Taylor Phinney to Team BMC

[pedaling squares]

Geraint Thomas

Track: Olympic gold medallist. One of the fastest pursuiters of all time.
Cobbles: Junior Paris-Roubaix winner, 2nd on the TdF cobbles stage
TT: A couple of top tens in TdF TTs

He's done all three in the seniors, which Phinney hasn't yet, and comes from just up the road from me, yet I'm not going to call him a phenomenon

Too late, dim beat you to it! Hey we need a Geraint thread. If for no other reason than it's a cool name.

 

[flicker]

am i to believe he is making a smart move moving from a sinking ship, to this ?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/sports/cycling/29cycling.html

The officials Landis named as encouraging doping — including the former USA Cycling board president Jim Ochowicz, who is known as the “Godfather of American cycling” and the Swiss businessman Andy Rihs — are also gearing up for cycling’s most glamorous event. Ochowicz and Rihs are co-owners of the BMC Racing team, which will compete in its first Tour.

Ochowicz, who in 1986 took the first American team to the Tour de France, said Monday by telephone that he had not been contacted by investigators and that the federal fraud inquiry did not worry him.

“It has no effect on me whatsoever,” he said from BMC Racing’s European headquarters in Belgium. He added that his initial reaction to Landis’s claims had not changed. The allegations against him were untrue, unfounded and unproven, said Ochowicz, who is one of Armstrong’s closest friends.

t.glue. You need to read the internet for that info.? common knowledge hmmp

 

[kurtinsc]

I like Phinney a lot more now that he's extricated himself from the slime of Armstrong and Bruyneel.

Is BMC/Phonak really a step up?

I know people hate Lance... but isn't the team he's going to one of the few that might be considered as bad or worse from a doping/corrupting the sport angle?

Ochowicz and Rihs aren't exactly being left out of the doping investigation Lance and Bruyneel are involved in.

 

[flicker]

This is what I do not understand. Everyone here hates Armstrong. Radio Shack will close down as a sponsor at the end of 2011. Taylor Phinney will never have to get a real job ever. BMC, Ochowicz Ris well you conspiracy theorists do your wiki magic.

Dream on about cleanliness just dream on.

 

[auscyclefan94]

am i to believe he is making a smart move moving from a sinking ship, to this ?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/29/sports/cycling/29cycling.html

The officials Landis named as encouraging doping — including the former USA Cycling board president Jim Ochowicz, who is known as the “Godfather of American cycling” and the Swiss businessman Andy Rihs — are also gearing up for cycling’s most glamorous event. Ochowicz and Rihs are co-owners of the BMC Racing team, which will compete in its first Tour.

Ochowicz, who in 1986 took the first American team to the Tour de France, said Monday by telephone that he had not been contacted by investigators and that the federal fraud inquiry did not worry him.

“It has no effect on me whatsoever,” he said from BMC Racing’s European headquarters in Belgium. He added that his initial reaction to Landis’s claims had not changed. The allegations against him were untrue, unfounded and unproven, said Ochowicz, who is one of Armstrong’s closest friends.

Lelangue, Ochowicz and Rihs' implications are going to be much harder to prove.

I don't see any of you making a big deal about Contador moving with Riis who is a former doper, DS of Basso and Contador being involved with Puerto. We all seem to have very selective memory. He wasn't moving to a less implicated or cleaner team.
Anyway lets leave this to another thread.

 

[kurtinsc]

Lelangue, Ochowicz and Rihs' implications are going to be much harder to prove.

I don't see any of you making a big deal about Contador moving with Riis who is a former doper, DS of Basso and Contador being involved with Puerto. We all seem to have very selective memory. He wasn't moving to a less implicated or cleaner team.
Anyway lets leave this to another thread.

I have no problem with him going to BMC. I rather like the team.

But I can't help but comment when people celebrate because he's not going to the "evil doping Radioshack team"... instead going to a Rihs-Ochowicz team. I'd think it was just as hypocritical if he was going ot Riis's team.

It's cycling people. If you really want to make doping your big thing when it comes to choosing who to cheer for... just realize that there aren't many teams out there that will be safe for you to support. They're pretty much all tainted on some level.

 

[flicker]

Thank you to the last two posters for your moments of clarity. Now haters carry on!

 

[Barracuda]

They had a very good classics team this year which failed and now they have an awesome team. name a better cobbled classics team in history if you include cancellara...

Over the course of the forum you appear to be a well rounded person of sound mind.

Then ... the avatar appears and the foot note......

"Your honour, the prosecution seeks more time to gather further evidence against the defendant in its case"

 

[flicker]

Actually i have found that many on this forum, like myself have absolutely no heroes in cycling. We love the sport, but at the end of the day, see the riders as just athletes looking for personal glory.

And nation wise, this forum is quite unpatriotic - which is a good thing. Those in America generally hate Lance, those in Britain are not Team Sky or Cav fanboys, and in some cases dislike both. With the exception of a few Cuddles fan boys the Australian posters post impartially as well. The Dutch posters generaly love Rabo but mock them more often than not.

So in other words we are a well rounded lot. I will buy the first round.

