Levi riding for Garmin next year ?
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Like a school teacher writing term reports, Bruyneel was not so happy with his own team. He scolded Leipheimer for cracking on the stage to Monte Petrano but was full of praise for Armstrong.
His thoughts were in line with the marks out of ten given by Italian paper Gazzetta dello Sport. Leipheimer got a four, while Armstrong got a seven and a pat on the head.
“Obviously we're disappointed that the situation is what it is now,” the Belgian team manager said.
“We were hoping that everything could stay as it was and we hoped for a good day for Levi and a bad day for Menchov and the others. That's what we calculated it would have taken for Levi to have a chance after the time trial.”
“Obviously yesterday he had a bad day, the last week is getting a little long for him. But that's expected. If you look back on the season, he's been there since February, since the Tour of California, on a very high level. He didn't race that much, but he won every single race he did until now. So he came into the Giro real strong, which was good because the beginning was hard. But no matter (how) a big stage race is designed you always have to be strong the last week, and he's going down a little bit now."
“As a team we did everything we could. We rode a good race team-wise, strategy-wise but then if you don't have the legs you don't have the legs.
That's the way it is. There's no regrets. Sastre was the best yesterday. Menchov is a solid leader, so obviously we lost all our options now for the Giro. The podium is also going to be difficult."
His judgment of Armstrong, who is clearly the teacher's pet, was much more favourable.
"It's exactly what I hoped for,” Bruyneel said with his gloating big smile.
“I didn't hope for a great result in the Giro. I didn't expect him to be with the favorites all the time, but I'd hoped that he could be progressing or be close to the favorites in the last week and that's a little bit what's happening.”
Now we'll see what happens in the next stages. The Blockhaus is a very short stage, it's a very weird stage. And then there's Vesuvio. I would like to see if we can continue this progression, or at least stay at the same level."
_________
Like a school teacher writing term reports, Bruyneel was not so happy with his own team. He scolded Leipheimer for cracking on the stage to Monte Petrano but was full of praise for Armstrong.
His thoughts were in line with the marks out of ten given by Italian paper Gazzetta dello Sport. Leipheimer got a four, while Armstrong got a seven and a pat on the head.
“Obviously we're disappointed that the situation is what it is now,” the Belgian team manager said.
“We were hoping that everything could stay as it was and we hoped for a good day for Levi and a bad day for Menchov and the others. That's what we calculated it would have taken for Levi to have a chance after the time trial.”
“Obviously yesterday he had a bad day, the last week is getting a little long for him. But that's expected. If you look back on the season, he's been there since February, since the Tour of California, on a very high level. He didn't race that much, but he won every single race he did until now. So he came into the Giro real strong, which was good because the beginning was hard. But no matter (how) a big stage race is designed you always have to be strong the last week, and he's going down a little bit now."
“As a team we did everything we could. We rode a good race team-wise, strategy-wise but then if you don't have the legs you don't have the legs.
That's the way it is. There's no regrets. Sastre was the best yesterday. Menchov is a solid leader, so obviously we lost all our options now for the Giro. The podium is also going to be difficult."
His judgment of Armstrong, who is clearly the teacher's pet, was much more favourable.
"It's exactly what I hoped for,” Bruyneel said with his gloating big smile.
“I didn't hope for a great result in the Giro. I didn't expect him to be with the favorites all the time, but I'd hoped that he could be progressing or be close to the favorites in the last week and that's a little bit what's happening.”
Now we'll see what happens in the next stages. The Blockhaus is a very short stage, it's a very weird stage. And then there's Vesuvio. I would like to see if we can continue this progression, or at least stay at the same level."
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