# Radioshack skipping Giro for ToC



## Coolhand (Jul 28, 2002)

Not surprising given their primary sponsor. Its good that they are opening up a slot for another team (that will target the event hard). Wish other teams would to that rather than field "B" squads of pack-fill for the event. 

http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/03/news/shack-says-cali-trumps-giro_108858



> Writing on his blog, Bruyneel confirmed that RadioShack would not be racing the Giro, adding, “but the truth is that we communicated this to the Giro organizers, RCS. I like the Giro, I think it’s a great race, but to be quite honest, we are putting all our focus on the Amgen Tour of California.”
> 
> Bruyneel said the weeklong American stage race holds more value to its sponsors and thus is key to his U.S.-registered team.
> 
> ...


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Don't they still want to arrest Lance in Italy?


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## Dan Gerous (Mar 28, 2005)

Pablo said:


> Don't they still want to arrest Lance in Italy?


Nah, their latest 'Most wanted' posters feature Valverde now...


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Given that Bruyneel notified RCS months ago, I would have also excluded RS from T-A. Reason being, let some of the lesser teams into T-A to see who's a good pick for the Giro.

I just don't read that as any kind of bad blood or ill will. I hope there's none there, sounds like a simple business decision all around.


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## Coolhand (Jul 28, 2002)

Creakyknees said:


> Given that Bruyneel notified RCS months ago, I would have also excluded RS from T-A. Reason being, let some of the lesser teams into T-A to see who's a good pick for the Giro.
> 
> I just don't read that as any kind of bad blood or ill will. I hope there's none there, sounds like a simple business decision all around.


Yeah, better to let some second level Italian team in to T-A, as that may make a huge difference for the squad in getting sponsors. 

I wish other Pro-Tour squads would do the same thing for the Giro and Vuelta, as they clearly are not interested in trying to win anything and are wasting spots better suited to squads like Skil-Shimano or BMC.


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## Bianchigirl (Sep 17, 2004)

Sorry, are RS just a part time team then? Why have they bothered with a 25 rider roster if they have no interest in one of the GTs? Not as if they couldn't have sent some of their younger riders for development purposes - some of the squad are unlikely to get that experience on this team - as there are many other teams with no ambitions on GT who will be relishing the experience. But hey, yes, let's encourage this model - ultimately there'll be no point in running any races at all except the Tour de France. Seems to me RS could have ridden their season with a 14 man squad.

And that's without this rather disingenuous routine from Bruyneel who was 'undecided' on 27 Jan though had apparently informed RCS the team wouldn't be there on 23 Jan. The usual caper from that crew.

However, has to be said, on present form and lack of any credible results I don't think the Giro will miss them. Shame for riders like Brajkovic or Machado or Steegmans who might like some stage wins on their palmares.

BMC are a pro conti team but are managing to field teams at the Giro and ToC. This is clearly more about the tension between RCS and Bruyneel/Armstrong than the latter choose to acknowledge.


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## Tugboat (Jul 17, 2006)

What Bianchigirl said +1.

It's a pretty sad indictment of the depth of Radioshack that from a 25 man squad they can't back up a Grand Tour team with a team for a second tier one-week race being run at the same time.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

While it seems like a snub, the goal of Radioshack is to put as much effort possible towards the TdF. I would assume they might allow some riders to ride in the Vuelta after their primary objective is accomplished. Naturally, I think this decision is favorable to a continental pro squad who might get a golden opportunity.


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## bas (Jul 30, 2004)

Coolhand said:


> Not surprising given their primary sponsor. Its good that they are opening up a slot for another team (that will target the event hard). Wish other teams would to that rather than field "B" squads of pack-fill for the event.
> 
> http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/03/news/shack-says-cali-trumps-giro_108858


Only bad thing is would Team RS be ignored when the Giro starts in Washington, DC?


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## PaleAleYum (Jan 12, 2006)

*Actiually its simpler than that*



Tugboat said:


> What Bianchigirl said +1.
> 
> It's a pretty sad indictment of the depth of Radioshack that from a 25 man squad they can't back up a Grand Tour team with a team for a second tier one-week race being run at the same time.


It' not about depth of talent.


The ASO is an investor in the ToC. Lance burned some bridges in Italy last Giro (his first). RS gains better exposure for their core market, a better use of advertising $. Regardless of the soundbites, I'd expect that RS wanted to have a team at the Giro. RCS wasn't about to give a slot to a RS "B" team. They even telegraphed their opinion of RS's invite to the Giro with the TA non invite. If RS was going to send the A team to the Giro and the B team to ToC, I imagine that even the ruffled feathers between Lance and the RCS from last year could have been smoothed over.

