Radioshack powerhouse

[3rdWheel]

Although I don't feel Lance the cyclist, I'm going to reserve judgement on him until the TdF.

 

[spanky wanderlust]

I think Lances only realistic goal is to capture the yellow early on the cobbles to show he still has the right stuff. I do not think Lance is gracious enough to work for another in the overall.. To bad I would respect him if he did.

lance's only "realistic" chance is to politely ask about 10 guys to please not contest the tour this year.

 

[isayic]

They'll be a strong vehicle for their sponsor at the Tour of California and will garner lots of press time. Expect a "mission accomplished" type of speech from someone if Levi wins. If they don't nail that down after turning their back on the Giro the season is in jeopardy.

From the day Radioshack was built I called it "the geriatric ward of the peloton". Check the age of the top riders. On the other hand some younger riders may be talented but they are too young and have not enough experience.

A rider like Jani Brajkovic is rather good but he practically worships Lance and Johan what I consider an unhealthy relationship. Another team would be better for him.

And names alone don't bring success. Astana 4.0 is a good example that with motivation and a leader who can win you can get very far. And it's not only Alberto who has won something. Enrico Gasparotto won a stage in Tirrheno-Adriatico and Maxim Iglinski won "The Eroica" which is a prestigous race in Italy. -- Lance wanted a stage win in the Tour Down Under but where is it?

 

[flicker]

lance's only "realistic" chance is to politely ask about 10 guys to please not contest the tour this year.

I do not see my Lord Armstrong doing less then 5th,he may win if Alberto and Andy falter, lets see later what the bookmakers predict.

 

[Berzin]

Brajkovic was the future of the sport back in 2006 with Discovery, it is now 2010 and he hasn't really pulled up many results but is somehow still the future. Kinda sounds like Tommy D to me.

+1. Excellent point. To me, Radio Shack are committing two huge errors-

1) Putting their eggs in one basket with their emphasis on the Tour and the Tour ONLY.

They are a team of aging domestiques who, despite their best doping efforts are for the moment terrible. I really don't see how they can put it all together in time to challenge for the yellow jersey.

2) Armstrong sucks all the air out of the room, so any talk of developing young riders is out of the question. He has to be not only the primary but the ONLY focus on any team he rides on. That certainly is not a recipe for success after he retires, or when Contador puts him out of the sport for good come July.

 

[rata de sentina]

Instead they will be prostituted carting a fat old man up the climbs of France because his hubris won't let it go.

Sometimes these LA/Shack bashing threads can get a bit tedious although they are often quite amusing as the usual protagonists get fired up and the hyperbole starts to fly. I have to say that the above is sheer gold.

 

[Krap Police]

+1. Excellent point. To me, Radio Shack are committing two huge errors-

1) Putting their eggs in one basket with their emphasis on the Tour and the Tour ONLY.

They are a team of aging domestiques who, despite their best doping efforts are for the moment terrible. I really don't see how they can put it all together in time to challenge for the yellow jersey.

2) Armstrong sucks all the air out of the room, so any talk of developing young riders is out of the question. He has to be not only the primary but the ONLY focus on any team he rides on. That certainly is not a recipe for success after he retires, or when Contador puts him out of the sport for good come July.

Well there Evgeni, I agree wit U for the most part. The eggs in 1 baske thing is something Postal alwayz did as well though ...

 

[Anonymous]

I am holding out hope that FLandis has got his sh!t together and will do better than expected. It is probably asking for too much, but a bro can dream.

Think good thoughts 'cause I saw him at Murrieta and, um, he'll need to improve some (ok, a lot) just to keep from getting shelled.

I'd like for FL to get a result but I don't see it happening at ToC.

 

[BroDeal]

Think good thoughts 'cause I saw him at Murrieta and, um, he'll need to improve some (ok, a lot) just to keep from getting shelled.

Has he chunked out again? Maybe he is aiming for a spot on Snack Shack.

 

[Krap Police]

Has he chunked out again? Maybe he is aiming for a spot on Snack Shack.

Floyd's a fatty! Watta tool.

