Lidl-Trek (no longer Radioshack-Leopard Trek)

[Ryo Hazuki]

I hear Becca is furious right now, angry at Bruyneel for blowing off several meetings with sponsors

becca seems like a total idiot and isn't bruyneel taken into custody or something?

 

[Christian]

To be honest he knew what he was getting himself into with Hog and co.

The guy is clueless, meanwhile back home his precious football stadium and outlet mall project has been stopped by the gouvernment and he is being sued, not to mention his offices and home have been searched twice ... things are really not looking too well for him right now.

I don't know if he cares all that much about RadioShack anymore. I think we bit off way too much than he could chew both financially speaking and from a management point of view and he knows it. For it to work out he would have needed a Tour win and a sponsor by the end of the year, neither of which happened so he got the hell out of there and left it up to someone else to pick up the pieces

 

[thehog]

The guy is clueless, meanwhile back home his precious football stadium and outlet mall project has been stopped by the gouvernment and he is being sued, not to mention his offices and home have been searched twice ... things are really not looking too well for him right now.

I don't know if he cares all that much about RadioShack anymore. I think we bit off way too much than he could chew both financially speaking and from a management point of view and he knows it. For it to work out he would have needed a Tour win and a sponsor by the end of the year, neither of which happened so he got the hell out of there and left it up to someone else to pick up the pieces

Interesting. I did not know all this.

Sounds also like the Shlecks were a little gullible to go down this path also.

Riis must be having a little laugh to himself.

 

[El Oso]

I hear Becca is furious right now, angry at Bruyneel for blowing off several meetings with sponsors

Should have sent Andy to California, he wouldn't turn down a night of drinking

I know, too easy

 

[ElChingon]

Should have sent Andy to California, he wouldn't turn down a night of drinking

I know, too easy

And who knows what else when they stopped in Santa Cruz

 

[Christian]

I think Becca will pull out at the end of this season. He is losing way too much money way too fast and getting nothing in return, not even any prospects of getting anything out of it anytime soon. Thus Leopard S.A., the company holding the UCI license, will cease to exist. The license will be up for grabs. The company RadioShack will seize this opportunity to get out of their sponsorship agreement, seeing the person responsible for this deal has already been fired. Leaves CSE, the former holder of Team RadioShack's license, and Nissan. Bruyneel and CSE will take over the license and Nissan might step up their sponsorship. Or not?!

 

[roundabout]

I'd go with or not. But who knows, maybe Bruyneel has Gianetti like skill in finding idiots, err, sponsors.

Edit: reading this page, he doesn't even have that

 

[Benotti69]

Everyone involved in this does not come out of this looking anyway good. Schlecks made their beds by crapping on another team and now find themselves in the brown stuff of their own making. To be expected when you get into bed with people who have no morals.

To be truthful i dont have much sympathy for anyone in this except the maybe the neo pros as they probably had little choice. But the likes of Canc, Jens etc knew that they were dealing with people who behave badly.

 

[Christian]

Bruyneel: "Surprised and very disappointed"

Here a radio interview in French with Bruyneel.

"This morning at breakfast I could already see that his morale was not very high (...) but I had the impression that his physical condition was good enough to stay with the best, and I repeat: the withdrawal was a surprise to me."

Do you think he did it to prepare better for the Tour de France?

"Listen ... I hope not. In any case it was not the team's objective that Fränk come to the Giro to prepare the Tour, not at all even."

Do you plan with him for the Tour?

"He will now do the Tour of Luxembourg and the Tour de Suisse, after that we see"

http://sport.rtl.lu/cyclissem/news/248245.html

Also says he did not think the injury was as bad as to force him to abandon

 

[Forunculo]

Bruyneel: "Surprised and very disappointed"

Here a radio interview in French with Bruyneel.

"This morning at breakfast I could already see that his morale was not very high (...) but I had the impression that his physical condition was good enough to stay with the best, and I repeat: the withdrawal was a surprise to me."

Do you think he did it to prepare better for the Tour de France?

"Listen ... I hope not. In any case it was not the team's objective that Fränk come to the Giro to prepare the Tour, not at all even."

Do you plan with him for the Tour?

"He will now do the Tour of Luxembourg and the Tour de Suisse, after that we see"

http://sport.rtl.lu/cyclissem/news/248245.html

Also says he did not think the injury was as bad as to force him to abandon

I'm smelling blood. Clearly when Johan arrives Italy Frank leaves. And the Tour has 100 km of tt. RSNT can explode there.

 

[jens_attacks]

Also says he did not think the injury was as bad as to force him to abandon

unfortunately i think that was pretty obvious.

the pressure on the schlecks this july will be HUGE.probably it will be no more team if andy doesn't win which is kind of sad

 

[Don Johnson]

Earlier today Bruyneel was only saying there was still a chance Frank could even podium and now this.

I say Bruyneel is furious with him by the looks of things. If Frank had this attitude to pull out like that just to concentrate on the Tour I hope Bruyneel has the b**** to ditch him from the Tour. I have enough of their nonsense where they live in the bubble of the Tour only. Frank will get his rude awakening and reality check if he arrives at the Tour. He thinks he can just turn into good form like a tap at the Tour. He has another thing coming I tell you that.

I think you nailed it. Dis unity in the team is never a good thing.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Bruyneel: "Surprised and very disappointed"

Here a radio interview in French with Bruyneel.

"This morning at breakfast I could already see that his morale was not very high (...) but I had the impression that his physical condition was good enough to stay with the best, and I repeat: the withdrawal was a surprise to me."

Do you think he did it to prepare better for the Tour de France?

"Listen ... I hope not. In any case it was not the team's objective that Fränk come to the Giro to prepare the Tour, not at all even."