I've learned over the past few years to not to accept as gospel what JB releases to the public.


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## Bianchigirl (Sep 17, 2004)

PaleAleYum said:


> It' not about depth of talent.
> 
> 
> The ASO is an investor in the ToC. Lance burned some bridges in Italy last Giro (his first). RS gains better exposure for their core market, a better use of advertising $. Regardless of the soundbites, I'd expect that RS wanted to have a team at the Giro. RCS wasn't about to give a slot to a RS "B" team. They even telegraphed their opinion of RS's invite to the Giro with the TA non invite. If RS was going to send the A team to the Giro and the B team to ToC, I imagine that even the ruffled feathers between Lance and the RCS from last year could have been smoothed over.
> ...


Oh I absolutely agree that Bruyneel's utterances aren't worth the bandwidth they take up.


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## PaleAleYum (Jan 12, 2006)

bas said:


> Only bad thing is would Team RS be ignored when the Giro starts in Washington, DC?



Agree,but that's a lifetime away in the cycling world. But, as the saying goes, your make your bed........


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## rubbersoul (Mar 1, 2010)

Dan Gerous said:


> Nah, their latest 'Most wanted' posters feature Valverde now...


Whoa, that's a doping inference!


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## steve_e_f (Sep 8, 2003)

bas said:


> Only bad thing is would Team RS be ignored when the Giro starts in Washington, DC?


will team RS still be around? how long will they last when Lance finally does retire for good?


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## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

Give me a break. Until the Protour required them to do it, no Bruyneel team ever rode the Giro. When they were no longer required to, they only did it because they couldn't get into the Tour that year. And last year, the Giro paid a lot of money to get them to ride. Spin whatever conspiracies you want, but Bruyneel has a LONG history of not riding the Giro. It's not that big of a surprise.


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## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

Bianchigirl said:


> Sorry, are RS just a part time team then? Why have they bothered with a 25 rider roster if they have no interest in one of the GTs? Not as if they couldn't have sent some of their younger riders for development purposes - some of the squad are unlikely to get that experience on this team - as there are many other teams with no ambitions on GT who will be relishing the experience.


 The Giro management clearly doesn't want RS sending junior talent to their Grand Tour, that's why. They made this very clear a few years ago when JB's Astana team didn't get in until the last minute.  It was specifically called out in the months before that the Giro did not approve of the squad that Astana was proposing. It took last-minute start-listers Contador and Leipheimer to sway them.

Some of this is probably the result of JB's formula of the past to concentrate solely on the TdF and to send guys like Popo or a declining Salvodelli to lead poor-producing teams there. The Italians want more of a commitment than that!


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## rubbersoul (Mar 1, 2010)

poof, they'll be gone, like the shack's Q4 earing's report!


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## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

Help me out. What does Shaq's earring have to do with any of this?


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

PaleAleYum said:


> RS gains better exposure for their core market, a better use of advertising $.


Is it? Has anyone in the US honestly NOT heard of RadioShack before?


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## dwestov (Aug 1, 2007)

The thing I have always found amusing is that RadioShack's "B" team would probably have been better than whatever other team they do invite. RCS is acting like only JB does this, when the fact is just about every team that is not Italian, or have top Italian riders, do the same thing either at the Giro or Vuelta (sometimes both). The only reason BMC is sending a team with Evans is to try to secure a Tour invite. The fact is, most riders hate the Giro. The mountain stages are difficult, the roads narrow and sketchy, and the transitions between stages are consistently ridiculous. When the start list does come out, I'm willing to bet the only overall threats are Italian or Cadel.


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## PaleAleYum (Jan 12, 2006)

Marc said:


> Is it? Has anyone in the US honestly NOT heard of RadioShack before?


Yer right, that's why Coca-Cola doesn't advertise anymore.


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## padawan716 (Mar 22, 2008)

As a Californian, this is kind of cool. I wasn't aware of the past history, so I kind of assumed they'd go for the Giro like they did last year. I'm excited to hear they're coming here.


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## CHL (Jun 24, 2005)

To be honest, it sounds pretty much like LA-Bruyneel of old. The only time Bruyneel ever targeted the Giro was when Salvodelli won the event in 2005. I doubt that was his objective with Contador in 2008. LA-Bruyneel has always targeted the Tour and the Vuelta, since Lance had the support of a number of Spaniards.

