The Rohan Dennis thread

[yaco]

Well if Dennis wants to ride the World's ITT he needs to be fired by Bahrain Merida, which is every possibility - If he is suspended that means he can't accrue many race days before the world's which will put him at a disadvantage - he will be picked up by another WT team.

 

[movingtarget]

Re:

I hope it’s not mental health.

i think you might be on the money. A TT rider not happy about his equipment or his team managers ? That has to play on his mind and team didn't understand his exit so they say. I expect him to be riding elsewhere next year one way or another. He will try and break his contract I think.

 

[Blanco]

Re: Re:

Rohan Dennis is a disgrace for this sport, you just don't do this to your team no matter what reason you have.

Disgrace is that that team was even allowed to come to existence

"Rohan Dennis is a disgrace for this sport"...blah blah blah..."no matter what reason you have."
That is a remarkable thing to say given the history of this team and its financial backers.
Seriously, a five minute google search will tell you all you need to know about Nasser and the horrendous crimes he and his cronies have committed to the people who reside in his country--people who have committed so-called crimes that include wanting to have a voice. If records submitted by creditable world-wide institutions are to be believed, this Prince Nassar guy took place in torture. I'm not saying he was a by-stander who gave the nod to his cronies; I'm saying the guy actually laid hands on so-called dissidents.
I am almost certain that this is not why Rohan bailed, but it provides an opportunity to shed light on the people who sign his pay cheques.
UCI leaders should be ashamed of themselves.

And how the hell is all this connected with Rohan Dennis leaving the team in the middle of the Tour de France!?

 

[jaylew]

Re: Re:

as per HLN.be

"Allegedly Dennis gave up after an argument with the team management."

"out of dissatisfaction with his time trial suit and bike"



https://www.hln.be/sport/wielrennen/tour-de-france/tijdritspecialist-rohan-dennis-geeft-dag-voor-chronorace-misnoegd-op-uit-onvrede-over-zijn-tijdritpak-en-fiets~a3805da7/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_content=Sport&utm_source=dlvr.it

I said it in the beginning of the year, during the Tirreno: Dennis decline isn't due to some transition to becoming a GC threat, it's the Merida bikes. They're godawful on itself, let alone when compared to the BMC wondermachine. So in that sense, I completely understand him. To make such a point of it, in the middle of a stage, after 7 months however is a bit strange.

So basically Nibali and Caruso would have crushed Roglic and Co. in the ITTs if only they had better bikes?

I don't know, it's impossible to tell a margin of difference with other bikes. Especially in a grand tour where recuperation and peaking plays a big role too. What is a fact however, is that almost every rider somehow sees a decline in TT results once they sign with Bahrain (or teams with other terrible materials). Dennis isn't the first and he certainly won't be the last. Merida, Cervelo (its old model at least) are junk when compared to BMC, Pinarello or the current Bianchi's for instance.

Nonsense.

 

[DenisMenchov]

He could be bi-polar maybe?

 

[the delgados]

Re: Re:

Rohan Dennis is a disgrace for this sport, you just don't do this to your team no matter what reason you have.

Disgrace is that that team was even allowed to come to existence

"Rohan Dennis is a disgrace for this sport"...blah blah blah..."no matter what reason you have."
That is a remarkable thing to say given the history of this team and its financial backers.
Seriously, a five minute google search will tell you all you need to know about Nasser and the horrendous crimes he and his cronies have committed to the people who reside in his country--people who have committed so-called crimes that include wanting to have a voice. If records submitted by creditable world-wide institutions are to be believed, this Prince Nassar guy took place in torture. I'm not saying he was a by-stander who gave the nod to his cronies; I'm saying the guy actually laid hands on so-called dissidents.
I am almost certain that this is not why Rohan bailed, but it provides an opportunity to shed light on the people who sign his pay cheques.
UCI leaders should be ashamed of themselves.

And how the hell is all this connected with Rohan Dennis leaving the team in the middle of the Tour de France!?

Ha! I had a gut feeling that someone would chime in without thinking about what I said.
Take a look back; the question you ask has already been answered.

