Radioshack tour short list
Comments
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Bit surprised that Horner not being considered, would have thought he might be a useful helper/insurance policy. Is he ill/injured?"I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)0
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Not very surprising on Schlecks. Not exactly like they have a strong team.
Lets take a look at their team.
RadioShack-Nissan-Trek 2012
Jan Bakelants (Bel) Meh
Daniele Bennati (Ita) Possibly
George Bennett (NZl) Who is this?
Matthew Busche (USA) Who is this?
Fabian Cancellara (Swi) OBVIOUS
Laurent Didier (Lux) Who is this?
Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Yes
Tony Gallopin (Fra) Meh
Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Meh
Ben Hermans (Bel) Who is this?
Chris Horner (USA) Possibly
Markel Irizar (Spa) Who is this?
Ben King (USA) Meh
Andreas Klöden (Ger) What can he offer?
Tiago Machado (Por) YES
Maxime Monfort (Bel) YES
Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Who is this?
Nelson Oliveira (Por) Who is this?
Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Meh
Joost Posthuma (Ned) Meh
Gregory Rast (Swi) Meh
Thomas Rohregger (Aut) Meh
Hayden Roulston (NZl) Meh
Andy Schleck (Lux) OBVIOUS
Fränk Schleck (Lux) OBVIOUS
Jesse Sergent (NZl) Meh
Jens Voigt (Ger) OBVIOUS
Robert Wagner (Ger) Meh
Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Possibly
Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) MehContador is the Greatest0 -
inkyfingers wrote:Bit surprised that Horner not being considered, would have thought he might be a useful helper/insurance policy. Is he ill/injured?
Bad backTwitter: @RichN950 -
14 long list
Fabian Cancellara, Jakob Fuglsang, Tony Gallopin, Linus Gerdemann, Markel Irizar, Andreas Klöden, Maxime Monfort, Yaroslav Popovych, Gregory Rast, Hayden Roulston, Andy Schleck, Fränk Schleck, Jens Voigt and Haimar ZubeldiaContador is the Greatest0 -
RichN95 wrote:inkyfingers wrote:Bit surprised that Horner not being considered, would have thought he might be a useful helper/insurance policy. Is he ill/injured?
Bad back
He just tweeted today that he did 600 miles last week. His back is fine. Lame on Radioshacks part. It's really clear they don't want to win this year. Schlecks need Horner in the mountains.0 -
Comes with old age, I'm afraid.RichN95 wrote:inkyfingers wrote:Bit surprised that Horner not being considered, would have thought he might be a useful helper/insurance policy. Is he ill/injured?
Bad back
He hasn't looked the same rider, this year.
Flashes of form, but punctuated by some less than stellar efforts.
Le Deux Schlecks, Fuglsang, Zubeldia, Klöden and Gerdemann, Cancellara and a couple of engines.
With form, pretty strong in all departments."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
cycling5280 wrote:RichN95 wrote:inkyfingers wrote:Bit surprised that Horner not being considered, would have thought he might be a useful helper/insurance policy. Is he ill/injured?
Bad back
He just tweeted today that he did 600 miles last week. His back is fine. Lame on Radioshacks part. It's really clear they don't want to win this year. Schlecks need Horner in the mountains.
From what I gather from the various twitterati out there, Horner was, even up untill last night, looking forward to being at the tour...thats his bubble well and truly burst.0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:
Comes with old age, I'm afraid.RichN95 wrote:inkyfingers wrote:Bit surprised that Horner not being considered, would have thought he might be a useful helper/insurance policy. Is he ill/injured?
Bad back
Le Deux Schlecks, Fuglsang, Zubeldia, Klöden and Gerdemann, Cancellara and a couple of engines.
With form, pretty strong in all departments.
Yeah, tell me about it. I'm only a few months younger than horner.
With plenty of options they can't really gamble on a 40 year with a dodgy back.Twitter: @RichN950 -
cycling5280 wrote:RichN95 wrote:inkyfingers wrote:Bit surprised that Horner not being considered, would have thought he might be a useful helper/insurance policy. Is he ill/injured?
Bad back
He just tweeted today that he did 600 miles last week. His back is fine. Lame on Radioshacks part. It's really clear they don't want to win this year. Schlecks need Horner in the mountains.
Perhaps that's what gave him the bad back.0 -
Bruyneel taking lots of heat for this decision. Horner did not even make the long list...pathetic. They say it's Horner's back but everyone knows that's BS given that Horner announced he just finished a 600 mile week of training. The team is stacked but you would think having an American rider and one who is fully capable of supporting the Schlecks in the Tour gets the nod before other riders for American title sponsors Radioshack and Trek. Just another bad move on Radioshack's part. Next they'll announce Andy is the leader instead of Frank.0
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ddraver wrote:Horner is not in because he is not good enough...
End of....
That's just it. What is considered "good enough" if Andy Schleck made the long list? Clearly you don't have to win races or even finish them to get a spot on the long list. Horner is good enough and he'd make any Tour roster on any other team.0 -
I get that Horner may feel disapointed at being left out. But He is 40. And useless without EPO.0
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LeicesterLad wrote:I get that Horner may feel disapointed at being left out. But He is 40. And useless without EPO.
