More Riis' Pieces

[TERMINATOR]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/riis-reveals-he-advised-contador-over-chaingate


This shows how screwed up Riis is: he wants Contador to "apologize" to Schleck for what was either faulty equipment or faulty shifting - neither of which is a compelling reason to wait in a professional race.

But Riis gives a free pass to his boy Franky Schleck for visiting a virginia doctor (gynecologist) who just so happens to be the mastermind of Operacion Puerto and then goes on record as saying he believes Contador's bad meat story as well. When I saw Riis standing by Schleck at that press conference it was like a comedy scene.

Riis is not lucid. Underneath that bald head is fried egg for a brain. But I do find it absolutely adorable how he tries to present himself as a man of great moral fortitude with those faux tough military training camps and orders to uphold the unwritten code of conduct in cycling (so long as it doesn't include doping to win, that is). It's kind of like George Bush rationalizing why he killed 70,000 people over a war that was entered under false pretense and then saying how he devoutly believes in the right to life.

 

[Winterfold]

I agree Riis is a total 'random' (as ver kids would say) His behaviour seems to have no consistency or pattern to it. Almost felt sorry for him but he's every bit as much a sneaky *** as the people who've left his team.

Spartacus must be especially hacked off.

Less male bonding and a bit more girly emotional intelligence stuff needed IMO

 

[yourwelcome]

I agree Riis is a total 'random' (as ver kids would say) His behaviour seems to have no consistency or pattern to it.

Isn't there a pretty solid long term pattern of self interest, and that particular end justifying any means?

 

[Francois the Postman]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/riis-reveals-he-advised-contador-over-chaingate

This shows how screwed up Riis is: he wants Contador to "apologize" to Schleck for what was either faulty equipment or faulty shifting - neither of which is a compelling reason to wait in a professional race.

Underneath that bald head is a DS who faces real consequences when making public displays, or reacting to them. And who is also responsible for perception management and getting the best possible outcome for his riders to boot.

If I read it correctly, the article doesn't suggest that Riis wanted Contador to apologize either, but that he advised him to do it.

Those two are not always the same thing. Public perception and your response to it matters too, regardless how wrong or right you were in the first place.

Riis apparently judged that Contador "had made a mistake", but it did not say why, or what the actual mistake/misjudgement was.

Maybe he does judge or did judge the incident to be a real etiquette transgression (which IMO this was not, so if Riis does see it as such, we differ on it). But given that he had witnessed the fall-out that evening, he might also have judged it to be more a PR mistake, which it probably was.

Either way, I would advise against taking every public word uttered by Riis, riders and other people involved in the sport and with something at stake in it, as their actual POV or emotional knee-jerk response from the heart.

Let alone as a cue to figure out what it means for inner consistency. The inner response is hardly ever the same as the public response, for people who face consequences and scrutiny for what they pass on to the public, but who have private interests in the matter, and responsibilities beyond themselves.

Remove a level of spin and PR, and this all seems pretty tame and predictable to me. DS makes supportive and defensive comments for riders he needs to ride for him. Consistently. Screwed up?

 

[hrotha]

Okay, I can't take it anymore. I don't get the thread title.

 

[TBooker27]

I think that Riis is a mastermind of good PR. Look how so many people think the Schleck Bros and Cancellara walk on water (even though their behavior does not support this, i.e., drinking during Vuelta and weaseling out of contract). They have been the beneficiaries of the Saxo Bank PR machine. I think Riis was getting the PR gears grinding with the apology video, trying to make AC seem as warm and fuzzy as Andy.

 

[supercameron]

it makes me wonder if Riis was really supporting Andy at all during the tour but instead sabotaging his chances knowing that he would have contador next year. Was he telling him to hold back till tourmalet knowing that he wouldnt break him?

 

[pedaling squares]

Okay, I can't take it anymore. I don't get the thread title.

 

[Magnus]

it makes me wonder if Riis was really supporting Andy at all during the tour but instead sabotaging his chances knowing that he would have contador next year. Was he telling him to hold back till tourmalet knowing that he wouldnt break him?

He wasn't.

He was telling him to attack at Morzine-Avoriaz when Contador was weak (before the final km).

 

[hrotha]

Thanks, pedaling squares. No wonder I didn't get it, I have never seen one of those. It's a relief, in a way.

 

[Winterfold]

Isn't there a pretty solid long term pattern of self interest, and that particular end justifying any means?

Maybe - but I am not too sure how well he goes about it

I guess extracting a large sum of money from Spartacus so he could leave is very consistent with this

 

[Winterfold]

Reese's Pieces - satan's candy - taste divine but eat 100gm of them and you put on 300gm of fat. FACT.

 

[la.margna]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/riis-reveals-he-advised-contador-over-chaingate


This shows how screwed up Riis is: he wants Contador to "apologize" to Schleck for what was either faulty equipment or faulty shifting - neither of which is a compelling reason to wait in a professional race.

sorry. read the article again. Contador sent Riis an SMS ""I'm sorry about the situation. ", so Riis just wanted Contador to tell this also to Babyschleck. Don't see any problem here.

But don't get me wrong. chaingate is a joke. Although I personally would not feel good and don't want to attack and profit at/from such an incident, it was a COUNTER-attack. So if you draw your sword and drop it, you're dead. Such is life. And again, I think waiting is ridicolous and bad for the sport. Already the Spa stage was a joke. This is cycling. **** happens. It's bad luck, but part of the race.

 

[Angliru]

Maybe - but I am not too sure how well he goes about it

I guess extracting a large sum of money from Spartacus so he could leave is very consistent with this

Isn't that the norm in cycling? If you have another year on your contract and you want to move to another team the rider and/or the other team has to pay.