[alexanderplatz]

Well the Schlecks are seemingly bringing a lot of the best tour riders with them to their new team so they could be very strong next year. Next year there will be no prologue but a TTT(yawn) on stage 2 of the tour. I dont think the Schlecks will go to the tour without a strong time trial line up, esp as contador will prob be back to his very best in the mountains. It's very good for cycling to have this rivalry, i dont think it will remain friendly forever though, the tour is so big that I cannot see andy taking another beating with the same grace as he did this year.
Riis has done very very well to get contador and I think that he will win the tour next year, though it is very early to say so, Riis can handle difficult situations as he showed this year when the team rode an excellent tour despite knowing that their best tour riders were leaving the team. Scary partnership anyway, though i have my fingers crossed that andy can win next year, I like a bit of variety in life

 

[c&cfan]

in fact, i think that the ones that aren't going to be friends forever are andy and frank. sooner or later one will leave..

 

[hrotha]

in fact, i think that the ones that aren't going to be friends forever are andy and frank. sooner or later one will leave..

Not without surgery.

 

[L'arriviste]

Not without surgery.

Disturbingly funny.

 

[theswordsman]

Just been reading some of the articles. The guy from the actual Saxo Bank said during the Tour he thought it was the end of the road. One journo suggested that Saxo decided to come back for another year once Contador was added to the picture. So if Riis wanted to continue as Saxo Bank, he's better off without the Schlecks because they weren't enough to keep the sponsor. I can't wait to see who else they sign, and also keep.

The Luxembourg team is a pretty big risk at this point. They have to jump through similar hoops to what Astana did last Fall. Radio Shack and especially Sky were way ahead of the game at this point last year. They obviously can't be one of the seventeen teams with automatic invitations based on 2010 rankings.

There were so many decisions up in the air waiting for Alberto that I'm sure phones are ringing off the hook now.

 

[craig1985]

Of course at this stage the Schleck's don't actually have a sponsor. I would find it hard to commit to them if I were one of the riders they wanted to sign, what with the Sony Ericsson saga in 2005.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Australia have their 1st ever pro team. Team SBS!

 

[Publicus]

I'm a bit agnostic about this move at the moment. I think from a team perspective, AC had a good thing at Astana (comradarie) that is hard to replace or mimic. While I don't doubt that there were issues with the management and team operations, it functioned fairly well under the circumstances. That being said, I think AC spent the better of a year biding his time after being held hostage (my opinion/characterization) for the better part of a year.

All of that being said, for some reason I thought Riis and AC would be a great working team. What will be interesting to see is who Riis can attract to ride along with AC (aside from Dani and the Boys). I think Team SBS needs another top rider (GC) to take a bit of the weight off of AC. Will folks want to ride with an outfit like Riis and AC and Spartacus at the helm? In theory I say yes, but we will see shortly.

Should be a very interesting 2011 season.

 

[nvpacchi]

Now with Contador on SBS, is it fair to assume that he targets the Tour, and does not go for the Giro/Vuelta double that he has been hinting at recently?

 

[Anonymous]

I think it a great move by both Riis and AC...and when the Schlecks pull everything together via their team it is gonna make for a helluva rivalry...gonna be good for the sport I think...

 

[Cerberus]

Now with Contador on SBS, is it fair to assume that he targets the Tour, and does not go for the Giro/Vuelta double that he has been hinting at recently?

Has he hinted that? I only heard him say that he aimed to win multiple GTs in a single year, while the Giro-Vuelta double is by far the easiest I haven't heard him say that and voluntarily passing on the tour just strikes me as unlikely. As for winning multiple GTs in a season Riis mentioned that Contador wanted to win all three and said he believed it was possible. Whether you believe it's possible or even a genuine goal is an open question, but I don't think winning multiple GTs has become less of a priority.

 

[Anonymous]

Team Frankenandy

Someone mentioned the difficulty of a first year team ( as in Team deLux) winning the TDF. True. But "FrankenAndy" is the Tour team and it has been together a long time. Frankenandy could win, but just Andy? Doubtful. The challenge will be to isolate the dynamic duo into two individuals.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Riis was never too keen on doing the Giro-Tour double, based on when he had Basso under his wings. Let alone any other double. But he does not seem completely closed minded to the idea, and AC may be the guy who could do it.

But the Schleck's move may just backfire on them by AC going to SBS. AC to SBS is great for Riis (should have helped secure sponsors) and also great for AC (I think Riis will have him better prepared). And as much as I respect Stuey and Jens, those two are getting on in age. So losing those two guys won't hurt SBS that much, even though there experience will be missed.

 

[nvpacchi]

Has he hinted that? I only heard him say that he aimed to win multiple GTs in a single year, while the Giro-Vuelta double is by far the easiest I haven't heard him say that and voluntarily passing on the tour just strikes me as unlikely. As for winning multiple GTs in a season Riis mentioned that Contador wanted to win all three and said he believed it was possible. Whether you believe it's possible or even a genuine goal is an open question, but I don't think winning multiple GTs has become less of a priority.

I remember the idea being thrown around on the forum during the Tour, so I assumed that Contador must have said something awhile back (even if he was being facetious).

What I still don't understand about the Schlecks (mainly Andy) is are they better together or not. Last year everyone was talking about how Frank was holding Andy back, as he was always worrying about him-making sure he didn't get latched off the back. And now when he was gone people argue that the only thing preventing Andy from winning was the lack of support from his brother. So what is it? Is Andy better with our without Frank?