Blanco-Belkin

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Mar 17, 2012
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Dutchsmurf said:
But Nibali improved each year and Gesink has actually been getting worse. I was talking about now, not 5 years ago. Gesink might have been a future GT winner 5 years ago, but now I don't consider him one anymore. Now I consider him one of the many riders who can get a top 10 in a GT, usually without being visible much.

Gesink is still only 26 or 27. GT peak age is 28 to 33. circa.

I won´t name Pereiro, because 2006 was so special, but Sastre and Evans left deep impressions in me: it showed that you can be written off for years, but if ONE year everything fits, also these riders can win a TdF. That´s also possible for Gesink.

For the sport and for the Tour, I think that´s good. We have to forget the Lance years (7 wins in a row), maybe it takes a long time before a new Merckx, Hinault, Indurain shows up. Not even Contador has become the predicted Tour dominator for years.

As I said, that´s good. Why not have a series of TdF winners like e.g. Evans, Wiggins, Froome, Nibali, van Garderen, Gesink, and so on? Gesink is still in the race for the Tour victory, at some time in his career.
 
I wonder if they'll give Graeme Brown a new contract.

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Apr 10, 2011
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He's been there long time.

Surely loyalty is a very good trait to have in team ? :p

His only one I think.....
 
Mar 17, 2012
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Brownie certainly will get a new contract... As far as I know, he always gets one year contracts, and finally always stays. They complained about him and wanted to get rid of him a thousand times, but in the end, he always survived. :D
 
Jun 22, 2009
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karlboss said:
I can't help but think if Dutch riders want to do well, they need to ride for Sky, Katusha, Tinkoff, Movistar, Omega Pharma, Astana. Riders who move to these teams have progressed really well. All the best Dutch riders are still at blanco, going nowhere. Except terpstra, who doubled his CQ points going to OPQS after one year. These other teams must know something about training that Blanco don't.

I'd love to see some of the riders leave blanco. Hopefully there are some changes anyway.
 
brilleaben said:
I once had a Belkin router. Worked perfectly at managing slow speeds.

I work for a cable company, lots of people with belkin routers behind their modems... most of them are the cause of trouble :p not a fan of the brand itself. But ok. I'm biased because I have to deal with the complaints
 
movingtarget said:
There will have to be changes. The problem is they often make the wrong choices. Belkin may not have the patience of Rabobank.
There already have been changes. The current management is significantly different from last year, and completely different from 4 or 5 years ago.

But if you exist so long as a team, with the same name, everything you've ever done can and will be used against you ;) I don't see anyone criticizing BMC for some decisions by Phonak back in the day.

burning said:
Is this some sort of joke? :confused:

Considering the fact that they picked Bobridge (He had a 1 top 160 result in Giro, and he's an alcoholic) ,he might get a new contract :D
Rabobank (the sponsor) were desparate for Aussies. That's why they picked Bobridge, since Matthews left. Obviously if they were looking for talent they would have looked elsewhere.
 
theyoungest said:
There already have been changes. The current management is significantly different from last year, and completely different from 4 or 5 years ago.

But if you exist so long as a team, with the same name, everything you've ever done can and will be used against you ;) I don't see anyone criticizing BMC for some decisions by Phonak back in the day.


Rabobank (the sponsor) were desparate for Aussies. That's why they picked Bobridge, since Matthews left. Obviously if they were looking for talent they would have looked elsewhere.

I don't blame them for signing some of the young Aussies. But of course when they are young you can never tell whether they will live up to their potential and none of the Aussies have so far. I don't know how many Dutch riders are in their current roster. Maybe not as many as I thought but we have seen how well teams go when selecting riders based on nationality. Did not work for Euskadel and maybe it's time they looked for alternatives to riders like Gesink which is not easy when the best GC riders are usually signed up quickly.
 
I was confidently awaiting the end of Raboblanco:eek: Surprised that they have found a new sponsor. It seems this is a new trend. American comurope sponsoring cycling teams.

Anyway, hope they will have a much more international presence in the team/
 
the asian said:
I was confidently awaiting the end of Raboblanco:eek: Surprised that they have found a new sponsor. It seems this is a new trend. American comurope sponsoring cycling teams.

Anyway, hope they will have a much more international presence in the team/
This I don't get. Rabobank have always had a big international presence. Freire, McEwen, Menchov, Flecha, Sorensen, Leipheimer... currently about 40% of their riders are 'foreign'.
 
theyoungest said:
There already have been changes. The current management is significantly different from last year, and completely different from 4 or 5 years ago.

But if you exist so long as a team, with the same name, everything you've ever done can and will be used against you ;) I don't see anyone criticizing BMC for some decisions by Phonak back in the day.


Rabobank (the sponsor) were desparate for Aussies. That's why they picked Bobridge, since Matthews left. Obviously if they were looking for talent they would have looked elsewhere.
TBF Bobridge still holds the IP world record on the track, there is some talent there. Even if he is a 23y.o. with Rheumatoid arthritis who likes to cut donuts in strip club car parks after a few drinks :D