Breschel's comments

[flicker]

Grate post there TB-DB. MB had every right to be pissed. Its not like he asked to be interviewed right after the race.

Hey Flubber, do U actually race bikes?

Kitchen Patrol I do race bikes. Kind of a ceremonial thing I beat Cav in everyone of those Crits.

I hate crybabies, especially well paid professionals.

 

[auscyclefan94]

it will be interesting to see who will be the saxo leader for roubaix as it is probably o'grady's last shot at it as there are rumours this will be ogrady's last season. O'grady rode well for cancellara in Flanders but will cancellara sacrifice his chances for o'grady's? then you chuck breschel in the mix who looked strong at flanders and packs a bigger punch at the finish than cancellara, saxo have a lot of options but it will still be interesting to see who they will ride for.

 

[Runitout]

it will be interesting to see who will be the saxo leader for roubaix as it is probably o'grady's last shot at it as there are rumours this will be ogrady's last season. O'grady rode well for cancellara in Flanders but will cancellara sacrifice his chances for o'grady's? then you chuck breschel in the mix who looked strong at flanders and packs a bigger punch at the finish than cancellara, saxo have a lot of options but it will still be interesting to see who they will ride for.

Cheap sentimentality has no role in Riis' thoughts. O'Grady has had a storied career, but his form is nothing close to that of Breschel and Cancellara. I am sure he will do his job well, as always, but that means riding for his team leaders. O'Grady would not stand a chance against Boonen in any event.

The real shame in O'Grady's career is that he rode for teams that encouraged him to ride as a sprinter for too long. I can recall him placing well in Roubaix in about 1997/8 but he seemed to concentrate on the Tour instead of basing himself around the spring. Tant pis.

 

[180mmCrank]

These Northern Classics have a way of throwing up the riders who are in form and unceremoniously spitting those that are not out the back in short order. We will see who comes out "The Forrest"! If O'Grady is good enough to be there he will be there.

I expect to see all the usual suspects Flecha, Boonen, Cancellara etc along with Breschel and anyone who has the legs. I am not sure Riis or any other team manager can really influence even if they wanted to.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Cheap sentimentality has no role in Riis' thoughts. O'Grady has had a storied career, but his form is nothing close to that of Breschel and Cancellara. I am sure he will do his job well, as always, but that means riding for his team leaders. O'Grady would not stand a chance against Boonen in any event.

The real shame in O'Grady's career is that he rode for teams that encouraged him to ride as a sprinter for too long. I can recall him placing well in Roubaix in about 1997/8 but he seemed to concentrate on the Tour instead of basing himself around the spring. Tant pis.

On a hotter day like in 2007, O'grady would come to the fore as the euro's don't like it as hot.

 

[Cerberus]

On a hotter day like in 2007, O'grady would come to the fore as the euro's don't like it as hot.

I don't see that happening. O'Grady just hasn't shown anything like Roubaix winning form so far this year. Perhaps he'd benefit from some heat, but unless Cancellara and Breschel both suffer a heat stroke O'Grady won't be the captain. Even in that case I think Baden Cooke has shown stronger form this year.

 

[Christian]

Breschel's comments are true but he should have expressed them in the team and not in the media. In pro soccer that would have earned him a fine from the team or a suspension for the next game

 

[thehog]

I don't see that happening. O'Grady just hasn't shown anything like Roubaix winning form so far this year. Perhaps he'd benefit from some heat, but unless Cancellara and Breschel both suffer a heat stroke O'Grady won't be the captain. Even in that case I think Baden Cooke has shown stronger form this year.

O'Grady did a bucket load of work for the first half of Flanders. Fabo have better tipped him the race winners pot.

 

[Archibald]

Breschel's comments are true but he should have expressed them in the team and not in the media. In pro soccer that would have earned him a fine from the team or a suspension for the next game

"pro soccer"??!! hahahaha!!!

media beat up after a rider has a small kinipshin fit, nothing more.
happy to see breschel win it - just don't want the predictable boonen result. this kid will make it interesting. even more so now that he's got a bee in his bonnet

 

[delgado]

The real shame in O'Grady's career is that he rode for teams that encouraged him to ride as a sprinter for too long. I can recall him placing well in Roubaix in about 1997/8 but he seemed to concentrate on the Tour instead of basing himself around the spring. Tant pis.