I like that they opted out of the Giro. I never understood why some of the "Pro Tour" level organizations fielded very weak teams for the Grand Tours. I'm not even talking about the overall victory but simply on stage wins. Some teams are just "invisble." The race would be far more entertaining if the teams invited had victory as an objective with realistic chances of accomplishing this. 

On a business, it makes complete sense for RS to compete at the ATOC. Lance attracts a wide crowd and Levi returns to defend his title. I'm sure RS' participateion will attract larger crowds (last year Astana was over run in Sacramento).

CHL


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## rook (Apr 5, 2009)

I don't think a real cycling fan would rate the ToC above the legendary Giro. This is just smelly marketing for that want to get their Armstrong mancrush on.


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## rubbersoul (Mar 1, 2010)

Less competition and an easier route. Perfect for the geriatric shack
________
Vaporizers


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## albert owen (Jul 7, 2008)

rubbersoul said:


> Less competition and an easier route. Perfect for the geriatric shack


Correct! :thumbsup:


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## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

I think there was more to those "rider protest" incidents last year in the Giro than there appears to be in the press. There were just a few broad hints that Armstrong may have been pretty vocal with the other riders--Maybe the Giro bosses wanted promises from him and Bruneel to "not make trouble again"..Euro cycling orgs seem to like their pro riders "meek and subservient" and they seem to "get even" with any rider who 'crosses them"...

That Giro stage they had in the city with all the parked cars, etc....that was pretty bad....but Lance whanking about 'descending speeds'.on a regular mountain stage...that was weak on his part. He didn't *have* to go so fast if he was 'skaird...

You can't really blame em for blowing off the Giro when they get such good respect' from the TOC organizers and the press in the US and not so much from the Giro-bunch....


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## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

rook said:


> I don't think a real cycling fan would rate the ToC above the legendary Giro. This is just smelly marketing for that want to get their Armstrong mancrush on.



I don't think one can determine who is or is not a real cycling fan by the races they like. I guess that if one judges the quality of someone's status as a fan by the level of their adherence to historical traditions, then I suppose you are right. The Giro has greater history and prestige as a race; that is undeniable. 

However, the fact is that the ToC is extremely popular in the U.S. I would argue that within the United States, the Tour of California is the second most popular race behind the Tour de France. You can say whatever you like, but as an American I am delighted that there is a domestic bike race that is so popular. I'm not going to look down my nose at American cycling fans because they don't know how to properly prioritize their race preferences.  

The ToC is the closest thing to a Grand Tour in the United States right now, and it is thus important to have America's biggest cycling stars present for the race. Most American's can't fly to Italy to camp out in the Dolomites. If they want to see Lance or Levi in a race, the ToC is their best opportunity to do so. 

It also makes sense to me to get out of the way of local Italian teams that value the Giro in the same manner. I think I prefer that.


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## Coolhand (Jul 28, 2002)

I think the US market may be a bit bigger for sponsors than the Italian market. Hence the Giro's own interest in starting a few stages in D.C.

Also, the Giro's popularity has be slipping a bit and now seems to be an afterthought in comparison to the Tdf-- _especially_ for French ProTour teams or any team with a legit GC or Jersey contender. I wish those team would do the right thing and withdraw and open up spots for more deserving squads.


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## Bianchigirl (Sep 17, 2004)

As Zomegnan said at the time 'as some riders get older their legs get shorter and their tongues get longer'.

Contador is widely rumoured to be going for the Giro-TdF double this year....


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## rocco (Apr 30, 2005)

Bianchigirl said:


> As Zomegnan said at the time 'as some riders get older their legs get shorter and their tongues get longer'.



And how old are you, BTW?


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## Guest (Mar 24, 2010)

This is really simple.


Given the average ages of most of the Radio Shack "stars" they need to rest up before major trans-atlantic flight.

They probably only have or two a year in them before it starts to wear them down.

Giro and TdF is simply an unreasonable demand to place on those aging bodies.


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## SlowMo (Apr 18, 2006)

Bianchigirl said:


> As Zomegnan said at the time 'as some riders get older their legs get shorter and their tongues get longer'.
> 
> Contador is widely rumoured to be going for the Giro-TdF double this year....


You've apparently got an issue with RS and it's leadership? 

Who cares what Contador's doing?


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## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

why is this such an issue - Armstrong teams have always been focused on the Tour. Plus the Giro is a nightmare from a DS standpoint - crappy logistics, long transfers, terrible team hotels etc.


