Astana unprofessionalism?

[Anonymous]

Alan Davis was on the "pre-race" radio coverage before the start of todays stage. Paraphrasing some of his comments....:

* He did not know why the radios were not there
* But the Astana team is still getting organized so that may explain it
* The team that split apart from Astana took the electronics with them.
Alan did not mention any names.
* Astana will be racing without radios for the entire TdU.

Cool, thanks. They did have to start from scratch with team vehicles and everything. I hate to drag twitter into this, but here are a few tweets from http://twitter.com/SantosTDU_Live

A lot is beng made of the ack of race radios that have cost 2009 Santos Tour Down Under Champion Allan Davis a chance to defend his...
Because the Astana team has not brought race radios to Adelaide, the riders have a little more difficulty communicating with themselves...
Yesterday, a mix-up saw Davis lose more than 8 minutes, and any chance of claiming back-to-back titles.
it is not acually that strange for teams to arrive at the Santos Tour Down Under without radios.
Hendrik Redant, team director with Omega-Pharma-Lotto likes to go without radios whenever he can as he believes it helps riders think for.

Astana could pretty much be considered the newest of the new teams. Sky had a year and a half to put everything together. Radio Shack moved an established infrastructure of equipment, suppliers, staff, etc. Astana had to get a lot done in a hurry, just to get riders in uniforms on bikes. There can be some bugs and glitches early on. The key is that they have motivated riders training hard right now, and Martinelli will have them ready for the Tour and beyond. ***fingers crossed***

 

[Bike Boy]

What's the big buzz about? I mean not even Armstrong has found it worthy to slam Astana over this.

 

[Carboncrank]

Although not bringing radios might be a sign of bad things to come, Davis did not miss out on GC because of it. He missed the split because he is not in the same form as he was last year.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...n-davis-on-climb/story-e6frg7mf-1225821526106

He says in plain english that it was a communications problem. It costs him any chance to win.
Splits like this are the major reason to have radios. I know there are those supposed purists here that don't like radios but I heard the same crap about radios in race cars years ago. It's a no brainer. There's no good reason not to use them in a major race and if there was a reason I'd think the DS would have told the riders about it, which according to Davis, he did not.
It is a major blunder. It's only slighly less than having all the right wheels.
And now that the blunder has been exposed, not to night overnight them to the team just reeks of cheap. It's a laugher.
I'll say it again... it cost the team a chance to win GC.

Sky comes in as a new team and smokes the field in it's first race.

Astana comes in and forgets the radios.
I really am laughing.

Come on... somebody... it must be a conspiracy with Lane and JB at the bottom of it!!
I'm sure Publicus knows something. They probably plotted it before the last Giro, while Alberto was at the beach.. yeaaaaah that's it!!

 

[BroDeal]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...n-davis-on-climb/story-e6frg7mf-1225821526106

He says in plain english that it was a communications problem. It costs him any chance to win.

There you go again. Inability to think for yourself, so you believe anything that you read that conforms to your beliefs.

Davis did not get dropped on the hill because he did not have a radio. He got dropped because he spent the off season eating pies and sausages instead of training. If he were in shape to win the GC then he would have been at the front putting the hurt on his own teammates, not watching them pedal away from him.

 

[Publicus]

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/new...n-davis-on-climb/story-e6frg7mf-1225821526106

He says in plain english that it was a communications problem. It costs him any chance to win.
Splits like this are the major reason to have radios. I know there are those supposed purists here that don't like radios but I heard the same crap about radios in race cars years ago. It's a no brainer. There's no good reason not to use them in a major race and if there was a reason I'd think the DS would have told the riders about it, which according to Davis, he did not.
It is a major blunder. It's only slighly less than having all the right wheels.
And now that the blunder has been exposed, not to night overnight them to the team just reeks of cheap. It's a laugher.
I'll say it again... it cost the team a chance to win GC.

Sky comes in as a new team and smokes the field in it's first race.

Astana comes in and forgets the radios.
I really am laughing.

Come on... somebody... it must be a conspiracy with Lane and JB at the bottom of it!!
I'm sure Publicus knows something. They probably plotted it before the last Giro, while Alberto was at the beach.. yeaaaaah that's it!!

I do know something. I know to read an entire article and not just laser in on whatever point I'm trying to make (context is everything).

If you had, then perhaps you would have seen this (from the same article):

“I was just sort of riding within myself up the climb at Menglers Hill and just found myself 50 metres behind my teammates and they didn't realise.

“They just starting pulling, because we were just off the back of those front guys and they didn't realise I wasn't on the back and left me behind.

“It's no problem, it's just one of those things. I was having a bit of a bad day as well. That's bike racing,” he added.

When quizzed why the Astana support team went out on the stage between Clare and Tanunda without race radio, Davis said: “I don't know. We just didn't bring any over. I'm not sure why.

“It was partly due to being with a new team, I put it down to teething problems, and getting to know each other.

“The boys were doing the right thing. It was sort of one of those situations ... it was at a moment where we were at the top of the climb and everyone was on the edge of their limits.

“I didn't have the 50 metres to go up to them to tell them.

“At the same time my guys got on the front to try to catch the group, and as a coincidence I just got left behind.”

So yes, Astana did not have radios for whatever reason (which at this point is irrelevant). Davis and the rest of the team knew that. From Davis' own words he didn't have it. He was having a bad day. If it was merely a communication problem, nothing prevents him (other than his bad form) for regaining contact once they are over the top of the hill. For me this was a function of his bad form more than it was the radio (not saying that was a complicating factor). Apparently he was going better today and the team kept him in contact with a chance to get a stage win. All with no radios.

 

[Carboncrank]

Because it serves their purpose (getting rid of the radio ban) to point only to Davis.

couldn't be because those were the domestiques could it.

