Will Radio Shack be back in 2011?

[dbrower]

Will Team Radio Shack be back in 2011?

 

[BroDeal]

Radio Shack has said that the "team," if you can call it that, was to be about more than just cycling. Its purpose was to get publicity through Armstrong's participation in pro cycling, mountain biking, triathlon, and running. A cynic, which I would never ever ever be , might say that as much as Armstrong himself, RS wanted to milk publicity from cancer.

Next year RS will be continue to support Armstrong's efforts at triathlon. It is entirely possible that Armstrong will show up at domestic cycling races.

Where that leaves the european pro cycling team I don't know. There are surely contracts in place to continue supporting the team, but the cycling team sans Armstrong is worth considerably less than what it was worth with him. I have a hard time envisioning Phil and Paul singing the praises of Leipheimer during Versus' TdF converage.

I think the team might do what they did this year, a half assed campaign that does not include a lot of races. I will be interesting to see if the team signs a big rider for next year. They could basically keep who they have, not spedn big money on new acquisitions, and let the team wind down by the end of next season.

 

[Boeing]

It depends how close the Shack and Livestrong u23 really are

 

[Seattleallstar]

Hope rides again in 2011!!! Maybe they will sign up Alphonse from the RS commercials

 

[Mellow Velo]

If they don't turn up next year, then Pat McQuaid's decision to issue them with a 4 year Pro Tour licence, will be as stupid as folks here predicted.
If they have any intent of hanging around, given the team's showing at the Tour, we should hear some transfer rumours, soon.
Then again, this is Bruyneel we are talking about.

 

[koolkinks]

Radoshack as a team minus the so called great one is quite good.

Good proven GC contenders: Kolden, Leipheimer, Horner and Zubeldia

Good Future GC contenders: Brajkovic and Machado

Decent Classics team: Rosseler, Steegmans, Rast, Muravyev and Vaitkus

Neo Pro: Taylor Phinney

Very good domestiques: Popovych, Paulinho and Zubeldia

What they lack is a young pure sprinter. Steegman is geeting old. But there will be a few without teams, Ciolek, Rojas probably the Haedo brothers.

If they have a proper program they can race the next season instead of just chasing the tour for LA.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Chris Horner is NOT a proven GC contender. Yes, he lost at least 4 minutes in the Tour helping out Armstrong. But he gained 7 minutes back in a breakaway, and came 10th overall. He's not much more of a GC contender than Christophe Le Mevel or Philip Deignan, who both managed top 10s in GTs last season. Horner is a superb rider, and right now probably better than Klöden and Leipheimer, but he's also 38, and 2010 is by far his best year as a GC contender. He doesn't really have time to develop, does he? Zubeldia, like Popovych, isn't a GC contender anymore, he's just picking up a paycheck.

Radioshack have all the elements of a good team, but their core is old, the focus on two events to the exclusion of others has backfired spectacularly as they've failed to achieve their objectives at both, and their wilful ignorance of other events has left them without the opportunity to salvage the season, and will the sponsor really get the same level of support behind a team that is built - as it probably should be for the next season or two - around a Slovenian and an unproven young Portuguese?

 

[craig1985]

Hope rides again in 2011!!! Maybe they will sign up Alphonse from the RS commercials

BPC anyone?

 

[koolkinks]

Radoshack as a team minus the so called great one is quite good.

Good proven GC contenders: Kloden, Leipheimer and Horner

Good Future GC contenders: Brajkovic and Machado

Decent Classics team: Rosseler, Steegmans, Rast, Muravyev and Vaitkus

Neo Pro: Taylor Phinney

Very good domestiques: Popovych, Paulinho and Zubeldia

What they lack is a young pure sprinter. Steegman is geeting old. But there will be a few without teams, Ciolek, Rojas probably the Haedo brothers.

If they have a proper program they can race the next season instead of just chasing the tour for LA.

You are right Liberty I should have removed Zubeldia from the GC contenders. He is a good domenstique though. Horner is good GC contender in the week long races like Pais Vasco or maybe Catalunya. I agree not for a GT. And I think they need a young sprinter who can win some stages for them.
If the sponsors are interested in development of cycling as a sport in USA they should continue to support the team and allow the development of riders like Phinney.

I have another question: I have never seen Taylor Phinney race. Is he really as good as other young talents like Roman Sicard ? Or is it all hype ?

 

[pugdog]

and what about Ben Hermans?

 

[old_bram]

Radioshack committed to a two year deal with an optional extension beyond 2011, and I think a lot of the riders signed on for 2 years, so they will be in the fight next year.

