Lidl-Trek (no longer Radioshack-Leopard Trek)

[burning]

Exactly... its clear that RSNT is not doing well! in 2011 Leo was 3rd best team, RS was 5th... and the main point scorers from each team are together they just can't win anything!

Well they lost 150 points from last year instantly when Cancellara crashed out, If Cancellara had those points, they would be at 6th spot right now.

Getting total of 0 points from Ardennes didnt helped though

 

[LaFlorecita]

The best climber in the race?

Left at home?
I dont think so....


I dont think Savio would have left Rujano at home even if he knew the form he would have been in at the Giro...

The best climber in the race? Dropped on a cat 3 hill a few days ago.

 

[Froome19]

The best climber in the race? Dropped on a cat 3 hill a few days ago.

Indeed.... doesnt change the fact that he is the best climber in the race..

 

[Eusebio Kino]

The best climber in the race? Dropped on a cat 3 hill a few days ago.

Andy and Frank Schleck deserve respect, punto. Watch the Tour not the prep races, madam.

 

[Froome19]

Andy and Frank Schleck deserve respect, punto. Watch the Tour not the prep races, madam.

Exactly..

10 chars

 

[burning]

Andy and Frank Schleck deserve respect, punto. Watch the Tour not the prep races, madam.

We shall see them in less than 20 days

 

[LaFlorecita]

Indeed.... doesnt change the fact that he is the best climber in the race..

He may be the best climber but whether he will be the best climber in the race we still have to see.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Andy and Frank Schleck deserve respect, punto. Watch the Tour not the prep races, madam.

And who are you to tell me what I should do?

 

[airstream]

He may be the best climber but whether he will be the best climber in the race we still have to see.

That's an established truth certified by cycling for the priceless value.

Unique outstanding cycling content. Never forget.

 

[LaFlorecita]

That's an established truth certified by cycling for the priceless value.

Unique outstanding cycling content. Never forget.

Whatever you like.

 

[Nick C.]

This isn't the first time Horner got left off the Tour team. Wasn't he left off in 2009 as fall out from some sort of internal squabbles.

 

[burning]

One of you will be really embarrassed after TDF, which one of you will win

 

[glassmoon]

well, his eventual TdF performance is at least questionable. but to say lies and BS regarding this by management is total nonsense. JB wtf?

 

[offbyone]

I see, but the final squad is unlikely to surprise us a lot. Let's hope that's really about fitness, not about some undercover games.

If it is about fitness and performance then Andy and Frank should both be excluded. Horner may have some small injuries going on but it didn't prevent him from racing well. If the selection is about injury, then Frank should be excluded, he couldn't even finish the Giro much less have an affect on the race. There is a double standard here.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

There is a double standard here.

On that point at least, sure you are right, but cycling is full of that sort of double standard. Big stars are treated better than small stars who are treated better than important domestiques who are treated better than more marginal domestiques. The Schlecks are marquee names. Horner is a good rider but not that.

 

[Froome19]

If it is about fitness and performance then Andy and Frank should both be excluded. Horner may have some small injuries going on but it didn't prevent him from racing well. If the selection is about injury, then Frank should be excluded, he couldn't even finish the Giro much less have an affect on the race. There is a double standard here.

Are we talking about the same Frank who just attacked in the TDS on the queen stage and nearly took the stage and who is probably climbing better than anyone else there?

Also just because Andy wasnt in good form at the Dauphine doesnt mean he wont be in good form at the Tour

 

[airstream]

Moreover, only Andy himself knows his fitness. It'd be naive to think that he's zero in June. That's cycling and normal physical condition ≠ satisfactory perfomance. No doubt he feels a big reserve but just sees it reasonable not to embody form into the result because shape can't turn up absolutely out of nowhere. It's impossible physically.

 

[Angliru]

Ease up. What drastic happened? A pure climber was left out. That's not a matter of one's merits or an alleged guarantee to be included. The main principle of scheduling of the team for GT is not palmares, but above all what сombination of riders can work most cohesively and balance. With the selection, Bruyneel was doomed to bump into a difficult decision. Well, the choice fell on Сhris, so goes the world.

My issue is with the rider not being informed directly by the team management. Especially considering the hard work that the professionals put in to be prepared if their name is called for the start. Someone could have informed him. This isn't the dark ages where they'd have to have sent a carrier pigeon with a note strapped to its leg. An email, phone call, text...ideally a phone call considering the importance a Tour appointment is to most professionals. It's an example of the continued turmoil that exists and why.