 

[hughmoore]

auscyclefan94


I am also concerned, I wonder whether your vigourous support has somehow infected Cadel with the Colliwobbles causing his misfortunes this year.


warm regards




Hugh

 

[Hugh Januss]

Lelangue, Ochowicz and Rihs' implications are going to be much harder to prove.

I don't see any of you making a big deal about Contador moving with Riis who is a former doper, DS of Basso and Contador being involved with Puerto. We all seem to have very selective memory. He wasn't moving to a less implicated or cleaner team.
Anyway lets leave this to another thread.

Pretty much every DS is a former doper, Bruyneel/Armstrong is just from the slimiest end of the spectrum.

 

[Oldman]

This is what I do not understand. Everyone here hates Armstrong. Radio Shack will close down as a sponsor at the end of 2011. Taylor Phinney will never have to get a real job ever. BMC, Ochowicz Ris well you conspiracy theorists do your wiki magic.

Dream on about cleanliness just dream on.

Hate is a strong word but you are right about his exposure to Ochowicz and Ris. That's why I said he'd have to endure the period of exposure for teammates (and team administrator's) prior infractions before he'd be set to pursue a clean future. From an endorsement perspective he is better off at BMC than the USS Radioshack, heading for the iceberg. Is it absolutely great? No. Where else could an American kid with little World experience go?

 

[HL2037]

Lance had to leave half way because I think Senator Kerry was on the other line. I've tried to call, email and text and I've not really heard anything.

That is hilarious, Toto could not have made that up! What a cliché.

I think Phinney made a wise decision. I had written him off as Lance's new plaything, but now it seems he might be a sensible guy after all.

 

[the_kman]

That is hilarious, Toto could not have made that up! What a cliché.

I think Phinney made a wise decision. I had written him off as Lance's new plaything, but now it seems he might be a sensible guy after all.

yeh i think its called growing up

i remember taylors blog about when he stayed at lances house and was like "omfg lance is gonna ruin this kid"

very good move. even if BMC dont win much he will get heaps of good exposure and be a destroyer soon enough

 

[auscyclefan94]

Interesting comment on Johanbruyneel.com

It wasn't for a lack of trying on Bruyneel's part. "I met with Taylor at the Tour de l'Avenir to talk with him one-on-one." What the two talked won't be making any headlines. "Out of respect to Taylor and his new team, BMC, I won't reveal the details of that discussion."

phinney said

What it came down to, for me, was a mental security. Looking forward to the Olympics, I want to know that in the next two years and beyond I will not have to worry about things like new bikes, and new contracts. With RadioShack there was a question, it came down to what happens after next year, and during an Olympic year I don’t want to have to change anything,

It seems to me that Bruyneel has said that BMC is not that secure either. JB does have a point but Radioshack is a lot more volatile.

 

[joy118118]

As a neo-pro, TP should sign 2 years. How can Bruyneel offer him one year?

 

[tgsgirl]

As a neo-pro, TP should sign 2 years. How can Bruyneel offer him one year?

He only has a sponsor for one year.

 

[joy118118]

He only has a sponsor for one year.

But they have a PT licences more than one years. How stupid UCI is!

 

[Anonymous]

Too late, dim beat you to it! Hey we need a Geraint thread. If for no other reason than it's a cool name.

But the point he made is a very good one

 

[The Hitch]

Geraint Thomas

Track: Olympic gold medallist. One of the fastest pursuiters of all time.
Cobbles: Junior Paris-Roubaix winner, 2nd on the TdF cobbles stage
TT: A couple of top tens in TdF TTs

He's done all three in the seniors, which Phinney hasn't yet, and comes from just up the road from me, yet I'm not going to call him a phenomenon

top post right there.

Bare in mind, that the TDF gc standings after stage 3 (considering 1 was a sprint and 2 was nullified) were basically a summary of riders cobbled skills and tt skills together.

Thomas was 2nd in the gc behind arguably the greatest cobbles - tt rider of all time.

 

[movingtarget]

I somehow think Cancellara will end up with the Schleck's team with his old mates. They must have a healthy bankroll if it actually happens. As for BMC, I think it is a win win for the team and for Phinney who will have plenty of experienced riders to guide him and help him develop.

 

[CatsNK]

Interesting contrast between Lance refusing to speak to a 20 year old kid because he didn't sign with Lance's team and the story about Vino and Contador getting together for a street race even though Alberto has changed teams. Lance must be the most vindictive guy in the pro peloton.

Excellent point, and not just because it's really all about Vino.

Vino and Contador apparently spent several days together - there are pictures of them on Vino's FB making many public appearances - they seemed at the least cordial and really quite friendly.

 

[Boeing]

yeh i think its called growing up

i remember taylors blog about when he stayed at lances house and was like "omfg lance is gonna ruin this kid"

very good move. even if BMC dont win much he will get heaps of good exposure and be a destroyer soon enough

Now what does Ben King do?

 

[michaeld]

Now what does Ben King do?

Race and keep winning. He'll be one of the leaders now. BK should not be in too much of a rush.

 

[joy118118]

Now what does Ben King do?

Yaroslav Popovych