With all the expected Armstrong media coverage , and the publicity shot of the team on the TDF podium, the sponsors have probably got their moneys worth for this year. (They've also had a few half-decent results up to the tour - did notice that this includes another 7 other team classification wins - maybe that was this years target after all!)

They have got a good set of support and potential 1 week / 1 day riders, but I can't see a real GT contender in the bunch.

I think the lack of media circus next year can only help the team focus, but it's going to be a make or break year.

(If it doesn't start well, they wouldn't wheel out the old man to ride the Tour of California for the sponsors would they?).

 

[simo1733]

U23

I think Radioshack will do at least 3 yrs.The current squad is mostly past it but Trek Livestrong has an excellent crop of u23s.Not just Phinney but Sargeant and Dowsett and others

 

[Jux1893]

RadioShack's main goal is the Tour, and at the moment they don't have anyone to challenge it next year. Not even close. As we seen this year, the Giro and the Vuelta isn't enough.

They're not racing in the Vuelta, meaning they need strong performances in the rest of season in order to get an automatic invite into next year GT's. (I'm not sure how it works, but I think the top 16 UCI teams get automatic invites to the GT's).

They will run next year, but unless they get (or create) a GT contender during next year, they won't run in 2012. Not even under a different name.

 

[this_is_edie]

Good question. Radioshack needs an American 'star' rider to focus on in 2011, or specifically for the Armstrong fans to focus on, and to focus on for the Tour.

Who will it be? Will they suddenly build up Horner as the next GT contender, like they did to Hincapie and we all know what happened there?

Will they push Phinney into GT too early? Will they get a new rider (which one?)

Or do they extend the English play and go for an Australian to fill in the gap?

 

[outrage9]

Good question. Radioshack needs an American 'star' rider to focus on in 2011, or specifically for the Armstrong fans to focus on, and to focus on for the Tour.

As an American this is what I've wondered myself. America doesn't have much of anyone left to root for either due to age, injury, or supporting other bigger foreign names and squandered. Half are nearing retirement/retiring, the ones that should be hitting their primes like Christian, Zabriskie, Danielson, can't stay healthy and time is rapidly sliding by, and I'm not certain if Farrar will EVER beat a top sprinter like Cav, or whoever the next sensation is, in a real race before he's too old with only a bunch of 2nd place finishes next to his name (nor do I think America would get behind a sprinter.)

America needs a GT rider to keep America interested since most have never heard of Roubaix, much less know how to spell it. Even if Farrar won a green jersey, I just don't think it would keep America interested past the 4th week of July if even that far. If this doesn't happen then RS (and possibly Garmin) likely won't last, at least as American teams

 

[metaCYCLE]

in all sincerity i simply don't care about this particular team's future.

 

[this_is_edie]

As an American this is what I've wondered myself. America doesn't have much of anyone left to root for either due to age, injury, or supporting other bigger foreign names and squandered. Half are nearing retirement/retiring, the ones that should be hitting their primes like Christian, Zabriskie, Danielson, can't stay healthy and time is rapidly sliding by, and I'm not certain if Farrar will EVER beat a top sprinter like Cav, or whoever the next sensation is, in a real race before he's too old with only a bunch of 2nd place finishes next to his name (nor do I think America would get behind a sprinter.)

America needs a GT rider to keep America interested since most have never heard of Roubaix, much less know how to spell it. Even if Farrar won a green jersey, I just don't think it would keep America interested past the 4th week of July if even that far. If this doesn't happen then RS (and possibly Garmin) likely won't last, at least as American teams

Boy do I disagree about Garmin - and the squandered comment. It's not America that needs a GT rider but Armstrong fans in the US that need a new American rider to cheer for. Many (most?) of his fans have no idea about other riders except for the ones on his team. Unfortunately, versus has fed into this, choosing to focus on short-term money and gave us years of Lance and (almost) only Lance instead of introducing the next generation of American and international riders to the July fans - very short-sighted but that's another thread.

Garmin was not built and publicized as a Tour only team, Radioshack was, due to the Armstrong phenomena. Now they're stuck.

 

[luckyboy]

Voted yes, but forgot that the company might be going out of business by next year. Can't find the link.

 

[michaeld]

Will they push Phinney into GT too early? Will they get a new rider (which one?)

I fear for this kid on a gutted RS next year.

