Buying your way to a TdF win

[ilillillli]

Not a spiteful move, just good team tactics between competitors.

sorry, to clarify...
it's spiteful only if lance's interest is in getting schleck to win ONLY so contador can't. and has a harder time breaking his (lance's) record. that'd be spiteful, right?

 

[colwildcat]

Has Kloden tried to win the Tour with a good team supporting him? Regarding Levi, I hear what you are saying. He tried, but he tried only once. IMO is better to keep trying and falling short (Ulrich minus his actual win) than to try once, acknowledge ones limitations (what ever happened to improving yourself...) and give up your chances entirely. Then again Levi and Kloden are not necessarily at the same level...

I'd love to see Kloden give it a shot on a team that supports him. Although I think he showed this year that he can't quite keep up on the long steep climbs. Although, if he wasn't pulling AC, maybe it would have been different.

I happen to respect guys like Hincapie, Levi, and Voigt. They're the consummate teammates. They kill themselves for other guys to get their chance to win some of the races that aren't a grand tour. I think they know that no matter the work they put in, they couldn't win the big one. And, I'd lump Cadel Evans into that camp as well. I think it's time he realizes he's not going to win the tour... ever.

 

[colwildcat]

sorry, to clarify...
it's spiteful only if lance's interest is in getting schleck to win ONLY so contador can't. and has a harder time breaking his (lance's) record. that'd be spiteful, right?

I think he'd be getting Schleck to put forth the best team he can to please the sponsors and keep the team going. If, in the process, he could spite Contador, I don't think he'd mind. Say what you will about how LA treated Contador, but there wasn't a whole lot of respect ever paid back the other way either. They both behaved badly this season, in my opinion.

 

[palmerq]

I'd love to see Kloden give it a shot on a team that supports him. Although I think he showed this year that he can't quite keep up on the long steep climbs. Although, if he wasn't pulling AC, maybe it would have been different.

Did Klodi not end up as leader for the 2006 tour, after jan ehh decided not to take part :S, I can´t quite remember, did t-mobile have the full 9 riders? because i think jan and sevilla were pulled right before the tour, so maybe he didn´t have a full team, but after the landis DQing(quite right too) he is in the top 5(i think) list for the smallest gap between first and 2nd. So he´s certainly got the talent, I think he would have had a great chance had he not gone to astana for 2007 and 2008, but seems like he always wanted to be a team mate, or maybe he knew something dodgy was coming with t-mobile and ran(although astana were worse).

But Klodi is one of my favourites, great team mate, even if it is a strange decision for him, but I think he is getting old now and his time has gone. I think he could have made the podium this year, but he was busy being a team mate. I think he could have been the 3rd best rider this tour although it is very hard to tell.

If he isn´t busted and doesnt retire i wouldn´t be surprised if he stays with astana, I don´t think he has any great attachment to armstrong, I guess no desire to be a leader and he was with vino for a long time and then joined his team :S

 

[pedaling squares]

What GC contender in their right mind would sign on with Lance considering what just went on with Astana?

Only way I can see this happening is for Andy to agree to support Lance for a year, with the agreement that Lance will retire again and the entire team will be built around Andy. Nobody else on that team will be young enough to win the tour. Of course... you'd have to take Lance at his word. "Trust me" might not be Lance's best selling point these days.

 

[scribe]

sorry, to clarify...
it's spiteful only if lance's interest is in getting schleck to win ONLY so contador can't. and has a harder time breaking his (lance's) record. that'd be spiteful, right?

And deliriously delicious.

 

[ilillillli]

And deliriously delicious.

ok, whatever.

 

[unsheath]

Only way I can see this happening is for Andy to agree to support Lance for a year, with the agreement that Lance will retire again and the entire team will be built around Andy. Nobody else on that team will be young enough to win the tour. Of course... you'd have to take Lance at his word. "Trust me" might not be Lance's best selling point these days.

That's my interpretation of the situation as well. Doubtful his holiness will race as a 40y.o. And as you say, I'll trust my local minister in a room full of choirboys before I trust Lance.

Personally, I can't see what Radioshack can offer over and above Saxo. The team will be Andy's as long as he wants it.