 

[Yingge]

Another report says that Rohan and his Manager (Andrew McQuaid) were seen in conversation about an hour before the stage start. On his way back to the bus a reporter (Rob Arnold) tried to ask a question and was given a "vicious stare" and some unprintable words in response. Makes you wonder what he and his Manager were discussing. Meanwhile, not the slightest sign of any leak from among the rest of the team. I wonder what Alan Peiper knows, it was he that Dennis followed from Garmin to BMC in 2014, and they both moved on to Bahrain following the demise of BMC.

 

[Broccolidwarf]

Re: Re:

as per HLN.be

"Allegedly Dennis gave up after an argument with the team management."

"out of dissatisfaction with his time trial suit and bike"



https://www.hln.be/sport/wielrennen/tour-de-france/tijdritspecialist-rohan-dennis-geeft-dag-voor-chronorace-misnoegd-op-uit-onvrede-over-zijn-tijdritpak-en-fiets~a3805da7/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_content=Sport&utm_source=dlvr.it

I said it in the beginning of the year, during the Tirreno: Dennis decline isn't due to some transition to becoming a GC threat, it's the Merida bikes. They're godawful on itself, let alone when compared to the BMC wondermachine. So in that sense, I completely understand him. To make such a point of it, in the middle of a stage, after 7 months however is a bit strange.

Then why, as a TT specialist, sign for a team with "MERIDA" right there in their name? Even if the Sheik himself personally drove a Ferrari full of cash up to his house, he still had to know what equipment he was getting himself into. He probably would've had to take a paycut, but if he'd signed for, say, DD for this year, he'd still be on a BMC bike, he'd be wearing Assos kit, and his sponsors would be in charge of the time keeping at all the major races.

One would assume, that Dennis has been given promises on development of equipment, when he signed...... and that those promises has not been kept.
A cycle manufacturer doesn't sign the worlds best TT rider, without that being an important part of the deal.

Given how things unfolded yesterday, I would think the team has promised him some specific kit for the TT tomorrow, and yesterday it became apparent it would not be available - or not live up to specifications.

I bet his early attempt at getting in the break was pure rage, and when he failed he was like "screw you guys, I'm going home, I'm not going to win a stage anyhow".

 

[willbick]

Re:

Another report says that Rohan and his Manager (Andrew McQuaid) were seen in conversation about an hour before the stage start. On his way back to the bus a reporter (Rob Arnold) tried to ask a question and was given a "vicious stare" and some unprintable words in response. Makes you wonder what he and his Manager were discussing. Meanwhile, not the slightest sign of any leak from among the rest of the team. I wonder what Alan Peiper knows, it was he that Dennis followed from Garmin to BMC in 2014, and they both moved on to Bahrain following the demise of BMC.

I think Alan Peiper has been ill recently. Maybe this is a factor

 

[Yingge]

Does anyone know how he got from the feed zone to the finish?

 

[TomLPC]

As a sponsor, you've gotta have your head in your hands watching this. Biggest race, world champion quitting in the middle of the stage in a basically unheard of, very visible manner because, as far as we know, "the bike is ***".

As a fan however, this is great stuff, great entertainment. Nothing quite like seeing someone having an almighty strop at the injustice of it all bang in a middle of a big event, Drogba yelling at the camera in the CL semis, Ronnie walking out at the crucible mid-game, Cantona kicking that Crystal Palace fan. You sometimes hear the commentators trying to pontificate, "This isn't what we want to see", but really this is EXACTLY the kind of thing we DO want to see, because we can all relate and it's a reflection of what we all think about doing several times a week whilst sat at our desks.

That said, he's obviously an emotional young man and I do hope he's alright, always a bit worrying seeing something like this especially with reference to what kind of personality the sport draws in and its history.

 

[Jagartrott]

I'd support him if he was protesting against the human rights violations in Bahrein. But if it's mostly about the bike, it's just childish.

 

[rick james]

Re:

Wonder if the arrival of Rod Ellingworth is already affecting things at the team? One would suspect that Dennis would be looking forward to his arrival, or perhaps not?

