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Saxo Bank crumbling?

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Sep 16, 2009
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Maybe I'm jumping the gun by I see this as the continuation of a trend of "national" teams being formed. The majority of high quality US talent is on 3 US sponsored teams. Sky went after the British talent. Rumors last month were about Leferve wanting to merge QS and Omega to form a Belgian super-team. We've also read rumors about AC going to a Spanish based team and Menchov being targeted by Katousha. This is either a real trend that is developing for economic and nationalist reasons or in Saxo's case the result of Riis' failure to bring a new sponsor on board and the riders not wanting to be "caught out" in what will probably be another very active transfer season.
 
Kazistuta said:
I disagree.... a lot of the current pro Danish riders wouldn't be racing at this level hadn't it been for a Danish team... Jonas Aaen, Andre Steensen, Frank Høj, Kasper Klostergaard and Anders Lund most likely would be racing at pro continental level if Riis hadn't been there.

Yeah... but maybe a lesser team focusing on launching riders to various big Pro-Tour teams is just as good...
 
Mar 17, 2009
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Any views on where the rest of the riders may go ? Will Fabian go to Quickstep so they can regain the Classics. Don't know how Tom will like this ? Or Radioshack show the big dollars and bring him across ?
 
Apr 11, 2009
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Sad story.

But also wondering how much of this--maybe--is reaping what one has sown.

Apparently treated Sastre, according to him, poorly after he won the Tour. Sastre complained bitterly of Riis trying to divide the team during the Vuelta to prevent riders helping him. Think Frank was his favourite for Alpe d'Huez and Sastre was the interloper, taking off first up Alpe.

Adds an interesting twist to the possible moto angle of Flanders and Roubaix this spring. Riis desperate for a sponsor?

Think Fabian would go to BMC: Swiss, can ride classics with support of Ballan etc., and Evans can go for GCs.
 
When the rumors of Riis not finding s sponsor for next year were looming, it was said the Schlecks were going to Radio Shack.

I hate to see Riis not have a team for next year, but I'm happy that the Schlecks did not sign for The Shack.

The other thing which gives me ambivalent feelings is the way Sastre was treated at the Vuelta the year he won the Tour. That was not very sporting of Riis to manufacture a rift between the team leader and his domestiques.

I would not say this is karma coming back and biting Riis in the rear because he's done a lot worse during his career (like dope his brains out to win his only Tour) but to have so many of his inner circle basically create a Saxo Bank Part 2 with everyone joining except for Riis seems a bit strange.
 
If this is the end of CSC/Saxo, it will be very sad, yet Riis can hold his head high. The team has the best results of any in the peloton for the last 10 years. 2 GTs, 4 of 5 monuments, no other team can touch that; not to mention Paris-Nice, who knows how many Criterium Intl's, 2xTour de Suisse, Tirreno Adriatico, 2 polka dot jerseys, a white jersey, multiple GT stage victories and numerous other 1 day races. ..and of course, those victories came from at least 10 different riders, many of whom had been discarded or poorly used by other teams.
 
Aug 4, 2009
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What is the guarantee that this new team will get a ProTour licence. If they do not and the UCI implements its new policy restricting the number of events non PT teams can enter, then what?
 
Aug 12, 2009
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Wallace said:
I wonder what will happen to Cancellara if and when Saxo folds? His cobbled victories this year should have helped cinch finding a new sponsor, but seem to have acted in the opposite way: there was so much suspicion about them (drugs, motors, etc.), that they seemed in the end to have actually been bad publicity. Which says a lot about the current environment in cycling.

Dude, it's been said by a couple of people on these forums since last year, when Evans announced he was joining BMC. Cancellara is going to BMC as soon as Riis lets him. With Saxo in more trouble than was thought, I'd say it is only a matter of time. Swiss team, located in Switzerland with a good support base (rider and doping) and lots of cash to achieve their ambitions. Cadel and Cancellara! Can you imagine that team in the classics? God help us all. AFC94 will have a field day with that combination carving their way through the peloton.
 
Aug 12, 2009
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riobonito92 said:
What is the guarantee that this new team will get a ProTour licence. If they do not and the UCI implements its new policy restricting the number of events non PT teams can enter, then what?

Insert special new rule...or failure to observe ones own rule book. The UCI will allow the new team to acquire Saxo's license in an outcome where Saxo fail to materialise next year. No sponsor, means you cannot field the minimum number of riders for a PT license, which I think is 21. Saxo license would transfer across to this Luxembourg team and in a strange twist it would be argued that the bending of rules was just because most of the riders on this new squad were strangely enough, the ones who won qualification points for Saxo in 2010.

This looks like a filleting of Saxo. Seems like Riis is the trouble man. Maybe the writing was on the wall. Perhaps the business community don't like an aspect of his character but like Nygaard. Perhaps Riis has been sowing dissent amongst the riders. More or less, it seems Riis business connections are short of cash and the other DS's have contacts who have cash along with the know how to make their own team. Add in some restraint they witnessed by Riis and it makes a lot of sense to start their own squad given Riis sponsorship struggles. Kind of fitting IMO.
 
