Radioshack Crying after Lombardia snub

[L'arriviste]

Why would radio shack be bad for lombardia? Is it that they have Lance Levi and Bruynell, some of the most hated on this forum? Is it that they chose not to ride the Giro? Or is it the dreaded Lance thing?

It's because outside the Tour and California, they seem mostly to phone their lines in. Granted there are plenty of other teams who haven't shown much this year, but RS just don't look hungry. Whatever anyone thinks of him and whatever he's done or not done, it's been an Armstrong vehicle.

Actually, it interests me more that race organisers are taking a position on their events, rather than this being an exclusive RS thing. Ceramica Flaminia was invited not to participate in the Giro too.

It seems to me a good way to go forward when the governing body of the sport is a dysfunctional junta. OT, I guess, but it's not a Lance hating thing for me.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

Not having teams like RS at their races will only continue to push the Giro, Vuelta and ToLomb onto the back burner of pro cycling.

There's about 10million emerging US cycling fans who are "aware" of the TdF, Paris-Roubaix and some of the other Spring Classics. They have no idea about the Vuelta, Giro and most of the post-TdF races.

This will only push those races to the backburner while the Tour of California and Tour of Colorado take hold.

Where does a company like Specialized get more bang for the buck? Giro di Italia or Tour of California where the GOVERNOR-ATOR Arnold Schwartzenegger is giving away the first leaders jersey???? What do you think makes the headlines from California, across the Pacific Rim and over 1/2 of China?

It's amazing how cycling managed to survive and thrive for so many years without American support.

 

[flicker]

It's because outside the Tour and California, they seem mostly to phone their lines in. Granted there are plenty of other teams who haven't shown much this year, but RS just don't look hungry. Whatever anyone thinks of him and whatever he's done or not done, it's been an Armstrong vehicle.

Actually, it interests me more that race organisers are taking a position on their events, rather than this being an exclusive RS thing. Ceramica Flaminia was invited not to participate in the Giro too.

It seems to me a good way to go forward when the governing body of the sport is a dysfunctional junta. OT, I guess, but it's not a Lance hating thing for me.

I agree with you 100 o/o. Unfortunately Bruyneel does not have the foresight to move on without Lance. I am a Lance and Bruyneel fan but it was a weak year for the Shack. The pity is Lance knew what he couldn't do this year and should have propped up a new team leader. The writing was on the wall since the begining of this year. Bruynell putting his eggs in one baket was a mistake. Similar to the last year of discovery when Bruyneel depended on Hincapie.

 

[powerste]

Not having teams like RS at their races will only continue to push the Giro, Vuelta and ToLomb onto the back burner of pro cycling.

There's about 10million emerging US cycling fans who are "aware" of the TdF, Paris-Roubaix and some of the other Spring Classics. They have no idea about the Vuelta, Giro and most of the post-TdF races.

This will only push those races to the backburner while the Tour of California and Tour of Colorado take hold.

Where does a company like Specialized get more bang for the buck? Giro di Italia or Tour of California where the GOVERNOR-ATOR Arnold Schwartzenegger is giving away the first leaders jersey???? What do you think makes the headlines from California, across the Pacific Rim and over 1/2 of China?

Do you really think Specialized would sponsor ProTour teams if they didn't want to sell bikes in Europe? Believe it or not, their market IS bigger than California.

 

[fatandfast]

I think Radioshacks 'point' is they were offered & accepted a slot on the Giro di Lombardia which was subsequently withdrawn. They're basically arguing there is a contractural breach.

If Radio Shack has a contract (written) I am sure it will be upheld. If it's anything like the rest of Team Armstrong's behavior, race promoters are dropping him like a bag of crap. He has acted like a guy guilty of something. All the BS about recovering from TDF injuries before resuming racing was a smoke screen. Armstrong has let his team mates and sponsors down with his lack of on bike activity. His fade from the sport is more like an on/off switch. He is probably in Aspen hiding from the 1 hip boogie monster. For a guy that got in front of every camera for years to suddenly hide from all of them is telling

 

[Benotti69]

In all fairness, the Tour of California was a much bigger race to the team's sponsors since it is the largest race in the only country they do business in

yep but they could have fielded 2 decent teams in each race. LA in ToC and Levi, Kloden etc in the Giro

 

[**Uru**]

This is from someone who is not a fan of Radioshack --I do not care for the highly charged and negative heading of this thread... If you replace Radioshack with any other team name, I doubt people here would let it pass so easily.