 

[Full Retard]

Well there Evgeni, I agree wit U for the most part. The eggs in 1 baske thing is something Postal alwayz did as well though ...

Ya ther baskit wernt old nd full of hols then

 

[Full Retard]

Floyd's a fatty! Watta tool.

Maybe he wans to race in clodsdell clas

 

[Angliru]

+1. Excellent point. To me, Radio Shack are committing two huge errors-

1) Putting their eggs in one basket with their emphasis on the Tour and the Tour ONLY.

They are a team of aging domestiques who, despite their best doping efforts are for the moment terrible. I really don't see how they can put it all together in time to challenge for the yellow jersey.

2) Armstrong sucks all the air out of the room, so any talk of developing young riders is out of the question. He has to be not only the primary but the ONLY focus on any team he rides on. That certainly is not a recipe for success after he retires, or when Contador puts him out of the sport for good come July.

The smart talented young riders bail from Bruyneel's nest at the earliest opportunity. Look at Boonen and Devolder. Contador was already primed for success and Bruyneel saw that. He had finished 33rd I believe in his first Tour in support of Roberto Heras. There really wasn't much developing being done there although Contador gratiously admitted to having learned alot from Bruyneel, likely the importance of restraining his urge to attack until the right moment. Bruyneel really only had to put Contador out there and let him go, he knew what kind of talent he had at his disposal.

As stated earlier, developing young talent is not a priority. Once Armstrong retires for good, Bruyneel will follow. The fact that he chose to abandon Contador and ride the Armstrong retirement train to its end instead of using his superior people skills to make the difficult situation work until Armstrong puts the bike down for good shows that:
1. He's vindictive and wants to get revenge on Contador for riding his own race and proving him wrong. He and Armstrong truly believe that by stripping Contador bare of all the "talent" that surrounded and "supported" him last year at the Tour that these factors will be the pivotal in beating him in 2010.
2. That he puts Armstrong above all else, even above continued prolonged Tour success. Bruyneel has also hedged his bets months after the Tour saying that he wouldn't rule out working with Contador again, this after earlier saying that their relationship was never a great one because Contador often questioned his decisions.

The last sentence above is why I think Martinelli and Contador are an ideal match. Contador and Pantani are quite similar in that their love for the sport is displayed in their passionate riding styles and, especially in Contador's case,
his strong almost insatiable desire to compete in every event he enters. Many have said he is a throwback in that sense and I would agree. I'd have to include Valverde along with Contador and (Evans to certain degree also) where they all tend to show well in virtually every event they enter. It is a rather refreshing departure for grand tour contenders to have this mindset after the misconception that the previous way of no real results prior to the Tour was the ideal prep.

(Although with Evans he often would later sight the reason for his failure to win being that everyone else had a training focused on that event or series of events [the Ardennes classics] while he did not.)

 

[flicker]

The smart talented young riders bail from Bruyneel's nest at the earliest opportunity. Look at Boonen and Devolder. Contador was already primed for success and Bruyneel saw that. He had finished 33rd I believe in his first Tour in support of Roberto Heras. There really wasn't much developing being done there although Contador gratiously admitted to having learned alot from Bruyneel, likely the importance of restraining his urge to attack until the right moment. Bruyneel really only had to put Contador out there and let him go, he knew what kind of talent he had at his disposal.

As stated earlier, developing young talent is not a priority. Once Armstrong retires for good, Bruyneel will follow. The fact that he chose to abandon Contador and ride the Armstrong retirement train to its end instead of using his superior people skills to make the difficult situation work until Armstrong puts the bike down for good shows that:
1. He's vindictive and wants to get revenge on Contador for riding his own race and proving him wrong. He and Armstrong truly believe that by stripping Contador bare of all the "talent" that surrounded and "supported" him last year at the Tour that these factors will be the pivotal in beating him in 2010.
2. That he puts Armstrong above all else, even above continued prolonged Tour success. Bruyneel has also hedged his bets months after the Tour saying that he wouldn't rule out working with Contador again, this after earlier saying that their relationship was never a great one because Contador often questioned his decisions.