Don’t think he’s joined the team yet

 

[MatParker117]

Re: Re:

I hope it’s not mental health.

i think you might be on the money. A TT rider not happy about his equipment or his team managers ? That has to play on his mind and team didn't understand his exit so they say. I expect him to be riding elsewhere next year one way or another. He will try and break his contract I think.

In which case if it's a management/equipment issue then his options are most likely Bora, DQS or Ineos.

 

[Yingge]

Unless this turns out to be something external to the Team, I suspect that there will be a parting of the ways rather quickly.

 

[lartiste]

Re: Re:

I hope it’s not mental health.

i think you might be on the money. A TT rider not happy about his equipment or his team managers ? That has to play on his mind and team didn't understand his exit so they say. I expect him to be riding elsewhere next year one way or another. He will try and break his contract I think.

In which case if it's a management/equipment issue then his options are most likely Bora, DQS or Ineos.

Don't believe this, unless there will be any reasonable explanation, he will have big problems to find new team. Everyone will be very vigilant to hire guy who without explanation stoped pedaling during the stage with full media attention.

 

[lartiste]

Re:

I'd support him if he was protesting against the human rights violations in Bahrein. But if it's mostly about the bike, it's just childish.

This is senceless and even if h will come up with such explanation, no on will trust him. You sign with the team, you are taking money from the team and you are pedaling for the team for more than half a year and one day you wake up and find out that it is not moral?

If he would like to demonstrate, that he is against violation of human rights in Bahrain he had his chance yesterday with media attention. The silence means something different.

 

[carton]

Re: Re:

I hope it’s not mental health.

i think you might be on the money. A TT rider not happy about his equipment or his team managers ? That has to play on his mind and team didn't understand his exit so they say. I expect him to be riding elsewhere next year one way or another. He will try and break his contract I think.

In which case if it's a management/equipment issue then his options are most likely Bora, DQS or Ineos.

Don't believe this, unless there will be any reasonable explanation, he will have big problems to find new team. Everyone will be very vigilant to hire guy who without explanation stoped pedaling during the stage with full media attention.

Not only that, but he made a huge show of how sht-upid he thought his equipment was. One day before the time trial, in perfect health and condition, when, given that his real competitors were likely a bit more tired than he was (Asgreen's face the last few stages has been a work of art). It was the only stage he was really there for. He probably had a decent chance to win or at least place -even on substandard gear.

I mean, I've heard of his wheel brand before, they seem nice enough and reasonable value for money, made by reputable (and well-connected) folks. I just saw an ad for them earlier today. Now it's hard to get around the fact that they're so badly rated by one of the world's best time trialists he'd rather give up a potential Tour de France stage win that have to lug their wheels around for half an hour. That's what the sponsors are getting for their million euro or whatever investment in the team.

Maybe promises were made and not kept, and that definitely blows. But there had to have been a better way to handle this. This a far, far worse look for him than an anonymous 7th place -which I would really think was the worst-case scenario for him today.

 

[Nirvana]

Magrini at the beginning of today's stage coverage said that he knows that the manufacturer after his complaints about the TT suit prepared more than 20 different suits (including the ones used by Sky since Castelli is another brand of the same company) and none of them was of his liking and continued to complain.
He also said that he refuses to use the shoes that his team mates use, complains basically about everything and he's very individualist so no one likes him.

 

[topt]

Re: Re:

as per HLN.be

"Allegedly Dennis gave up after an argument with the team management."

"out of dissatisfaction with his time trial suit and bike"



https://www.hln.be/sport/wielrennen/tour-de-france/tijdritspecialist-rohan-dennis-geeft-dag-voor-chronorace-misnoegd-op-uit-onvrede-over-zijn-tijdritpak-en-fiets~a3805da7/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_content=Sport&utm_source=dlvr.it

I said it in the beginning of the year, during the Tirreno: Dennis decline isn't due to some transition to becoming a GC threat, it's the Merida bikes. They're godawful on itself, let alone when compared to the BMC wondermachine. So in that sense, I completely understand him. To make such a point of it, in the middle of a stage, after 7 months however is a bit strange.

