Does Fabian have a problem with Bertie ?

northernneil

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cancellara-says-contador-signing-prompted-saxo-bank-departure?ns_campaign=news&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=cyclingnews&ns_linkname=0&ns_fee=0

I cant understand his statement really, surely Contadors sole focus would be the tour, probably more so than Andy Shleck... so surely the focus of the team would probably not really have changed much ?

In fact without Andy and with Contador, Cancellara would be more of the teams focus to win the classics that Bertie would have enevitably sat out on ?

is there any previous between them ?

rick_chasey

Bet Boonen is happy reading that...!

(edit, and thus me, obviously).

I would have to forget about Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders,

northernneil

I smell a cop out here

inkyfingers

Could it be that Riis can't afford to keep both?

pedro118118

Chinny's interview is a bit contradictory - I'm not sure what he's saying. Is he suggesting that Contador's arrival means he wounldn't get the focus/support he needs for his big objectives - Liege, Lombardy and the Worlds?

Can't see how his preperation for the early Spring classics would change, as Contador doesn't even ride them. Perhaps the point is that with Bertie's arrival, he has no team mates left to assist during the classics campaign?

Personally, I don't see him winning Liege and/or Lombardy, but top marks for ambition.

rick_chasey

pedro118118 wrote:

Chinny's interview is a bit contradictory - I'm not sure what he's saying. Is he suggesting that Contador's arrival means he wounldn't get the focus/support he needs for his big objectives - Liege, Lombardy and the Worlds?

Can't see how his preperation for the early Spring classics would change, as Contador doesn't even ride them.

He did ride them this year - much to the benefit of Vino!

pedro118118

Oh yes, I recall Bertie rode the Ardennes classics didn't he.
But even in TeamLux, there will be others with team-leading aspirations for the hilly classics such as Liege, Amstel, Lombardy etc - ie the Schlecks, Fuglsang, Wegman etc.
If Chinny wants carte-blanche leadership freedom for all his favourite races, he's better off at BMC, where the only conflict would be with Cadel, who's more interested in the longer stage races.

Kléber

Contador has pitched up with his ideas and importantly, his coach. Luxembourg recruited Cancellara's doctor and even his mechanic.

You can tell where he's going to be more at home.

morstar

I'm sure I read that Canc' himself is eyeing up the GT's for overall.

Hard to see him winning but it would be interesting to see how well he could do. I would love to see it happen as it could potentially change the dynamics of racing.

Obvioulsy he would need to up his game in the mountains but if he could limit losses then everything would be up for grabs as he can potentially take time almost anywhere else.

frenchfighter

northernneil wrote:

[, surely Contadors sole focus would be the tour, probably more so than Andy Shleck...

I don't think Andy cares about racing apart from the Tour and Liege (and that a lot less).

I'm sure he would be happy to participate in zero races all year apart from the Tour and Liege and maybe a race for Tour fitness. He doesn't strike me as someone with a passion for the sport.

meggiedude

frenchfighter wrote:

northernneil wrote:

[, surely Contadors sole focus would be the tour, probably more so than Andy Shleck...

I don't think Andy cares about racing apart from the Tour and Liege (and that a lot less).

I'm sure he would be happy to participate in zero races all year apart from the Tour and Liege and maybe a race for Tour fitness. He doesn't strike me as someone with a passion for the sport.

:roll:
Whereas Bertie has more passion and would do anything to win - especially the tour???

Bronzie

morstar wrote:

I'm sure I read that Canc' himself is eyeing up the GT's for overall.

Hard to see him winning but it would be interesting to see how well he could do. I would love to see it happen as it could potentially change the dynamics of racing.

Hopefully the days of 80kg+ riders flying up the mountains is behind us.

Cancellara would have to loose around 10kg to be even in with a shout............without losing too much power.

calvjones

Bronzie wrote:

morstar wrote:

I'm sure I read that Canc' himself is eyeing up the GT's for overall.

Hard to see him winning but it would be interesting to see how well he could do. I would love to see it happen as it could potentially change the dynamics of racing.

Hopefully the days of 80kg+ riders flying up the mountains is behind us.

Cancellara would have to loose around 10kg to be even in with a shout............without losing too much power.