Agreements aside, I do not think it is good that a ProTour team that wants to participate has been excluded in favor of other 'pack fill' teams. Say what you will, but Radioshack has a deeper team than many here give them credit. This is not about Sir Lance, Levi, or JB being there, because we all know all of them would skip Lombardia.

 

[Benotti69]

Not having teams like RS at their races will only continue to push the Giro, Vuelta and ToLomb onto the back burner of pro cycling.

There's about 10million emerging US cycling fans who are "aware" of the TdF, Paris-Roubaix and some of the other Spring Classics. They have no idea about the Vuelta, Giro and most of the post-TdF races.

This will only push those races to the backburner while the Tour of California and Tour of Colorado take hold.

Where does a company like Specialized get more bang for the buck? Giro di Italia or Tour of California where the GOVERNOR-ATOR Arnold Schwartzenegger is giving away the first leaders jersey???? What do you think makes the headlines from California, across the Pacific Rim and over 1/2 of China?

If these fans truly care and like the sport they will look past sports illustrated and other american sports channels to where the true racing happens, in Europe and discover the wonderful palmares that the likes of LA ignored in recent years.

strange that trek are sponsoring a european/luxembourg team, specialized sponsoring a danish team and cannondale an italian team. How do you figure that attracts those 10million cycling fans.

these americans will filter through to the european races very easily. google will help no doubt if they know how to use computers

 

[L'arriviste]

I agree with you 100 o/o. Unfortunately Bruyneel does not have the foresight to move on without Lance. I am a Lance and Bruyneel fan but it was a weak year for the Shack. The pity is Lance knew what he couldn't do this year and should have propped up a new team leader. The writing was on the wall since the begining of this year. Bruynell putting his eggs in one baket was a mistake. Similar to the last year of discovery when Bruyneel depended on Hincapie.

Yes. We wouldn't be having this thread if RS had owned the Tour, would we? That Lombardia contract, if it indeed exists, would have been honoured. Horner made the top 10 and Paulinho won a stage but who will remember that? The only story was Armstrong. Just as it would also have been if he'd done well.

 

[Vonn Brinkman]

Agreements aside, I do not think it is good that a ProTour team that wants to participate has been excluded in favor of other 'pack fill' teams. Say what you will, but Radioshack has a deeper team than many here give them credit. This is not about Sir Lance, Levi, or JB being there, because we all know all of them would skip Lombardia.

I agree with you. Radioshack is not a 'bad' team, and it definitely has some great riders who could get some high placings. But RCS is simply getting back at them, and inviting all their home-grown Italians instead. More publicity anyway.

 

[flicker]

I agree with you. Radioshack is not a 'bad' team, and it definitely has some great riders who could get some high placings. But RCS is simply getting back at them, and inviting all their home-grown Italians instead. More publicity anyway.

Like the stuffing inside a Molteni, casing you just do not know what you will get!

 

[thehog]

If Radio Shack has a contract (written) I am sure it will be upheld. If it's anything like the rest of Team Armstrong's behavior, race promoters are dropping him like a bag of crap. He has acted like a guy guilty of something. All the BS about recovering from TDF injuries before resuming racing was a smoke screen. Armstrong has let his team mates and sponsors down with his lack of on bike activity. His fade from the sport is more like an on/off switch. He is probably in Aspen hiding from the 1 hip boogie monster. For a guy that got in front of every camera for years to suddenly hide from all of them is telling

Have to agree with you. The step away from the limelight is telling. To think the strategy of Comeback 2.0 was that Armstrong would win the 2010 Tour and would be parading around the world basking in the limelight of victory over evil. He’s subsequent retirement and hideaway from publicity is the sign of a guilty man. He should be out there supporting the Radioshack team! Using his good name. Floyd did a total number on him. Checkmate, gate set match in one hit.

 

[Benotti69]

I think he is throwing shapes more than anything. He has snubbed the Italian races this year, he is hardly going to race them next year. I expect a lot more organisers are going to drop Radioshack off their list of invites if they can and he is trying to prevent this from happening by playing the court route.

Karma has a bike too

 

[Anonymous]

Not having teams like RS at their races will only continue to push the Giro, Vuelta and ToLomb onto the back burner of pro cycling.

you are joking arnt you? What about HTC, Garmin, BMC...

Missing radioshack will have no effect on the sport, or america. The american "cycling fans" that follow radioshack only care if lance is riding. Radioshack were at the classics, did the american audences watch the classics in their millions.

To be honest, the giro with lance, and the giro without lance.. which was better? All we saw in 2009 was bloody lances face on the telly during the giro.

