Remember Tandy/Radio Shack leather kits?
Posted on 07/27/2009 7:07:08 AM PDT by Ready4Freddy
Jul 23 RadioShack Partners With Lance to Form New Cycling Team in 2010 RadioShack Corporation is proud to announce a partnership with seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong to form a new American Pro-Tour cycling team. Beginning in 2010, Lance Armstrong will compete for Team RadioShack as a cyclist, runner and triathlete in events around the world, including the 2010 Tour de France. “This has been a great season so far – the response in the countries we’ve been to has been amazing and it’s clear now that this was the right choice. Utilizing the massive media attention that the sport receives has been the perfect vehicle to help spread the LIVESTRONG message around the world,” said Lance Armstrong. “To be able to compete for an American team comprised of the world’s top cyclists, supported by the best coaches and staff – I couldn’t be happier to partner with RadioShack, a truly iconic American brand,” said Lance Armstrong. For more information about this partnership and to view a video message from Lance, please go to www.livestrong.com
by Brooke McMillan (LAF Staff)
Cost-cuts helped RadioShack Corp (RSH.N) beat estimates in the second quarter, but its shares fell 8 percent on fears the electronics retailer might not be able to sustain profits by merely controlling expenses.
We can't keep excusing the fact that he's young (he's what, almost 27 now? A viejo himself soon). He's an incredibly gifted athlete but there's still a lot more required to join the exclusive pantheon of true greats on the Grand Tours - contests which no one, not even Eddy M, could win five or more times without scrupulous adherence to a smart strategic program, an acutely-honed intelligence which allows for nimble improvisation on the bike to deviate from that program when exigencies demand it & the ability to carefully cultivate solid relationships with fellow riders whose help they need to get across the finish line first.
Maybe the sting of what Lance & others are saying is what made him lash out, but hopefully he will do a lot of soul-searching anyway & recognize for the sake of his own extraordinary potential that there's some truth to what they're saying.
Whatever the case, though, I still can't wait to hear the true behind-the-scenes scoop about the complicated relationship between these two on this year's Tour.
Doh! I meant Columbia...
I’m sure that was a difficult time. Especially when it would be easy to think the rest of the team was against you. Of the guys riding I can’t imagine he felt he had anyone to confide in there as they all would logically seem to be in Team Armstrong.
I think their relationship would have been much different if they were on different teams. Lance seems to like Andy Schleck who can be almost as dangerous as Contador.
Hi, frithguild. Related to your Freudian(??) slip, word was that when LA was 1st talking to Astana, Contador threatened to go over to Garmin w/ 2 of his top domestiquies.
Hi, PeteB. It would be more like 15% of the teams, since there’s generally 20-22 Teams invited to the TdF.
Mr. Blonde, it’s ASO, a private French organization, that hands out invites as Tour organizer. UCI is the Int’l org that licenses the Teams.
Both Columbia and Garmin have some names, and they have significant Euro membership as well.
My guess is that all 3 Teams will receive invites.
Actually, I think he's far more concerned about Vino's return to Astana.
I bet it was uncomfortable at the dinner table and meetings. I'd also bet AC pouted & whined like a little beyotch the whole time.
Remember Tandy/Radio Shack leather kits?
((Shudder)).
Any athlete would have to be loony to ride for Vino & the Kazakh government. They haven't even designed their new kit yet but go ahead & picture it in your mind anyway. Does it not have "D I S Q U A L I F I C A T I O N - I N - P R O G R E S S" written all over it? Ewwww.Vino's a scandal just waiting to happen.
Well, except for that unlimited access to the 4th-best prostitute in all of Kazakhstan.
From Lance’s Twitter: “Seeing these comments from AC. If I were him I’d drop this drivel and start thanking his team. w/o them, he doesn’t win.”
The makeup of Team Radio Shack will be of great interest.
Everyone knows that the team will be very well-managed, organized, and equipped. And clean; that may put off some potential riders, especially some Euros.