Do you plan with him for the Tour?

"He will now do the Tour of Luxembourg and the Tour de Suisse, after that we see"

http://sport.rtl.lu/cyclissem/news/248245.html

Also says he did not think the injury was as bad as to force him to abandon

I got a similar impression watching JB's pre-race interview for the RCS Gazzetta channel - oddly broadcast slightly after FS retired ...
JB just wanted to jolly Frank along for the sake of appearances.

There was probably a promise that JB made to someone that a Schleck would do Il Giro without coming clean with FS until he had to.
I don't think JB cares about either Schleck much - but the TdF powers will probably want the Brothers present so it won't matter much, he'll just be ready to accept what comes his way and let them both go.

What with Gesink & Wiggins they might need each other!

 

[mewmewmew13]

Total mess! No communication whatsoever. Any two-bit team-building consultant can tell you that the whole team is unraveling from the top down.

I would love to have heard the 'harsh words' that happened after that whole thing. Frank making his own decisions...Johan has had a busy week!

The gift that keeps on giving....

 

[webbie146]

RSNT there season can still be saved if Andy wins the tdf. If Andy wins the season will be great, if Andy loses it will be a epic fail..

 

[Hmmmmm]

Earlier today Bruyneel was only saying there was still a chance Frank could even podium and now this.

I say Bruyneel is furious with him by the looks of things. If Frank had this attitude to pull out like that just to concentrate on the Tour I hope Bruyneel has the b**** to ditch him from the Tour. I have enough of their nonsense where they live in the bubble of the Tour only. Frank will get his rude awakening and reality check if he arrives at the Tour. He thinks he can just turn into good form like a tap at the Tour. He has another thing coming I tell you that.

Don't normally like to knock particular riders, but the Schlecks act like pretty boys who need a rude awakening. Need to improve the their time trial abilities and need a major mental adjustment.

 

[mewmewmew13]

Daniel put it up

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/is-the-bruyneel-schleck-amalgamation-imploding

what next??

 

[Angliru]

Daniel put it up

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/is-the-bruyneel-schleck-amalgamation-imploding

what next??

Wow, Frank's Tour participation isn't etched in stone? That's pretty serious considering his early Giro departure.

 

[thehog]

Daniel put it up

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/is-the-bruyneel-schleck-amalgamation-imploding

what next??

I still say a coup to get rid of Bruyneel before the Tour. Hog is p1ssing on everyone.

Andersen is in charge of those lads and they won't change that for a Hog only Tour.

It would be funny if it wasn't so serious for the Shlecks.

Wonder where they'll go next year? Astana?

 

[Parrulo]

Wow, Frank's Tour participation isn't etched in stone? That's pretty serious considering his early Giro departure.

if bruynnel wants to keep any sort of authority within the team he better man up and not send frank to the tour, otherwise every1 will start doing what they want.

 

[Angliru]

This is just so entertaining to me! If this leads to a complete implosion at the Tour I think it would make up for Wiggins winning the Tour (if that were to happen). I could be wrong but all this conflict and chaos can't be something that can motivate a fragile psychie like Andy's, leaving Kloden with the pressure of leading the team on his shoulder's and he doesn't have the history of responding well to that type of pressure.

 

[thehog]

You can't blame Bruyneel. If anyone p***** on anybody, it was Frank who did it to his teammates who worked hard to protect these last 2 weeks. I am no fan of Bruyneel but I don't think he is in the wrong here. I am glad he spoke out against him. I say the 2 of them have broke Bruyneel's heart all season and he must be banging his head against the wall now at this stage.



That is what I said in a previous post as well. The Schlecks think they are a law on to themselves and I hope Bruyneel makes Frank ride Luxembourg and the Tour de Suisse and then ditch him for the Tour. It would be well deserved I say. I have had enough of their b****ing. He was only interested in the Tour and milked an injury to get out of the race.

Cycling is becoming like football where the players rule the roost. If they're not happy they can play for another team.

I think Bruyneel tried to exert authority over the Shlecks but they rebelled. You can't split them up. You can't come in and change 30 years of family love. When Hog made a play to get Andersen out of e car that was it.

Bruyneel has his own problems and the Shlecks know it. They don't want to be associated with someone who's about to get tarnished by the Lance-doping brush.

I agree with you Frank sh3t on his Giro teammates. That's very poor form. Leaving the race like he did was spineless. But he just wants to be with Andy and Andy wants to be with Frank. You can't change that. That's blood.

 

[Caruut]

Cycling is becoming like football where the players rule the roost. If they're not happy they can play for another team.

I think Bruyneel tried to exert authority over the Shlecks but they rebelled. You can't split them up. You can't come in and change 30 years of family love. When Hog made a play to get Andersen out of e car that was it.

Bruyneel has his own problems and the Shlecks know it. They don't want to be associated with someone who's about to get tarnished by the Lance-doping brush.

I agree with you Frank sh3t on his Giro teammates. That's very poor form. Leaving the race like he did was spineless. But he just wants to be with Andy and Andy wants to be with Frank. You can't change that. That's blood.

My brother is one of my best friends, but I don't drop out of Uni just to go back home and see him. Likewise, when Frank was riding for CSC and Andy was an amateur, they didn't ride together all the time. This isn't about family ties, it's about these two thinking that they can do whatever the hell they please, and disrespecting their team, their boss, the Giro and their contracts. It's pathetic.

 

[Forunculo]

@dwuori: Maybe the Schlecks should consider starting their own team in Luxembourg?

 

[ChrisE]

It's gotta be difficult for JB, going from the most dedicated and prolific TdF champion, to AC, then to these 2 little primaddona's.