Radioshack Fail

[hammt34]

Well i started a thread called Radioshack Powerhouse and asked what would warrant RS a failed season and General consensus Was no TOC win. So if bottle cant take 26 seconds from MickR and RS cant even win The TOC with a "stacked" team do they really think they can contest the Tdf where there will be real time trials and real Mountain top finishes and Real Pro teams Please enlighten me on what you all think of the season thus far for this sad excuse of a "powerhouse team".

 

[issoisso]

Given that, let's be realistic, they have absolutely no chance to win the Tour, I think you nailed it. Complete failure.

Gambling your entire season on two races and disregarding all others is bad enough, but then failing your stated goals for both, just makes it beyond awful

 

[Michielveedeebee]

Jup you've said it all, there's no way they'll win TdF not as long as Conta and Andy are around. And I don't see them winning ToCa either.
And how much races have they won until now? except those of Rosseler?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Jup you've said it all, there's no way they'll win TdF not as long as Conta and Andy are around. And I don't see them winning ToCa either.
And how much races have they won until now? except those of Rosseler?

Horner, ITT and overall at País Vasco
Machado, ITT at Circuit de la Sarthe

Then there's Rosseler's two - one at Algarve and one at Brabantse Pijl.

That's all, I think.

 

[Goldberger]

The shack is a good team, there is no doubt about that. But their problem is that they dont have enough winners on their team. The fact that Steegmans has been injured has also hurt their season.

Leipheimer, Klöden, Armstrong and Horner are exellent classification riders, but rarely win stages, or attack and that is a problem. That being said i think they will have two riders in the top 5 at the tour, so it wont be a complete failure.

 

[erader]

there's a big doubt in my mind if RS will even be at the tour and if they are i think they will be demoralized and hardpressed to get one man in the top 10.

ed rader

 

[Goldberger]

Why would they not be?

Second, why would a team that got would have had 4 guys in top 10 last year not have 1 this year? Atleast Leipheimer and Armstrong will make the top 10, Klöden and Horner also have a chance, depends on how much work they will have to do.

 

[Cozy Beehive]

Well i started a thread called Radioshack Powerhouse and asked what would warrant RS a failed season and General consensus Was no TOC win. So if bottle cant take 26 seconds from MickR and RS cant even win The TOC with a "stacked" team do they really think they can contest the Tdf where there will be real time trials and real Mountain top finishes and Real Pro teams Please enlighten me on what you all think of the season thus far for this sad excuse of a "powerhouse team".

I would give them a tad bit more credit when it comes to teamwork during races. The team points speak for themselves. Whenever I have looked, Radioshack was higher in team classification pts than say, Astana.

 

[erader]

Why would they not be?

Second, why would a team that got would have had 4 guys in top 10 last year not have 1 this year? Atleast Leipheimer and Armstrong will make the top 10, Klöden and Horner also have a chance, depends on how much work they will have to do.

doping investigation. if RS races the tour i don't think lance will. i've always marvelled at the brass balls of valverde, who i don't think would have abandoned for a cut beneath the eye.

ed rader

 

[tgsgirl]

Second, why would a team that got would have had 4 guys in top 10 last year not have 1 this year? Atleast Leipheimer and Armstrong will make the top 10, Klöden and Horner also have a chance, depends on how much work they will have to do.

Because - as things look right now - they can't even win Tour of Cali, a race which maybe ten GC guys take seriously.

 

[theswordsman]

Well i started a thread called Radioshack Powerhouse and asked what would warrant RS a failed season and General consensus Was no TOC win. So if bottle cant take 26 seconds from MickR and RS cant even win The TOC with a "stacked" team do they really think they can contest the Tdf where there will be real time trials and real Mountain top finishes and Real Pro teams Please enlighten me on what you all think of the season thus far for this sad excuse of a "powerhouse team".

Actually, I loved posting things like this to the Radio Shack Powerhouse thread just for the irony

Armstrong is toxic - he's killing another team. If he had stayed retired, Bruyneel's only real problem with Astana would have been the Vino situation. The Team Faded protest would never have happened, there would not have been a new team to move riders to, and JB could have just finished out his contract and gone to a new team alone.

According to the Popovych interview, the main reason that Radio Shack isn't at the Giro was a financial disagreement between Armstrong & Zomegnan. They're missing out on UCI points while other teams are passing them in the rankings - Quick Step & Garmin already have, and Sky probably will. The Tour gives automatic entries to the top seventeen teams at the end of the season, and they might not make the list.

So they put all their eggs (except Kloden) in the ATOC basket, & got Versus and Eurosport to say it's the second most important race in the world. And it doesn't look like they'll get the result they planned for in the biggest race of their year so far. People will say that LA would have been Atlas lifting Levi on his shoulders,but the Time Trial results stand.