Couple of stalwarts like George & Levi? Kloden? While they need to build for the future, can they get a bona fide GC contender to come on board while Lance is there?
I think Mom MD is on the right track with Tony Martin. He is very good but I think realistically a few years out from really competing for a title. I can’t imagine a better mentor than Lance when it comes to the tactical aspects of the race. And tactics can overcome great physical gifts (cf 2009 green jersey race).
Outside of that I hope they find an up and coming American to bring along. Maybe Lance can spot another iron willed Texan with the lungs of two normal men. It will be a few years before Luke is ready unfortunately.
I think Kloden has been announced as well. I think with the demise of the Astana team most will follow Bruyneel to Radio Shack. I would like to see Hincapie on the team as well, but I don’t know his feelings after the tour this year. Not to mention, I don’t think anyone wants Radio Shack to be an old timer’s league and Lance, Levi, George and Andreas are all 34+ right now. Something tells me they will want an all-arounder who was in contention for the white jersey in the last decade on the team.
Originally I had said I would like to see them get Tony Martin, but looking at the white jersey standings I see something interesting. Liquigas has the 2nd and 3rd place riders in Nibali and Kreuziger. I would think one of them would be looking for a new team in the future as one of them won’t be the team leader. And at 25 or younger they both have to have aspirations of being team leader and vying for a Tour title.
Normally, moving to a different team to not be a team leader would be out of the question. Radio Shack provides a unique opportunity. As I mentioned the predicted top 3 riders on the team are all on the tail end of their careers. But they have all had tremendous success and would be able to mentor someone in how to be successful especially in the tour as you have 7 titles, a runner-up finish and two thirds. Add to that Bruyneel who is the most successful director and it is a pretty good situation. Certainly waiting a year or two to be the team leader on that team would seem worthwhile. Especially if the understanding was you would be the leader for either the Giro or Tour of Spain.
Other than that I would like to see some American riders on an American team. Garmin actually has quite a few, but I’m not sure how many were on the tour team. Columbia only has 2 in total. I realize the primary goal is to win races, but it would be nice if that was done while bringing along American talent.
patriotspride:
” Normally, moving to a different team to not be a team leader would be out of the question. Radio Shack provides a unique opportunity. As I mentioned the predicted top 3 riders on the team are all on the tail end of their careers. But they have all had tremendous success and would be able to mentor someone in how to be successful especially in the tour as you have 7 titles, a runner-up finish and two thirds. Add to that Bruyneel who is the most successful director and it is a pretty good situation. Certainly waiting a year or two to be the team leader on that team would seem worthwhile. Especially if the understanding was you would be the leader for either the Giro or Tour of Spain.”
Good observation. Johan/Lance can certainly teach the ropes to anyone willing to learn from the best.
Agree on Kloden. Surprised he faded a little, but know he’s a very capable rider. Also I think Lance respects him.
George would be nice, but he’s probably better elsewhere at this point in his career.
I wish Lance well. He may bring Radio Shack from their moribund state.
Or else it will be like rooting for Team Teletype.
Or Team Vacuum Tube?
re: Landis...
I’m a former racer and still a rider and a HUGE cycling fan. I defended the guys I liked for too long and then realized I was becoming an apologist.
I’ve read enough to know that if you use a testosterone patch, like Floyd was said to have done, your levels decrease pretty quickly (and of course were normal beforehand.)
I’ve become jaded. As you say, the TdF was clean this year - so far. They’re on the 2nd or 3rd gen CERA now and the tests are only catching the 1st - and that’s pretty much only when the rider/giver screws up.
I believe everyone is taking something to keep their hematocrits at the allowed level. Strangely, I don’t really think that’s cheating. I mean, I could go train at altitude for a month and raise my levels a few % points - and surely that’s not cheating. Or is it?
It’s such a mess... and such a great sport. Sigh.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.