 

[Anonymous]

This is from someone who is not a fan of Radioshack --I do not care for the highly charged and negative heading of this thread... If you replace Radioshack with any other team name, I doubt people here would let it pass so easily.

it was a play on the headline from the original article linked in the first place which was "radioshack cries foul"

 

[Bustedknuckle]

In all fairness, the Tour of California was a much bigger race to the team's sponsors since it is the largest race in the only country they do business in

http://www.radioshack.com/uc/index....HTML/pages/InternationalStores.html&noBc=true

1300 stores outside of the US.

 

[Anonymous]

Have to agree with you. The step away from the limelight is telling. To think the strategy of Comeback 2.0 was that Armstrong would win the 2010 Tour and would be parading around the world basking in the limelight of victory over evil. He’s subsequent retirement and hideaway from publicity is the sign of a guilty man. He should be out there supporting the Radioshack team! Using his good name. Floyd did a total number on him. Checkmate, gate set match in one hit.

No need. Livestrong has cured cancer. It's over.

 

[BroDeal]

Odd, that they choose to go to bat over Lombardy, but did nothing more than tweet hard without a vengeance, over their Vuelta omission.
Smacks of a creeping desperation.

My guess is that there is pressure from the team's sponsor. Someone at Radio Shack must have realized that sponsoring a team that cannot get race invites is a bad use of advertising dollars. With Armstrong not racing the team is useless. The sponsor could even see this as grounds to pul their sponsorship. Bruyneel has been forced to attempt to do something about it. The ironic thing is that by suing now, Bruyneel will p!ss off race directors and lessen his team's chances of being invited to races later.

 

[flicker]

My guess is that there is pressure from the team's sponsor. Someone at Radio Shack must have realized that sponsoring a team that cannot get race invites is a bad use of advertising dollars. With Armstrong not racing the team is useless. The sponsor could even see this as grounds to pul their sponsorship. Bruyneel has been forced to attempt to do something about it. The ironic thing is that by suing now, Bruyneel will p!ss off race directors and lessen his team's chances of being invited to races later.

I would not say he will peeve the race directors. He will wake them up.Lawsuits worked for High Road,I mean Quick Step (Boonen) and Rock Racing.

 

[Mellow Velo]

http://www.radioshack.com/uc/index....HTML/pages/InternationalStores.html&noBc=true

1300 stores outside of the US.

So they specialise in 3rd world electronics?

I missed GI Joe's comments, as I have been watching that Spanish back burner race.
Promoting an embryonic race above a GT is an extreme example of insular naivety at it's finest.

 

[BroDeal]

I would not say he will peeve the race directors. He will wake them up.Lawsuits worked for High Road,I mean Quick Step (Boonen) and Rock Racing.

Their grounds for a lawsuit is that they thought they had an agreement. The simple future strategy for race directors not wanting to get sued is to have nothing at all to do with Bruyneel or Radio Shack.

Don't talk to Bruyneel. Don't promise him anything. If he asks whether his team will be invited to an event, say that he will have to wait for the official announcement and end the conversation. Then do not invite his team because who knows what he might pull at the race if he is the least bit involved.

 

[thehog]

So they specialise in 3rd world electronics?

I missed GI Joe's comments, as I have been watching that Spanish back burner race.
Promoting an embryonic race above a GT is an extreme example of insular naivety at it's finest.

I've heard there’s is a massive cycling scene in Honduras.

 

[theswordsman]

What was his punishment for his twitter rant against race organizers after the Vuelta snub? (and the 28 jersey rebellion?)

There are already plenty of reasons for races to avoid this team like the plague, and I agree that taking this to CAS adds another.

If there is a contract with no provisions that RS has violated, put them in as a 26th team and let them fail.

Oh shoot, the new Men's Journal with the Armstrong article is on news stands today. Off to see if they added to the sneak preview.

 

[Dr. Maserati]

I think Radioshacks 'point' is they were offered & accepted a slot on the Giro di Lombardia which was subsequently withdrawn. They're basically arguing there is a contractural breach.

I agree - and if TRS had an agreement with RCS than RCS should be honoring it.

But - what was the agreement?
It appears to have been from January - if so, that is when TRS told RCS they were not sending a team for the Giro.
It seems that they got an invite from RCS for all races - but then TRS let RCS know they weren't coming to the Giro.
Are TRS trying to get compensation for an agreement they failed to accept?

 

[hfer07]

the good old american "layers-can-fix-it" resource....
the reality is that the cycling world is simply tired of Armstrong/Bruyneel BS game...