Pfft. I could easily lose 10kg with no loss in power, what's the problem?

lucybears

Fabian Cancellara has recently indicated that it was the signing of five-time Grand Tour champion, Alberto Contador, that prompted his late departure and massive buyout from Bjarne Riis's Saxo Bank/SunGard team.

Danish station TV2's sport magazine, Lige Pa og Sport (LPS) has documents that supposedly prove a much longer association with the Luxembourg project, calling Cancellara's words into question.



Read more: http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/6254/ ... z14JrvOLRU

frenchfighter

Hmm. Fabian has done and said quite a few things this year that have annoyed me.

Maybe a year of poor results will take some complacency or whatever it is away.

When the whack shack torched astana at the end of 09, I was buying the RS / Astana spread. The shack got whacked and astana did well. Good.

Likewise, I hope Saxo pulls out the big guns in 2011. I don't ill wish Luxy, there are some good guys there and some I like but I wont exactly be rooting for them.

moray_gub

frenchfighter wrote:

Hmm. Fabian has done and said quite a few things this year that have annoyed me.

Maybe a year of poor results will take some complacency or whatever it is away.

When the whack shack torched astana at the end of 09, I was buying the RS / Astana spread. The shack got whacked and astana did well. Good.

Likewise, I hope Saxo pulls out the big guns in 2011. I don't ill wish Luxy, there are some good guys there and some I like but I wont exactly be rooting for them.

Think we can take it as a given that there is one big gun or should that be pistolero they will not be pulling out next season.

morstar

Bronzie wrote:

morstar wrote:

I'm sure I read that Canc' himself is eyeing up the GT's for overall.

Hard to see him winning but it would be interesting to see how well he could do. I would love to see it happen as it could potentially change the dynamics of racing.

Hopefully the days of 80kg+ riders flying up the mountains is behind us.

Cancellara would have to loose around 10kg to be even in with a shout............without losing too much power.

I am wary of wishing the impossible. I just think that if Canc can limit losses to 10 mins over the mountains then with no team duties he would claw back time on both TT's and flat stages. As I said, I don't see how he could win but it would add another dimension if he was within touching distance with hard rolling stages on the horizon. You might not see two top climbers p!ssing time away on a climb playing cat and mouse, that's all.

The more and more different types of riders who can have an influence on the final outcome the better in my mind.

Having said all that, I agree he has been a bit of a nob this year.

pedro118118

A genuine Tour contender cannot afford to give away 10 mins in the mountains in the hope of clawing back in TTs. The days of Big Mig are gone (not that he ever gave away 10 mins) and even the scrawny climbers are half decent against the clock. The dynamics have changed - a Tour winner has to be at the top his game in every area, as there's very little margin for error in modern racing.

rick_chasey

Surprised no-one's suggested he do a Wiggins.


:roll:

morstar

pedro118118 wrote:

A genuine Tour contender cannot afford to give away 10 mins in the mountains in the hope of clawing back in TTs. The days of Big Mig are gone (not that he ever gave away 10 mins) and even the scrawny climbers are half decent against the clock. The dynamics have changed - a Tour winner has to be at the top his game in every area, as there's very little margin for error in modern racing.

But they said sprinting (on foot type) was a sport for small, stocky men and yet look at the WR holder now.

Nothing is carved in stone where sport is concerned.

Look, I’m not advocating him as a likely winner, but…

Given that I have dreamt of winning the Tour, I am sure he has too. Given that he is one of the most talented cyclists around and far from a one trick pony, you can’t blame him for eyeing the biggest prize.

And yes, who’d have thought that Wiggins would come 4th? If I was Canc’ I’d be itching to have a go. As for climbers TT’ing, well AC may not be there next year and I reckon Canc has minutes on AS. But the other point is that if the Tour continue to try more innovative routes than Canc' isn't wholly dependent on TTing. Bear in mind on stage 3 he was riding as hard as AS could maintain, not as hard as he could.

Anyhow, this might all be nonsense, I just recall it being suggested that he was interested in riding for overall, it may just be idle speculation.

Moomaloid

If he was gonna go for the Tours, why go to the Lux team where he'd already be behind both Andy and Frank.

morstar

He hasn't yet has he?
He'll presumably get a stack load of cash to do so and continue doing what he's been doing.
For some reason he is stalling on committing