The last sentence above is why I think Martinelli and Contador are an ideal match. Contador and Pantani are quite similar in that their love for the sport is displayed in their passionate riding styles and, especially in Contador's case,
his strong almost insatiable desire to compete in every event he enters. Many have said he is a throwback in that sense and I would agree. I'd have to include Valverde along with Contador and (Evans to certain degree also) where they all tend to show well in virtually every event they enter. It is a rather refreshing departure for grand tour contenders to have this mindset after the misconception that the previous way of no real results prior to the Tour was the ideal prep.

(Although with Evans he often would later sight the reason for his failure to win being that everyone else had a training focused on that event or series of events [the Ardennes classics] while he did not.)

Do you really think Bruyneel would sacrifice the respect that he has in European sports to be vindictive on Contador? Do you think Bruyneel is that stupid or immature to play those petty mind games.

Granted he has been siamese twins with Lance for years. When and if Lance does something really hurtful to Contador Bruyneel will get up from the table, cut ties with Lance and walk away clean.

I have heard the hatred of Bruyneel on this forum, but never for a moment have i thought him stupid.

 

[Galic Ho]

RadioShack Stock is at a 52week High and the company is "flush with cash".
This has all happened since Lance joined forces with The Shack.

Now I am NOT saying the recent success of RadioShack is due to Lance.

It is probably a case of Lance/Bruyneel doing their homework and recruiting a stable growing sponsor. Genius does not always equate to "being behind the wheel" of the team car lol.

http://www.wikinvest.com/wikinvest/...Stock:Radioshack_(RSH)&comments=0&format=html
.
.
.

Flush with cash? Did the Board of Directors issue a new release of shares? Because if they didn't the company has no more cash than it did before hand. Publically traded companies only receive money from shares from the initial float and purchase of shares and any subsequent new shares the Board decides to issue. Sure the stock price might be high but the company does not see a single cent of that money. Which brings me back to you as usual...do you ever think clearly and use your brain? Or are you just not clued in on most things?

 

[janraaskalt]

Flush with cash? Did the Board of Directors issue a new release of shares? Because if they didn't the company has no more cash than it did before hand. Publically traded companies only receive money from shares from the initial float and purchase of shares and any subsequent new shares the Board decides to issue. Sure the stock price might be high but the company does not see a single cent of that money. Which brings me back to you as usual...do you ever think clearly and use your brain? Or are you just not clued in on most things?

Just maybe... the stock price has risen because of the huge amount of cash in the company due to an increase of sales

 

[theswordsman]

It's interesting (in a sad and pathetic way) that in a thread about a "powerhouse" team, the fans only have stock prices to offer to make the team sound like a success. Peruse the serious market data and see if there's any mention of Lance Armstrong. Right now the company at least gets its name in the press because they have an attention loving celebrity, but what happens when he retires and the team actually needs results to get press. Should people sell the stock short just before the Tour de France and take their profits when the stock crashes because the guy can't make it up the Tourmalet twice?

RadioShack is in the midst of a major restructuring intended to make the mature retailer more relevant in the increasingly competitive consumer electronics market. We agree that the business model needs updating, but we're not convinced that the announced changes will be enough to reverse the company's declining fortunes.

http://quote.morningstar.com/Stock/s.aspx?t=RSH

CHICAGO (Marke****ch)-- Higher demand for wireless phone products helped RadioShack boost its fiscal fourth quarter profit, the electronics retailer said Monday. RadioShack RSH earned $75.7 million, or 60 cents a share, on the period, up from $60.1 million, or 48 cents a share, in the same quarter last year. Revenue rose 4.7% to $1.32 billion while same-store sales - those at outlets open at least a year - climbed 6.1%. The average estimate of analysts polled by FactSet Research had been for the company to earn 59 cents a share on revenue of $1.3 billion. Shares of RadioShack closed the session up 1.3% at $20.63.

I apologize to anyone (probably on my ignore list) who gets migraines when confronted with facts.

 

[Angliru]

Do you really think Bruyneel would sacrifice the respect that he has in European sports to be vindictive on Contador? Do you think Bruyneel is that stupid or immature to play those petty mind games.