Then why, as a TT specialist, sign for a team with "MERIDA" right there in their name? Even if the Sheik himself personally drove a Ferrari full of cash up to his house, he still had to know what equipment he was getting himself into. He probably would've had to take a paycut, but if he'd signed for, say, DD for this year, he'd still be on a BMC bike, he'd be wearing Assos kit, and his sponsors would be in charge of the time keeping at all the major races.

One would assume, that Dennis has been given promises on development of equipment, when he signed...... and that those promises has not been kept.
A cycle manufacturer doesn't sign the worlds best TT rider, without that being an important part of the deal.

Given how things unfolded yesterday, I would think the team has promised him some specific kit for the TT tomorrow, and yesterday it became apparent it would not be available - or not live up to specifications.

I bet his early attempt at getting in the break was pure rage, and when he failed he was like "screw you guys, I'm going home, I'm not going to win a stage anyhow".

he is not the world best TT rider

 

[luckyboy]

Tratnik and Mohoric must have some rebadged Ineos equipment today if Merida and Sportful is so terrible

 

[proffate]

Dennis did raise the concern after the lost Aussie nats. And the Rudy helmet is probably garbage compared to Giro. The Giro is super popular on the track and I expect track riders to be ahead of the curve on equipment choices. Besides, helmets are very personal.

 

[lartiste]

He has most probably mental health problem ... .

We do know he has genuine problems with explosive, angry responses to relatively innocuous challenges. He’s a hothead. Former teammates, managers, team staff – it seems everyone has a Rohan story. Each rider or team staff member I contacted in the last few hours said some version of the same: Yes, it’s a problem. This isn’t the first time. It’s a pattern.

“He needs help,” two former teammates told me, asking that I not use any specific stories they’d told. It’s a phrase that turns this story from one of bemused confusion — why would an elite athlete do that? — to one that feels quite sad.

https://cyclingtips.com/2019/07/inside-the-bizarre-tour-departure-of-rohan-dennis/

 

[dastott]

Re: Re:

as per HLN.be

"Allegedly Dennis gave up after an argument with the team management."

"out of dissatisfaction with his time trial suit and bike"



https://www.hln.be/sport/wielrennen/tour-de-france/tijdritspecialist-rohan-dennis-geeft-dag-voor-chronorace-misnoegd-op-uit-onvrede-over-zijn-tijdritpak-en-fiets~a3805da7/?utm_medium=twitter&utm_content=Sport&utm_source=dlvr.it

I said it in the beginning of the year, during the Tirreno: Dennis decline isn't due to some transition to becoming a GC threat, it's the Merida bikes. They're godawful on itself, let alone when compared to the BMC wondermachine. So in that sense, I completely understand him. To make such a point of it, in the middle of a stage, after 7 months however is a bit strange.

Then why, as a TT specialist, sign for a team with "MERIDA" right there in their name? Even if the Sheik himself personally drove a Ferrari full of cash up to his house, he still had to know what equipment he was getting himself into. He probably would've had to take a paycut, but if he'd signed for, say, DD for this year, he'd still be on a BMC bike, he'd be wearing Assos kit, and his sponsors would be in charge of the time keeping at all the major races.

One would assume, that Dennis has been given promises on development of equipment, when he signed...... and that those promises has not been kept.
A cycle manufacturer doesn't sign the worlds best TT rider, without that being an important part of the deal.

he is not the world best TT rider

The title of best TTer has been in almost yearly rotation since the heyday of the Martin/Cancellara era heyday some 10 years ago. FWIW, it seems rare for a rider to hold that honor over consecutive years:

2012 - Wiggins
2013 - Martin
2014 - Wiggins
2015 - (no clear strongest, strange WC results that year)
2016 - Dumoulin
2017 - Dumoulin
2018 - Dennis
2019 - Roglic (but maybe have to wait for the WC…)

 

[ppanther92]

What is he doing?

https://twitter.com/RohanDennis/status/1153421338553520129

That just makes him look even worse. This mail contains a perfectly fine request by the team, even giving him a good option to only target the ITT and doing a TdF recon afterwards. And his SO gets involved too...