 

[Publicus]

couldn't be because those were the domestiques could it.

Could have been. I was just answering The Swordman's question as to why they were exploiting the Davis situation. Those types of problems happen all the time with radios for a variety of reason. Based on Davis' words, it doesn't sound like a radio would have helped--other than have one or two riders keep
him company. He didn't have the form yesterday. It happens. Ask Lance.

 

[Carboncrank]

There you go again. Inability to think for yourself, so you believe anything that you read that conforms to your beliefs.

Davis did not get dropped on the hill because he did not have a radio. He got dropped because he spent the off season eating pies and sausages instead of training. If he were in shape to win the GC then he would have been at the front putting the hurt on his own teammates, not watching them pedal away from him.

Listen up you baffoon. I gave the link which you didn't evidently read.
I don't "think for myself" when I have a direct quote to go by. I go with what the guy actually said. I can't make it any clearer than that.

“It was just a bit of miscommunication, we didn't have radios,” Davis said.

End of story.

 

[Publicus]

Listen up you baffoon. I gave the link which you didn't evidently read.
I don't "think for myself" when I have a direct quote to go by. I go with what the guy actually said. I can't make it any clearer than that.

“It was just a bit of miscommunication, we didn't have radios,” Davis said.

End of story.

It wasn't the end of the story, only a part of it.

 

[stefank]

“It was just a bit of miscommunication, we didn't have radios,” Davis said.

End of story.

But that's not all he said. By the way, it's "buffoon".

 

[ergmonkey]

Regarding the assertion that the guys who left the Astana team took the electronics with them:
Am I the only one who sees the irony in "Team Radio Shack" holding on to last year's radio equipment?

 

[Carboncrank]

it doesn't sound like a radio would have helped.

You keep ignoring the direct quote.

“It was just a bit of miscommunication, we didn't have radios,” Davis said.

 

[BroDeal]

Listen up you baffoon. I gave the link which you didn't evidently read.
I don't "think for myself" when I have a direct quote to go by. I go with what the guy actually said. I can't make it any clearer than that.

“It was just a bit of miscommunication, we didn't have radios,” Davis said.

End of story.

One wonders if you have ever ridden a bike, let alone raced. The only way a radio would have helped Davis is if he wanted to listen to music as the other riders rode away from him.

 

[Publicus]

You keep ignoring the direct quote.

“It was just a bit of miscommunication, we didn't have radios,” Davis said.

I'm not. I'm reading ALL of the quotes. Stop
being a simpleton.

 

[BroDeal]

I'm not. I'm reading ALL of the quotes. Stop
being a simpleton.

Carboncrank sounds like BPC. He uses the same stupidity act.

 

[Publicus]

Carboncrank sounds like BPC. He uses the same stupidity act.

I'm quickly coming to the same conclusion.

 

[Larrybud]

HaHaHaHa. This is too funny. But no problem because at the TDF Contador "pis*tolero" won't need one. He rides on his own and doesn't need teammates so why bother with a radio. Astana is just testing the concept. I wonder if they have team mechanics or maybe the riders have to fix their own bikes? I'm sure that L'Equipe will have a breaking story that Lance, while taking performance enhancing drugs, stole the radios to sabotage his former team. Come on hasn't someone heard this?

 

[Publicus]

HaHaHaHa. This is too funny. But no problem because at the TDF Contador "pis*tolero" won't need one. He rides on his own and doesn't need teammates so why bother with a radio. Astana is just testing the concept. I wonder if they have team mechanics or maybe the riders have to fix their own bikes? I'm sure that L'Equipe will have a breaking story that Lance, while taking performance enhancing drugs, stole the radios to sabotage his former team. Come on hasn't someone heard this?

Thanks for your contribution to the thread.

 

[Larrybud]

Thanks for your contribution to the thread.

No thank you for your kind and thoughtful compliment.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

Enough of all of that, back on topic please.

I found something this morning where Davis indicated the mass crash at the start was what held him up and prevented him from winning...... I'll have to go look for the link.

Susan

 

[KazakhNeRider]

We had a small talk yesterday with Fofonov who said that right now a some company is working in Astana camp in Calpe to install radio in the team cars, they will be a vendor of mobile radios as well.

So the truth that Astana is still under construction and there's no a shame of this

 

[Publicus]

We had a small talk yesterday with Fofonov who said that right now a some company is working in Astana camp in Calpe to install radio in the team cars, they will be a vendor of mobile radios as well.

So the truth that Astana is still under construction and there's no a shame of this

Nice piece of intel. Thanks KazakhNeRider!

 

[B.Rasmussen]

Thanks for the usual great info, KazakhNeRider. Always a pleasure when you post.

 

[Ripper]

He looked like a porker when I saw photos of him at the Crit and the Australian Championships. Especially compared to how lean he looked just prior to the Tour de France.

I think he needs to drop the excuses and just get his a$$ in shape. And Bontempi needs to step up to the microphone. If he and Martenelli don't know what they are doing, it would be good to find out sooner, rather than later.

My name is Allen. I am upset about my Quick Step issues. I must drown my stress in hamburgers and fries. Mmmmmmm ... more fries!

Oh, I should go for a ride ... or eat a cookie

 

[Ripper]

Paul: You know Phil, there is another rider who likes cookies too much. A certain former TdF winner named Oscar!

Phil: Not nearly as much as Mr. Graeme Brown, Paul. I once heard he ate a whole box of cookies and then drank a case of beer ... for breakfast

Paul: My goodness, it does remind me of the days of Jan and Lance. Now Lance was a rider who knew the importance of off season weight control

Special Guest Appearance - Bob Roll: Blah blah blah blah ... I love Lance and the Tour Day France