Bert as good as confirms Team Riis
Comments
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For someone who's had deep associations in the past with Riis, Gerald Vroomen has come out with some interesting comments on Twitter about rumoured sponsors. Two faced doesn't begin to describe them.0
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andyp wrote:For someone who's had deep associations in the past with Riis, Gerald Vroomen has come out with some interesting comments on Twitter about rumoured sponsors. Two faced doesn't begin to describe them.
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My irony filter is struggling to cope.Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
SecretSqirrel wrote:Blazing Saddles wrote:According to Riis, Contador has declared he wants to win all three tours in one year, and Riis is indicating that this is a joint goal for 2012.
As ambitions go, that's HUGE!
Good on them. Whether it work out or not, it puts Contador on another level.
To be fair, it looks like he left winning all three grand tours and the world championships in one year as an ambition for the future. Like..2013.
The British Empire never died, it just moved to the Velodrome0 -
i'm interested to see if the new Schleck outfit will be built as just a tour winning outfit. Wonder who they might take on the for the classics..0
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Saw that about the Giro, Tour and Vuelta in one year. Legendary stuff if achieved.Contador is the Greatest0
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calvjones wrote:pedro118118 wrote:calvjones wrote:Saxo lured on for another year with Bertie's arrival; Riis looking forward to polishing his little diamond further.
Wonder why the bulk of Saxo staff & half the riders chose the Schlecks over Bjarne?
Really? Which half?
From what I've read, only Andersen and the Schlecks have been confirmed as 'jumping ship' from Riis. Hardly "half" of a ProTour team's rider/management/support roster. I'm sure more Saxo names will be linked (Fuglsang & Voigt spring to mind), but Riis has managed to secure his sponsorship and bring in Bertie, so rumours of an 'exodus' are greatly exegerated.
You wouldn't expect many confirmed to be jumping ship when there' no ship to jump into yet. From CN:
"A number of staff and experienced riders are also expected to jump ship and work with the Schlecks, including Jens Voigt, Stuart O’Grady"
which I see no reason to disbelieve. Suppose we'll have to wait and see how exaggerated the rumours are.
However, the basic point about why the Schlecks wanted to leave is one I'm more interested in, unless it's just money.
I'm not denying that there is/will be speculation, as per CN. There's always rumour/speculation. That is a far cry from your proclamation that "the bulk of Saxo staff & half the riders chose the Schlecks over Bjarne", which is at best, unsubstantiated gossip and at worst, sensationalist guesswork. We'll have to wait and see won't we.0 -
frenchfighter wrote:Saw that about the Giro, Tour and Vuelta in one year. Legendary stuff if achieved.
Talk is cheap.
Let's put it this way, no-one has ever come close to achieving this so what makes Contador think he can be the first?0 -
Ok would you rather the best stage racer in the World said my lifetime goal is to win 3 1 week stage races in a year.
.....
Really exciting for the fans that goal.
If he said: I want to win two grand tours in a year. Would you have believed him then? Most likely not. What has he done? Won two grand tours in a year. Not even knocking on 30s door either.
Or maybe you think no sportsman should never try and achieve something previously unachieved...Contador is the Greatest0 -
I don't say this very often, but I agree with FF. I love seeing sportsmen come out and say "it sounds crazy, but that's my goal". I love guys who tilt at stuff people believe is beyond them like Wiggins tour ambitions or Cunego still talking about following up his Giro win. Why not? If you fail, at least you had the balls to try adn let everybody know you were trying."In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"
@gietvangent0 -
Try not. Do. Or do not. There is not try.
- YodaFckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
I'll bet £100 that Contador does not start all 3 GTs next year. Any takers?0
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It's good to dream big.
Chinny has said that he wants to win all 5 monuments.
Granted, not all in the same season (now that would be a goal?!)..........but still, it's a massively ambitious target.0 -
disgruntledgoat wrote:I don't say this very often, but I agree with FF. I love seeing sportsmen come out and say "it sounds crazy, but that's my goal". I love guys who tilt at stuff people believe is beyond them like Wiggins tour ambitions or Cunego still talking about following up his Giro win. Why not? If you fail, at least you had the balls to try adn let everybody know you were trying.
There's a difference between trying and failing (Wiggins, Cunego) and merely saying and not trying (how many people have hinted in recent years that they were going to try the hour record?).