Did not know he was a doper? I've never read any claims or heard of any substantial evidence of him doping. Please share.0 -
Sod the drugs, Horner's problem is he's 40, only made the top 10 once, two years ago, and recently he seems to be crashing more than the Euskatel team.
He probably also isn't keen on riding for the Schlecks, which would also rule him out.0 -
Nelson Oliveira (Por) Who is this?
Young lad - solid Giro - 15th in finall tt ... 3rd tt Circuit le Sarthe + 3rd GC...and 2nd young rider behind Durbridge
seems to have some zip and recovery
Gerdman meh eh?0 -
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Who calls the shots at the Shack.
Clue : It's not BruyneelFckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:Sod the drugs, Horner's problem is he's 40, only made the top 10 once, two years ago, and recently he seems to be crashing more than the Euskatel team.
He probably also isn't keen on riding for the Schlecks, which would also rule him out.
40? Voigt's on the list?
Top 10...I don't see him as a GC contender. I thought that's what Andy is for? He can climb with the best and certainly fetch bottles and ride at the front on the rolling stages.
Crashing? Did Andy crash himself out in the Dauphine TT...oh wait it was the wind. Did Frank crash in the Giro? Yeah BUT Rasmussen's fault completely. Horner crashes as much as the Schlecks is my guess.
I would argue not even Andy is keen for riding for himself. Can we rule Andy out and add Horner? My point exactly.0 -
Back problem is a problem - and Horner will crash anyway, so it seems a wasted seat with him in it.
I'd imagine Horner wouldn't do domestique duties either. Having two to look after is enough.0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:Back problem is a problem - and Horner will crash anyway, so it seems a wasted seat with him in it.
I'd imagine Horner wouldn't do domestique duties either. Having two to look after is enough.
600 mile weeks he's riding. That's more than Andy did in the Dauphine. Pretty sure Andy is just as jacked up with his crash and his knee pain from training camp. That's if you believe him any more. Horner may crash but at least he will keep racing and not drop out of the race. So who has the wasted seats?0 -
cycling5280 wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:Back problem is a problem - and Horner will crash anyway, so it seems a wasted seat with him in it.
I'd imagine Horner wouldn't do domestique duties either. Having two to look after is enough.
600 mile weeks he's riding. That's more than Andy did in the Dauphine. Pretty sure Andy is just as jacked up with his crash and his knee pain from training camp. That's if you believe him any more. Horner may crash but at least he will keep racing and not drop out of the race. So who has the wasted seats?
So why wasn't he fit to race Switzerland, this week, since he was originally selected?"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:cycling5280 wrote:Rick Chasey wrote:Back problem is a problem - and Horner will crash anyway, so it seems a wasted seat with him in it.
I'd imagine Horner wouldn't do domestique duties either. Having two to look after is enough.
600 mile weeks he's riding. That's more than Andy did in the Dauphine. Pretty sure Andy is just as jacked up with his crash and his knee pain from training camp. That's if you believe him any more. Horner may crash but at least he will keep racing and not drop out of the race. So who has the wasted seats?
So why wasn't he fit to race Switzerland, this week, since he was originally selected?
Anyone who knows how Horner trains knows he does huge blocks of training and doesn't need races to get into shape. He has been doing this his entire career which at age 40 is a long time. His results speak for themselves. They are not spectacular but clearly above many on the long-list. My guess is if Radioshack management said, "Horner, you need to race Switzerland to even be considered for the Tour." he would of raced. The guy doesn't tweet about a 600 mile week of training and being all excited for the Tour if he was told that. If your back is truly hurting you're not riding very far.0 -
I think the guy is probably unhappy the Schleck camp have gotten their way, so he's taken to twitter :P.0
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Rick Chasey wrote:I think the guy is probably unhappy the Schleck camp have gotten their way, so he's taken to twitter :P.
You might be right and the last laugh will be on the Schlecks when they lose the Tour again and ultimately their American sponsors. I'm sure there's going to be a lot of added value to those Schleck boys if they don't win anything this year. Sponsors jumping at them! If the Schlecks had anything to do with the exclusion of Horner well it's just another example of their immaturity and lack of professionalism that clouds their decision making to actually want to win.0 -
The Schlecks usually win at least one stage - usually an epic one too.
So a good tilt at overall and a high mountains stage win I'd say is good value.
We haven't even got to the force of nature that is Cancellara too.0 -
Rick Chasey wrote:The Schlecks usually win at least one stage - usually an epic one too.
So a good tilt at overall and a high mountains stage win I'd say is good value.
We haven't even got to the force of nature that is Cancellara too.
I'd like to see Cancellara do well after that unfortunate crash last spring.
Leopard did not have sponsors lined up looking to take over last year so the Schleck's good value is not that good.0 -
cycling5280 wrote:Top 10...I don't see him as a GC contender. I thought that's what Andy is for? He can climb with the best and certainly fetch bottles and ride at the front on the rolling stages.
Didn't you start a thread a few weeks back that the Schlecks suck and Horner should be the Shack's main man for the Tour?
At the moment I would say Frank is their best hope on GC!0