Granted he has been siamese twins with Lance for years. When and if Lance does something really hurtful to Contador Bruyneel will get up from the table, cut ties with Lance and walk away clean.

I have heard the hatred of Bruyneel on this forum, but never for a moment have i thought him stupid.

Yes to question #1. Yes he and Armstrong play mind games except at this juncture in their careers they don't have the big gun to back up their pathetic attempts at manipulating the competition. As you see they have both back pedaled from their earlier pettiness towards Contador and started with the Ullrich method of complimenting him endlessly.

The two are joined at the hip, whatever Lance does Johaan will co-sign. You're really blinded if you think Bruyneel would ever "cut ties with Lance".
You can't be serious??

 

[Publicus]

Do you really think Bruyneel would sacrifice the respect that he has in European sports to be vindictive on Contador? Do you think Bruyneel is that stupid or immature to play those petty mind games.

Granted he has been siamese twins with Lance for years. When and if Lance does something really hurtful to Contador Bruyneel will get up from the table, cut ties with Lance and walk away clean.

I have heard the hatred of Bruyneel on this forum, but never for a moment have i thought him stupid.

The fact that JB willingly walked away from the best stage racer in the world to help Lance chase windmills tells you all you need to know about where his loyalties lie with respect to AC and Lance.

 

[3rdWheel]

I really believe Armstrong and Bruyneel symbolically took a "blood oath". The chance of them cutting ties is remote. But I could see them trying to get in good with Contador again if say in 3 years he's totally dominating everybody. But if Contador is dominating at that point he won't need them.

 

[TRDean]

I really believe Armstrong and Bruyneel symbolically took a "blood oath". The chance of them cutting ties is remote. But I could see them trying to get in good with Contador again if say in 3 years he's totally dominating everybody. But if Contador is dominating at that point he won't need them.

He is totally dominating everybody now...

 

[python]

id leave bruyneel aside for the moment, though he is the center piece of many strange things, and talk in general terms about the team..

can someone point to where is the center of gravity ? the future of the team ?

no matter how one looks it all comes to one person and his good graces.

this is a fundamentally skewed, unbalanced situation that we saw clearly when he pulled the plug on discovery. that winning team, arguably the most talent-heavy at the time folded as there was nothing supporting it.

what im saying it can not be argued that radio shack was built with one purpose only - to meet short term goal of only one person.

that person will continue manipulating security, well being and livelihood of almost 60 people for the same old purpose - play with me or else.

this a pathetic fundament to build anything on.

 

[reyan12]

I watched TV coverage of the Prologue of P-N.

Of course, given that it was Versus, they were fawning all over Bruyneel and Armstrong.

I thought the most telling part of the interview with Bruyneel was when he said , with that nasty little grin on his face, " Team Radio Shack has 8 out of the 9 members of the Tour team from lat year".
I know he intended that that remark would show his brilliance.

What I thought when I heard him say it, and the body language that went with it was, what a mean, petty and spiteful LITTLE man you and you your buddy are. Not to mention stupid.

It just pointed up the personality discord that Armstrong can't get over.

Armstrong is the past.

Contador, and others, are the future of the sport.

1 > 8 which means Contador alone > entire radioshack team

 

[3rdWheel]

He is totally dominating everybody now...

To be clearer, dominating like the Cannibal. If takes Paris-Nice, a hilly classic or Dauphine Libere, and then 2 GT's in one year dominating. He's definitely the best now but I don't think can do what I described..yet.

 

[Publicus]

id leave bruyneel aside for the moment, though he is the center piece of many strange things, and talk in general terms about the team..

Can someone point to where is the center of gravity ? The future of the team ?

No matter how one looks it all comes to one person and his good graces.

This is a fundamentally skewed, unbalanced situation that we saw clearly when he pulled the plug on discovery. That winning team, arguably the most talent-heavy at the time folded as there was nothing supporting it.

What im saying it can not be argued that radio shack was built with one purpose only - to meet short term goal of only one person.

That person will continue manipulating security, well being and livelihood of almost 60 people for the same old purpose - play with me or else.

This a pathetic fundament to build anything on.

+1000000000