General News Thread

[theswordsman]

Cancellara

"We're extremely disappointed by Fabian's abandon, it's not the way a great champion should behave," Saxo Bank's sports director at the race, Bradley McGee, told Reuters.

"He decided to stop for some unknown reason, hurried off to the airport to catch the next flight and now he's not answering his phone."

"When he decided to pull the pin [stop] on the race, I expressed a very strong opinion about that, and I was adamant he should continue but I can't push him back onto his bike."

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news...sed-by-team-for-failing-to-finish-vuelta.html

 

[craig1985]

Begs the question of why bothering to start the stage.

 

[roundabout]

I guess Kim Andersen was the man keeping the team together while baldy got most of the credit.

You have to seriously **** off the best rider on the team of the last 5 years for him not to care anymore.

 

[theswordsman]

Begs the question of why bothering to start the stage.

And how did he and his luggage get to the airport?

There's a follow-up article. Apparently he sees himself as a Tour de France winner.

"I probably will not win the Tour de France by racing on the same team as Alberto Contador. But the Tour is a dream. I feel that I have many good years left, so I do not feel desperate."

Switzerland's BMC Racing and Russia's Katusha reportedly have the best offers for Cancellara. There is also interest from British-based Team Sky and Fly V Australia

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/500080/cancellara-taking-all-offers-seriously.html

 

[hrotha]

And how did he and his luggage get to the airport?

There's a follow-up article. Apparently he sees himself as a Tour de France winner.


http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/500080/cancellara-taking-all-offers-seriously.html

I love how the link to the news article shows up as /...seriously.html, because that's exactly what I thought when I read the quote.

This is a lot worse than Andy and Stuey partying hard, but it won't be as much of a scandal.

 

[roundabout]

What's worse?

That Cancellara abandoned half a stage earlier than it was agreed?

Or that suddenly Riis forgot everything he ever believed in and the team now hangs the dirty laundry out in the open whether through McGee are those wonderful "anonymous" sources?

Or the fact that a rider producing high level performances for a last number of years is suddenly deemed unprofessional? Why would Cancellara suddenly not care about the team?

Does the team consider him worthy of support? Who was signed specifically to help Cancellara? Nobody so far. Nuyens is contingent on Cancellara leaving.

Has Riis approached Cancellara to define what his role would be in a team with Contador? Nope, baldy made a big deal out of signing Contador, how they are going to win the triple, bla-bla-bla then went AWOL without concern for the rest.

What has Riis offered to Cancellara for next year apart from saying that he can leave for €3m?

And please don't give me the crap about Riis being able to combine the classics and stage racing teams since it's obviously not happening now.

 

[hrotha]

He's a paid professional. If I pull that crap at the office, I get fired.

 

[roundabout]

Maybe he wants to get fired? Or at least remind Riis that there are other people on the team besides Contador?

And it's not exactly comparible to an office job, is it?

 

[hrotha]

Maybe he wants to get fired? Or at least remind Riis that there are other people on the team besides Contador?

That's not very professional is what I'm saying. Pro sports being special is a bit irrelevant here because the only way that has anything to do with this situation is that people excuse incredibly unprofessional behaviour in pro sports.

 

[roundabout]

It's a bit rich to talk about pro sports being irrelevant to the discussion when you gave an example of an office job.

Maybe you also think that strikes are unprofessional, huh? Afterall they have a contract and should just suck it up.

 

[hrotha]

It's a bit rich to talk about pro sports being irrelevant to the discussion when you gave an example of an office job.

Maybe you also think that strikes are unprofessional, huh? Afterall they have a contract and should just suck it up.

This is not a strike. If you don't think it's unprofessional of Cancellara to just abandon for no good reason, then I guess there's not much to discuss here.

 

[roundabout]

If you think Cancellara is the only unprofessional party here, and it's not a sign of deeper issues within the team, then i agree, there's not much to discuss here.

 

[theswordsman]

This is not a strike. If you don't think it's unprofessional of Cancellara to just abandon for no good reason, then I guess there's not much to discuss here.

Especially after he promised his boss he would finish it. More from the same article:

McGee said the agreement had been that Cancellara would pull out after the stage, not during it, in order to help team-mate Frank Schleck - who had a tough time at the finish, puncturing then skidding towards the barriers, although he did not crash.

"It was going to be a difficult, tricky finish, so we agreed he'd stay to help Frank with positioning for that. But he got off the bike earlier."

The guy came in in the final ten riders on a number of stages, and the Spanish press had him out partying in Seville, Murcia and Malaga. This caps off a pretty unprofessional grand tour for him. Of course, he'll be able to instantly turn on his discipline after three months of off-season.

 

[Miss Indo]

Fabian to leave Saxo Bank

Bjarne just announced that Fabi will not be riding for him, next year...

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

Bjarne just announced that Fabi will not be riding for him, next year...

source?

Susan

 

[HL2037]

source?

Susan

Live interview on TV2 Denmark

 

[Kazistuta]

Live interview on TV2 Denmark

+1 for credibility, Susan

 

[HL2037]

Link:

http://sporten.tv2.dk/article.php/id-33669740:cancellara-er-færdig-hos-riis.html?forside

 

[hiero2]

Kim Kirchen wants to return to the peloton next year, but his boss Andrei Tchmil, wants him to retire and take up a position as a team staff member, not as a rider, in a move he calls "irresponsible".

Kirchen aims to resume career in 2011 | Cyclingnews.com

I think I agree with Tchmil, even more so that Kirchen has recently become a father.

I absolutely agree with Tchmil. If Kim is thinking of returning, unless he knows some reason why this "attack" was a one-time thing, is being irresponsible to return to the peloton. I have to admire Tchmil's RESPONSIBLE response - a chapeau or even two!

 

[Ney the Viking]

http://ekstrabladet.dk/sport/cykling/article1414364.ece

Riis states that with the loss of Matti and Spartacus they will probably not be favourites in any the classics, but more of an outsider team. Though he looks forward to give Larsson, Klostergaard and Mørkøv more responsibility. He also say they might need some time to get the team up to the speed that it has been the past few years.

On top of that Riis confirms McGee and Frost for DS next year, while he says he has already beefed up the team in the DS department, but name no names yet. He also says he has more signings going on, but that it might be a while before we hear any names.

 

[Dedelou]

http://ekstrabladet.dk/sport/cykling/article1414364.ece

Riis states that with the loss of Matti and Spartacus they will probably not be favourites in any the classics, but more of an outsider team. Though he looks forward to give Larsson, Klostergaard and Mørkøv more responsibility. He also say they might need some time to get the team up to the speed that it has been the past few years.

On top of that Riis confirms McGee and Frost for DS next year, while he says he has already beefed up the team in the DS department, but name no names yet. He also says he has more signings going on, but that it might be a while before we hear any names.

Cant' help thinking that is PR talk for we are nto sure how it will all come out

 

[theswordsman]

There's a chance the Commonwealth Games aren't going to happen

There is a massive amount of work to be done to get the athletes' accommodation at the Commonwealth Games ready in time, says NZ Chef de Mission Dave Currie.

Earlier today Currie said the Games were in jeopardy because the accommodation is not complete.

This afternoon he told TVNZ he was optimistic the work could be done on time but it would require "energy and will".

http://tvnz.co.nz/commonwealth-games/reports-games-may-called-off-3791656

 

[Jamsque]

If a race is cancelled in the woods, and nobody is around to hear it...

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I was looking forward to that race so bad

 

[craig1985]

Well Cav is riding, and pan flat as well. Makes a TdF sprinters stage look entertaining.