You disregard the "natural" evolution of these riders. Many of them start out as sprinters and acquire the classics stamina with age. Zabel, Moncassin, Museeuw... O'Grady fits that mold. So, no regrets!

 

[Cerberus]

O'Grady did a bucket load of work for the first half of Flanders. Fabo have better tipped him the race winners pot.

There is a large gap between doing good work as a domestique and realistically contending for the win. Perhaps O'Grady does in fact outrank Cooke as the third strongest rider on Saxo Bank, but he's still a really long shot for winning Roubaix. Hell, a top 10 finish probably is a long shot, particularly since he'll once again most likely have to work for Cancellara and Breschel.

Breschel's comments are true but he should have expressed them in the team and not in the media. In pro soccer that would have earned him a fine from the team or a suspension for the next game

Honestly I don't see the problem, anyone would be ****ed to have not one but two realistic podium chances in major races ruined by mechanical errors and slow repairs. Sounding frustrated after the race isn't out of line, I even think he managed to be, under the circumstances, relatively diplomatic. It's not like he threw a hissy fit, demanded that the support team should be fired or anything like that. He just said that things like that shouldn't happen, and the fact that he sounded really frustrated saying that just proves he's human.

 

[Christian]

"pro soccer"??!! hahahaha!!!

??????

I don't really see what you're getting at here.

That's exactly how it goes down soccer (football? maybe you wanted me to say football?) - you criticize the coach in public, you get a fine. There are countless examples of this ...

He just said that things like that shouldn't happen, and the fact that he sounded really frustrated saying that just proves he's human.

.... and I'd say 95 % of the time things like that don't happen and the mechanics do a great job. Sometimes they make mistakes ... which just proves that they're human. I don't think Breschel would have dedicated his victory to the mechanics, had everything gone smoothely ...

 

[M Sport]

That's exactly how it goes down soccer (football? maybe you wanted me to say football?)

I think he means, if you knew anything about what happens in football, you would have said football in the first place. Instead of soccer. Soccer hahaha.

 

[Archibald]

"pro soccer"??!! hahahaha!!!

??????

I don't really see what you're getting at here.

I just find the term "pro soccer" funny, is all...

 

[Christian]

I think he means, if you knew anything about what happens in football, you would have said football in the first place. Instead of soccer. Soccer hahaha.

Oh I see. Just because I say soccer instead of football means I dont know anything about it. That ... makes perfect sense.

I take it you are not American? British maybe?

(I'm not American either - just lived there for a while and therefore say soccer.)

 

[Cerberus]

.... and I'd say 95 % of the time things like that don't happen and the mechanics do a great job. Sometimes they make mistakes ... which just proves that they're human. I don't think Breschel would have dedicated his victory to the mechanics, had everything gone smoothely ...

You're right, most of the time things happen smoothly, but if you had two of your most important "work projects" of the year, that were otherwise going really well, ruined due to someone else mistakes would you just be 100% Zen?

Now it wasn't actually a mechanics mistake because the mechanic wasn't in the car, probably what cause things to go south. Still I have actually heard cyclists (Menchov for one) thank the mechanics for crucial assistance at times. Not Breschel specifically, but then I don't recall seeing him win any races thanks mechanics assistance at a crucial time.

 

[Christian]

if you had two of your most important "work projects" of the year, that were otherwise going really well, ruined due to someone else mistakes would you just be 100% Zen?

Probably not, you're right - I just hope he doesn't hold a grudge against the technical staff now because that would be unfair in my opinion, and I hope he apologized after he cooled down!

 

[Magnus]

Breschel's comments are true but he should have expressed them in the team and not in the media. In pro soccer that would have earned him a fine from the team or a suspension for the next game

Watching the sporza interview, I think it's hard to see that he could be more diplomatic (specially considering he just finished RvV). Besides keeping comments out of the media would seem rather silly, considering how obvious it wasthat something went completly wrong.

And the "when people fvck it up" comment? Well... if a (assistant?) DS handing out the wrong bike isn't fvcking up?