 

[outrage9]

Boy do I disagree about Garmin - and the squandered comment. It's not America that needs a GT rider but Armstrong fans in the US that need a new American rider to cheer for. Many (most?) of his fans have no idea about other riders except for the ones on his team. Unfortunately, versus has fed into this, choosing to focus on short-term money and gave us years of Lance and (almost) only Lance instead of introducing the next generation of American and international riders to the July fans - very short-sighted but that's another thread.

Garmin was not built and publicized as a Tour only team, Radioshack was, due to the Armstrong phenomena. Now they're stuck.

Not that I think he would have ever made a GT contender, but I think DZ could be an actual challenge to Fabian if he could have developed instead of supporting others both at CSC and Garmin plus injuries like the Giro. Danielson hasn't been good/healthy since Tour de Ga in 05 and I think he was declining then. Christian either and was relegated to supporting a Wiggins fluke year last year and I'm not so sure he would have ever made it to the top in a GT anyway if he could keep the rubber down. Of them I think Danielson had the most potential but he can't stay healthy long enough to even get a Tour slot. I just don't know if Garmin knows what it is, they need to find themselves and decide if they want to be a sprint team, a GT team, or just go back to trying to win every TTT and hope they put one in next year. Lotto tried that dual strategy for years and if it weren't for Mcewen's ability to sprint without any support they would be the same, that's why Cadel complained/left supposedly because they didn't really support him either.

Another I think could have been better is Jason McCartney, kind of wish he was back with CSC/Saxo, they really need another climber instead of having all their eggs in Schleck baskets. Met him on top of Brasstown Bald in 06, heck of a nice guy, and I think he could be competing for polka dots in GTs but he's creeping up in age as well.

 

[this_is_edie]

Voted yes, but forgot that the company might be going out of business by next year. Can't find the link.

RadioShack looking for a buyer, possibly Best Buy

and

Retailer exploring sale and share buyback options

Not sure how this will impact the future of the team.

 

[montagna lunga]

gaga will be joining the RS team ... this will effectively confuse the current fanboy crop's beloved Berto ... and cement the popularization of cycling with the masses

 

[kurtinsc]

My view of the team:


Horner (38), Leipheimer (36), Kloden (35) - The old farts. These guys probably have a few more good performances spread between them. Not going to win the Tour... but perhaps a top 10... maybe a top 5 Giro or Vuelta and a lesser stage race win here or there.

Brajkovic (26) - won Dauphine Libere, 4th in Castilli y Leon, 6th in Romandie, 9th in California, 9th in Catalunya, 12th in Paris-Nice, 4th in Sardegna. Brajkovic is at the worst a 1-week race contender... perhaps even a GT hope just approaching his prime. Big value to a team.

Machado (24) - 3rd in Algrave, 3rd in Crit International, 2nd in Sarthe, 7th in Castilli y Leon, 7th in Romandie, 4th in Osterreich-Rundfahrt. Young rider showing solid results against good fields in stage races so far. Big value to a team.

Steegmans (29) - Injured most of the year and a 2nd tier sprinter/classics guy when healthy. Still good for some podiums and maybe a stage win here or there when healthy. Has some value.

Rosseler (29) - Agressive rider who can get stage wins and compete an lesser 1-day races. Decent value.

Hermans (24) - 9th in Crit International, 6th in Ronde van Belgie, 9th in Osterreich-Rundfahrt. Looks like a young rider with some stage racing talent. Good value.

Lequatre (29), Vaitkus (28), Rast (30), Muryavev (30) - Solid guys who can help on the Pave. Not superstars, but have value.

Popovych (30), Zubeldia (33), Rubiera (37), Paulinho (30) - Climbing domestiques. Do their job, but nothing to write home about.

Selander (22), Rovny (22), Bewley (23), Busche (25), Impey (25) - Jury's still out on these young guys.

Irizar (30), Li (32), Beppu (27), McCartney (36) - I honestly see no value for these guys.



The team has some good young talent, and some old guys past their prime. The big issue is that their "prime" age guys (29-32) are for the most part helper-type riders. If they could add a sprinter who can win races when not facing the truly elite guys and a GC threat in his prime as the old farts move on... I see this team as pretty strong. They'll likely try to hold on with the old guys though... and I don't think that will work overall.

 

[Susan Westemeyer]

gaga will be joining the RS team ...

Who or what is gaga? All I can think of is Lady Gaga, and I don't even want to think about what she might wear on a bike.....

Susan

 

[Marva32]

Who or what is gaga? All I can think of is Lady Gaga, and I don't even want to think about what she might wear on a bike.....

Susan

I don't want to think about her at all.