Even if the other news hadn't happened, the actions of the team have pretty much rendered it page two news. I can't say I'm surprised, or the tiniest bit sad that it's playing out that way.

 

[Mellow Velo]

So many big, broken eggs in one small, Californian basket.
Even their e-mails now have to get scrambled.

 

[theswordsman]

I would give them a tad bit more credit when it comes to teamwork during races. The team points speak for themselves. Whenever I have looked, Radioshack was higher in team classification pts than say, Astana.

In the UCI Team rankings, Astana was 3rd & Radio Shack 13th. During the Giro, Vino has been racking up points with every top 5 finish, and should get a bunch in the final GC. Meanwhile, Quick Step and Garmin have knocked Radio Shack down, and other teams like Sky are getting close.

Will Radio Shack still claim to be great if they don't make the top seventeen and earn automatic Tour de France invitations?

Astana is down in individual team classifications because the teams go for wins. If Contador wins Paris-Nice, they don;t care where other riders finish because they did whatever they could to help Contador, or Vino, or Iglinsky, or Gasparotto win.

 

[theswordsman]

So many big, broken eggs in one small, Californian basket.
Even their e-mails now have to get scrambled.

Yep. I imagine there's a whole lot of scrambling going on behind the scenes.

I wonder if Lance will have the private jet file a flight plan for France and instead land somewhere with no extradition?

 

[theswordsman]

Leipheimer, Klöden, Armstrong and Horner are exellent classification riders, but rarely win stages, or attack and that is a problem. That being said i think they will have two riders in the top 5 at the tour, so it wont be a complete failure.

Please go to your calendar right now and write that on July 25th. Cheers

 

[Cozy Beehive]

media

Does anyone else think that the media attention for RS is a bit over the top? A 7 min video from friends to just wish Levi Leipheimer "good luck"? How much cash did they pour on this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQjDokvjLZQ

Notice how Phil Liggett is featured in that video. As a cycling fan, sure he can have his favorites, but I don't think making it so obvious openly is needed as a commentator. Comes as no surprise though as he does have a "soft side" for LA and his team. I do wonder from time to time how other riders could perceive this, or race in an environment which has been literally 'bought" by Armstrong...

 

[tgsgirl]

Whenever I have looked, Radioshack was higher in team classification pts than say, Astana.

All that shows is that team classifications mean jack to teams that actually win stuff. At least half the team should be there to work for a win, not to go for their own personal GC glory.

 

[Cozy Beehive]

All that shows is that team classifications mean jack to teams that actually win stuff. At least half the team should be there to work for a win, not to go for their own personal GC glory.

Good point.

 

[BYOP88]

I'm pretty sure if you asked the team owner/sponsor if they could win the GC at the Tour/Giro or any other race or if they won the team class, I'd guess they'd all pick the GC option. As has been said in other threads a few months ago the Shack think tank didn't give a flying fuvk about the team class standing circa 1999-2005.

 

[hfer07]

RadioShack-being an American team with american sponsors riding in California with their top riders minos Kloden -TOTAL FAILURE- they were literally "obligated" to win it!!!!

but everybody knows they got spooky doe to the FLandis blow....

 

[eleven]

RadioShack-being an American team with american sponsors riding in California with their top riders minos Kloden -TOTAL FAILURE- they were literally "obligated" to win it!!!!

Oh, I don't know about that. I suspect their sponsors are quite happy with the ATOC.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

I would give them a tad bit more credit when it comes to teamwork during races. The team points speak for themselves. Whenever I have looked, Radioshack was higher in team classification pts than say, Astana.

Beautifully done.

 

[isayic]

doping investigation. if RS races the tour i don't think lance will. i've always marvelled at the brass balls of valverde, who i don't think would have abandoned for a cut beneath the eye.

ed rader

I think that RS doesn't want to win. Winners are always tested. And the cut in Armstrong's face ,I think, was smaller thant it looked. The solution is artificial blood. Because of beeing accused of doping Lance wanted to leave the race and was in need of "plausible" reason.
I'm an illustrator and would say that the blood looks partly faked.

 

[flicker]

Does anyone else think that the media attention for RS is a bit over the top? A 7 min video from friends to just wish Levi Leipheimer "good luck"? How much cash did they pour on this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQjDokvjLZQ

Notice how Phil Liggett is featured in that video. As a cycling fan, sure he can have his favorites, but I don't think making it so obvious openly is needed as a commentator. Comes as no surprise though as he does have a "soft side" for LA and his team. I do wonder from time to time how other riders could perceive this, or race in an environment which has been literally 'bought" by Armstrong...

hey I want Lance to win. If you do not like Phil give him a call. You guys are on the same level in cycling verdad? It was in Levis interest not to win the ToC this year. On many different levels. The race belonged to Rodgers. Goood on em.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

It was in Levis interest not to win the ToC this year. On many different levels.

Yeah, that's why he didn't attack today or try hard in the TT. Whatever.