Schlecks Depreciation Thread

[MacRoadie]

There seems to be a major lack of leadership and that starts with the management but it also depends on the riders.

Well, that's what you get when you have yet another team financed by a fan (Becca) with little real cycling experience, and managed by a DS (Bruyneel) who really doesn't care much about anything else other than Tour wins...

 

[offbyone]

The model has changed. Look at the Garmin team. They all live in the same city and are team through and through. They know who the leader is and the management staff have right of way.
Sky and GreenEdge are similar in building a team ethic.*

Your observation of Liquigas is the same. The were/are racing for wins on two continents.*

In 2010 RadioShack couldn't even be bothered turning up to Giro after the Armstrong fiasco. Their Tour last year was embarrassing.*

I feel *Bruyneel was trying to buy a Tour winner with Andy but wasn't building a team. That part he didn't care about very much and it shows. No one feels very loved on that team.

Who know what will become of RadioShack next year but there will be an exodus...

*

Vaughters has really done something special and the fact that they are maintaining their ways even after a merger and losing some top riders shows that the model trumps the super talent. The Giro and the ToC are great examples. While Zabriskie, Tommy D and Ryder are all considered good riders, none of them are the big name top riders yet they contend for these races because of their full team dedication.

You might disagree, but I think Bruyneel use to run his team in a similar way where every detail and bit of preparation was attended to. But he has lost his way. I think Bruyneel has become so cocky now that he believes he can win it all with any rider, as in give him the talent and he will show you the win. He also seems to just let his riders do what they want until race day which clearly isn't working. He forgot that it takes more than one guy and it takes more than just physical talent. Additionally, I don't want to bring him into the conversation, but the fact is that Lance was a good captain and I think Bruyneel is not compensating for the fact that guys like Frank and Andy aren't field generals.

 

[airstream]

One note: a hardly alive injured unprepared Frank beat Rujano who prepared the whole year on Cervinia! Omg, I dread to think what Andy could have done there. Probably he would smashed them on tricycle. In short, I recommend everyone to go to state of sweet inevitability. July will be really festive.

 

[Moose McKnuckles]

One note: a hardly alive injured unprepared Frank beat Rujano who prepared the whole year on Cervinia! Omg, I dread to think what Andy could have done there. Probably he would smashed them on tricycle. In short, I recommend everyone to go to state of sweet inevitability. July will be really festive.

While you're being "factual", you forgot to mention the fact that Frank was riding a bike made of solid lead and was pulling the team bus during the race.

 

[Christian]

I guess it boild down to this: Would he have quit had it been the Tour?

If it's true that he couldn't pedal anymore, then yes, seeing that pedaling is, in a way, the essence of cycling

 

[thehog]

Vaughters has really done something special and the fact that they are maintaining their ways even after a merger and losing some top riders shows that the model trumps the super talent. The Giro and the ToC are great examples. While Zabriskie, Tommy D and Ryder are all considered good riders, none of them are the big name top riders yet they contend for these races because of their full team dedication.

You might disagree, but I think Bruyneel use to run his team in a similar way where every detail and bit of preparation was attended to. But he has lost his way. I think Bruyneel has become so cocky now that he believes he can win it all with any rider, as in give him the talent and he will show you the win. He also seems to just let his riders do what they want until race day which clearly isn't working. He forgot that it takes more than one guy and it takes more than just physical talent. Additionally, I don't want to bring him into the conversation, but the fact is that Lance was a good captain and I think Bruyneel is not compensating for the fact that guys like Frank and Andy aren't field generals.

I do agree that Bruyneel has lost some of his zeal. He’s no longer than man in charge of “everything”. I would say back in the day he could send the rider to Ferrari for tests and 3 months later they’d come out with an extra 200 watts. The whole Hincapie for the Tour thing was how ridiculous it all got. I think Armstrong/Bruyneel thought they could apply the template to any rider and it would mean Tour success.

Also Hog had Contador and Armstrong. Motivation with those two is never a question. Along with the fact every other rider in the team knows they are the captain. With Armstrong it was never in doubt and with Contador he was just so bloody good no one would ever expect to beat him and assert leadership (sans Lance but that’s another story).

The Hog doesn’t have guys like that anymore.

 

[will10]

if it's true that he couldn't pedal anymore, then yes, seeing that pedaling is, in a way, the essence of cycling :d

. .

 

[LaFlorecita]

One note: a hardly alive injured unprepared Frank beat Rujano who prepared the whole year on Cervinia! Omg, I dread to think what Andy could have done there. Probably he would smashed them on tricycle. In short, I recommend everyone to go to state of sweet inevitability. July will be really festive.

*shakes head in wonder*

 

[Lexman]

I guess it boild down to this: Would he have quit had it been the Tour?

no the question is : would he have quit if Andy was there as well and wanted to continue the race?

 

[Galic Ho]

Andy and Frank Schleck are the Bert and Ernie of the cycling world. Bruyneel wanted to move to Sesame Street, he shouldn't be whining about having to work with muppets.

Nice analogy. I like it. But...when I saw the new Muppet movie earlier this year, my friend corrected me that Sesame Street characters aren't really muppets. Doesn't matter in this case, if they look and sound the part, for all intensive purposes they might as well be.

 

[ElChingon]

So which is Andy and which is Frank, or does it matter?

 

[issoisso]

Vacansoleil manager Van der Schueren says that he just came back from a training camp in the alps.....where both Schlecks had bookings at a hotel for next week.

Uhh.....

 

[Christian]

Vacansoleil manager Van der Schueren says that he just came back from a training camp in the alps.....where both Schlecks had bookings at a hotel for next week.

Uhh.....

Don't see the big deal? Giro is over anyways, Fränk had over a week to recover, probably doing recons of Tour stages

 

[Parrulo]

Thread closed