May 15, 2009
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ScottinPhilly said:
Maybe I'm jumping the gun by I see this as the continuation of a trend of "national" teams being formed. The majority of high quality US talent is on 3 US sponsored teams. Sky went after the British talent. Rumors last month were about Leferve wanting to merge QS and Omega to form a Belgian super-team. We've also read rumors about AC going to a Spanish based team and Menchov being targeted by Katousha. This is either a real trend that is developing for economic and nationalist reasons or in Saxo's case the result of Riis' failure to bring a new sponsor on board and the riders not wanting to be "caught out" in what will probably be another very active transfer season.

Columbia is now an Taiwan-US sponsored team

And they only has two US boys. One of the two said he would get a Dutch passport:p

interestingly, they got more Australian and German talents than US.
 
Aug 4, 2009
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Galic Ho said:
Insert special new rule...or failure to observe ones own rule book. The UCI will allow the new team to acquire Saxo's license in an outcome where Saxo fail to materialise next year.

Does this imply a deal has already been done. I don't see why the new Luxembourg squad should get the old Saxobank licence - and Riis talks as if he will get a sponsor for 2011. So which other PT licence slots are available, or might become available? (Milram? Radioshack?) And under the new rules, surely BMC and Cervelo have to want a PT licence, and Vaconsoleil might want one?

And, under the proposed rules, what is in it for a sponsor (or rider)? One GT and a few classics, at most. Something does not add up.
 
riobonito92 said:
What is the guarantee that this new team will get a ProTour licence. If they do not and the UCI implements its new policy restricting the number of events non PT teams can enter, then what?

money.jpg
 
Aug 4, 2009
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hfer07 said:

Cynic!

An unfortunate precedent has been set by Sky and Radioshack. Big money, short term goals, 100% focus on the TdF - and "lesser" teams with traditions, year round racing and development programmes get shunted aside. Will it be bye-bye Lampre? or Lotto?
 
Mar 13, 2009
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I think it's a simple concept that the Schlecks (being from Luxembourg) simply are taking the opportunity to race for a home country team.
Nothing more nothing less.
 
Aug 6, 2009
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offbyone said:
Doesn't the shleck's exodus just open the door for contador to get off vino's team and finally have a top team behind him?

Only if Riis can get a Sponsor. Even then Contador might prefer a Spanish team, Saxo Bank as it is, is English speaking.
 
May 14, 2010
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offbyone said:
Doesn't the shleck's exodus just open the door for contador to get off vino's team and finally have a top team behind him?

What are you saying? That Contador and the Schlecks would be on the same team, with the latter serving as Contador's super domestiques? Now that would be awesome. They'd surely be unstoppable. But alas I doubt it will happen, as the Schlecks have their own ambitions.

EDIT: I see. You were saying that exit of Schlecks leaves room on Saxo for Contador. Prospect of signing Contador is a wet dream for Riis. Be interesting if it happens (and if Riis can get sponsorship - though prospect of signing C would surely make it happen).
 
Maxiton said:
What are you saying? That Contador and the Schlecks would be on the same team, with the latter serving as Contador's super domestiques? Now that would be awesome. They'd surely be unstoppable. But alas I doubt it will happen, as the Schlecks have their own ambitions.

I assume what was meant is that they would join saxobank 2.0 or whatever Riis comes up with next rather than join the brothers slim

But maybe it was humour :)
 
Maxiton said:
What are you saying? That Contador and the Schlecks would be on the same team, with the latter serving as Contador's super domestiques? Now that would be awesome. They'd surely be unstoppable. But alas I doubt it will happen, as the Schlecks have their own ambitions.

That wouldn't be awesome at all. We want the best riders to ride against each other, not as part of some super-cartel. Would be pointless watching the race if Contador was supported by the Schlecks. USPS/Discovery have been doing that for years with the hiring of Heras, Kloeden, Basso et al at one time or another
 
Mar 18, 2009
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I still think it's too early to completely write off Riis Cycling.

Yesterday evening, tv2sport.dk reported that the team is negotiating with the Danish company ISS, one of the world's leading Facility Services Groups.

I wouldn't be surprised if Riis had leaked that himself to put some positive light on the team (and perhaps, it has some positive effect on the riders who are soon allowed to start negotiating with other teams...).
 
May 20, 2010
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riobonito92 said:
Cynic!

An unfortunate precedent has been set by Sky and Radioshack. Big money, short term goals, 100% focus on the TdF - and "lesser" teams with traditions, year round racing and development programmes get shunted aside. Will it be bye-bye Lampre? or Lotto?

Except there are several teams with a budget bigger than Sky ;)
 
Mar 18, 2009
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euanli said:
Except there are several teams with a budget bigger than Sky ;)

Tchmil said that according to the teams' accounts that the UCI checked before issuing licenses, only Sky and BMC come close to Katusha's enormous budget.

Remember what Stapleton said about Hagen? That they couldn't match Sky's offer because it was more than double what Columbia's best paid rider is on?