 

[offbyone]

Are we talking about the same Frank who just attacked in the TDS on the queen stage and nearly took the stage and who is probably climbing better than anyone else there?

Also just because Andy wasnt in good form at the Dauphine doesnt mean he wont be in good form at the Tour

That wasn't the queen stage. Take a look at saturday and sunday. It will be interesting to see if climbs well there. But other than the one stage frank has been dreadful so far this year.

The same could be said about horner as you are saying about andy.

 

[Angliru]

In my view, the final squad will be: Andy-Frank-Kloden-Zubeldia-Fuglsang-Monfort-Popovych (Gallopin)-Jens-Fabi.

There's no rule according to what riders are selected purely based on current results. That's a key criterion, but not the lot. The Schlecks' spots are indisputable. I don't know what's going on with Klodi this season barring the fact that he was sick for a while, but very often he prepares only for the Tour and apparently will be good. It's not worth discussing Monfort's seat too, I hope. So, further, we have Fuglsang who's very likely to start anyways and this decision baffles me as Horny was better this season. Possibly, Andy put in a word for him. To me, Zubeldia looks more advantageous in the role of mountain helper. Jens and Fabi - it's clear too. So, there's 1 vacant place which should a priori be given to a rider of more wide capacities and Popo is preferrable in this case.

So, to my mind, Horny was supposed to ride instead of Fuglsang by rights, but one decided the other way.

Fuglsang is there by nature of his preparations being for the Giro and his having to be pulled in the last hour due to an injury (knee?). His selection over Horner I'm guessing is due to him having shown in Tour of Luxembourg that he's fully recovered. Horner could only tell them about his training mileage and they'd have to take his word for it that he has no further issues with his back spasms. If they were really concerned about making the best selection I would guess there would have been a more hands on approach to monitoring the progress of his recovery. Management not having contacted him in that month's time frame and apparently Horner not giving them updates certainly had an effect on their list of the team's Tour roster candidates. As was stated by one of the team's officials, they decided that with Horner not doing the TdS that he had no chance of making the Tour roster. They just didn't bother to inform of this fact which is pretty classless and unprofessional of them. Horner has every right to po'd.

 

[Froome19]

That wasn't the queen stage. Take a look at saturday and sunday. It will be interesting to see if climbs well there. But other than the one stage frank has been dreadful so far this year.

The same could be said about horner as you are saying about andy.

I would say it was the queen stage, but it is up to debate...

Also Frank has not been dreadful this year in fact....
And anyway the past 5 months are irrelevant as all that matters is that he is in good form now.

Also yeh I agree the same could be said about Horner..

 

[Angliru]

If it is about fitness and performance then Andy and Frank should both be excluded. Horner may have some small injuries going on but it didn't prevent him from racing well. If the selection is about injury, then Frank should be excluded, he couldn't even finish the Giro much less have an affect on the race. There is a double standard here.

Frank seems to have recovered based on his on-going TdS performance. Andy, now that is another story. If you're going to base it on fitness and performance then both Horner and Andy would be excluded although Andy much less likely due to his importance to the team's success. Horner would just be a support player and a diversion to the team's opponents.

 

[ElChingon]

Well instead of whinning about it here's where to get some input on the Horner issue:

Contact Page: RadioShack Contact Page HQ

or the e-mail address to media relations: E-mail: media.relations@RadioShack.com and CC any other e-mail address as well.

I'm sure if you include some USA angle or patriotic rhetoric we'll get it done. Lets see if the HQ guys can get something done. If we annoy them enough they'll want some answers as well.

 

[DominicDecoco]

So, to my mind, Horny was supposed to ride instead of Fuglsang by rights, but one decided the other way.

I'm obviously biased but Jakob is the better rider. He has timed he form quite well after the injury.

 

[thehog]

Well instead of whinning about it here's where to get some input on the Horner issue:

Contact Page: RadioShack Contact Page HQ

or the e-mail address to media relations: E-mail: media.relations@RadioShack.com and CC any other e-mail address as well.

I'm sure if you include some USA angle or patriotic rhetoric we'll get it done. Lets see if the HQ guys can get something done. If we annoy them enough they'll want some answers as well.

Geez Andy has been sliding off the edge of the world all year and no one really cares. The minute balding Horner doesn't make the Tour team then - Blasphemy!!

I think Hog is a legend for leaving him out along with not telling him and letting him read about it in the paper.