If Contador even attempts it, I'll give him his dues. But he won't.0 -
the odds at the bookies of him completing the trio would be pretty long.
it would depend on the rest period between the Giro and Tour for a start, but if the Giro is really early in the season he'd struggle with the weather I'd bet - and considering that none of the giro contenders this year were anywhere near the top 10 for the tour...
even still, he's got some cojones just coming out and saying it, good on him"I get paid to make other people suffer on my wheel, how good is that"
--Jens Voight0 -
pedro118118 wrote:calvjones wrote:pedro118118 wrote:calvjones wrote:Saxo lured on for another year with Bertie's arrival; Riis looking forward to polishing his little diamond further.
Wonder why the bulk of Saxo staff & half the riders chose the Schlecks over Bjarne?
Really? Which half?
From what I've read, only Andersen and the Schlecks have been confirmed as 'jumping ship' from Riis. Hardly "half" of a ProTour team's rider/management/support roster. I'm sure more Saxo names will be linked (Fuglsang & Voigt spring to mind), but Riis has managed to secure his sponsorship and bring in Bertie, so rumours of an 'exodus' are greatly exegerated.
You wouldn't expect many confirmed to be jumping ship when there' no ship to jump into yet. From CN:
"A number of staff and experienced riders are also expected to jump ship and work with the Schlecks, including Jens Voigt, Stuart O’Grady"
which I see no reason to disbelieve. Suppose we'll have to wait and see how exaggerated the rumours are.
However, the basic point about why the Schlecks wanted to leave is one I'm more interested in, unless it's just money.
I'm not denying that there is/will be speculation, as per CN. There's always rumour/speculation. That is a far cry from your proclamation that "the bulk of Saxo staff & half the riders chose the Schlecks over Bjarne", which is at best, unsubstantiated gossip and at worst, sensationalist guesswork. We'll have to wait and see won't we.
Yeah, good point. Sorry for ruining your day pedro. I'll pop an apology along to Mr 60%'s twitter feed when I get a mo'.
Hold on, I would have thought unsubstantiated gossip ranks below sensationalist guesswork surely?___________________
Strava is not Zen.0 -
pedro118118 wrote:It's good to dream big.
Chinny has said that he wants to win all 5 monuments.
Granted, not all in the same season (now that would be a goal?!)..........but still, it's a massively ambitious target.
It's not when he's already won three of the five. I can't ever see him winning Lombardy or Liege though. Gilbert on the other hand, probably could win all five but given riders of the calibre of Bettini or Kelly never achieved this then it shows how tough it is.
Back to Contador, if he'd said this somewhere other than the press conference to announce his new team then I'd give it more credence, but to say it today suggests to me that it's something a PR person came up with to get fans talking. In that respect it's worked.0 -
Well - he DID win 2 of the 3 in one year. I know it would be significantly harder to win 'that one in the middle' in the same year - but not unachievable. Especially if all 3 tours feature a TTT and Chinny is still no the squad.
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Pop quiz time - how many riders have won stages in all 3 GTs in one year?0
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Has anyone even attempted all three before, who could in theory be expected to pull it off, Merykx maybe?Mañana0
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andyp wrote:I'll bet £100 that Contador does not start all 3 GTs next year. Any takers?
Yeah, your number. Riis said in the press conference it wasn't going to happen next year.
In addition, in reply to your later post: Contador was not at the pc so it was Riis that said it on his behalf.
Of course it is super difficult. Legends are not carved out with winning the Tour of Oman.Contador is the Greatest0 -
My goal is winning the lottery, odds about the same !Blazing Saddles wrote:According to Riis, Contador has declared he wants to win all three tours in one year, and Riis is indicating that this is a joint goal for 2012... who said that, internet forum people ?0 -
Ah, but you're all forgetting the 4th GT - he could win Cali, the Tour and Vuelta easy...___________________
Strava is not Zen.0 -
frenchfighter wrote:
Of course it is super difficult. Legends are not carved out with winning the Tour of Oman. I'm not sure Fabian will buy you a glass of bubbly after reading that.
I don't believe it's possible to win 3 grand tours in a season. Grand Tour - 5 weeks recovery - grand tour - 5 weeks recovery - grand tour.Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
There are lots of riders that RIDE all 3 GTs in one year.0
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Contador looked well stretched in the Tour this year. I don't reckon he would've won the Tour had he already competed at the Giro. And he isn't even attempting the Tour / Vuelta double this year. I think its pretty unlikely he'll ever be able to win all three in one season, unless he hits an extremely rich vein of form AND the routes all favour him AND his competitors are under par. Not impossible but very improbable.0