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## rubbersoul (Mar 1, 2010)

Couple of points to consider:

T o C is a shorter and less difficult race than the Giro, with less competiion = easier for RS to get a better result, pleasing their principal sponsor which of course is US based.

So to sum up, easier and better ROI. Its a simple business decision.

The cycling karma will once again come into equilibrium at the Tour de France, where the best global talent will come to the top.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

SlowMo said:


> Who cares what Contador's doing?


Back to back grand tours are tough on anyone, but perhaps this is part of JB's strategy. Andy Schleck is having knee problems. Contador seems to be on fire, but that's not to say he's going to still be in top form after the Giro. 

No clue what'll happen, but it will be pretty interesting to see how it all plays out.


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## teoteoteo (Sep 8, 2002)

Bianchigirl said:


> As Zomegnan said at the time 'as some riders get older their legs get shorter and their tongues get longer'.
> 
> Contador is widely rumoured to be going for the Giro-TdF double this year....


Let us remember that Angelo Zomegnan that flew to Austin to politic and get Lance to come in the first place. 

Then early in the Giro Angelo said this 

“It’s important to have him here because he is a big, big star,” Zomegnan said. “We found our George Clooney in Austin.”


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## Bianchigirl (Sep 17, 2004)

SlowMo said:


> You've apparently got an issue with RS and it's leadership?
> 
> Who cares what Contador's doing?


There is another way of riding a season than the 'Bruyneel Model'.

SlowMo, do you know who Zomegnan is? He heads up RCS who organise the Giro


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## Bianchigirl (Sep 17, 2004)

teoteoteo said:


> Let us remember that Angelo Zomegnan that flew to Austin to politic and get Lance to come in the first place.
> 
> Then early in the Giro Angelo said this
> 
> “It’s important to have him here because he is a big, big star,” Zomegnan said. “We found our George Clooney in Austin.”


And pretty quickly discovered that he wasn't getting any return on the huge appearance fee he had paid out when his 'star' turned into a primadonna who didn't like the stage finishes...or the descents...or the climbs...or the criterium stage.

Pretty poor value for money - Zomegnan clearly feels 'once bitten twice shy'


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## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

You know, DiLuca complained about everything that Armstrong did and also participated in organizing the protest. Somehow, Armstrong ended up being painted up as a whiny old man that didn't want to race, and DiLuca became the hero of the Giro for a little while. That's not quite fair, is it?

I also don't recall very many racers protesting the protest, either; only race organizers and media outlets that criticized Armstrong's performance. He had a pretty decent showing for a guy racing his first Grand Tour in years straight off of a collarbone injury. I am NOT a thoughtless Lance worshiper, but I do think his portrayal in the Italian media in the 09 Giro was unfair. 

From what I could see, the peloton respected him and was glad that he was there. That speaks much more to me than what the newspapers and cycling politicians had to say.


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## teoteoteo (Sep 8, 2002)

Bianchigirl said:


> And pretty quickly discovered that he wasn't getting any return on the huge appearance fee he had paid out when his 'star' turned into a primadonna who didn't like the stage finishes...or the descents...or the climbs...or the criterium stage.
> 
> Pretty poor value for money - Zomegnan clearly feels 'once bitten twice shy'


Lance just doesn't like mediocrity, if that makes him a primadonna in your book so be it. It doesn't matter if it's the Giro, or Nike or Trek. If it's not done right he'll say it. It's not something he hides, or that the people going into endeavors with him don't know about. Angelo wasn't bitten and isn't a dummy, optimistic yes, dummy no.


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## Bianchigirl (Sep 17, 2004)

thechriswebb said:


> You know, DiLuca complained about everything that Armstrong did and also participated in organizing the protest. Somehow, Armstrong ended up being painted up as a whiny old man that didn't want to race, and DiLuca became the hero of the Giro for a little while. That's not quite fair, is it?
> 
> I also don't recall very many racers protesting the protest, either; only race organizers and media outlets that criticized Armstrong's performance. He had a pretty decent showing for a guy racing his first Grand Tour in years straight off of a collarbone injury. I am NOT a thoughtless Lance worshiper, but I do think his portrayal in the Italian media in the 09 Giro was unfair.
> 
> From what I could see, the peloton respected him and was glad that he was there. That speaks much more to me than what the newspapers and cycling politicians had to say.


Armstrong had already made a series of complaints then imposed a press blackout - earning the nickname of Osama for the way he only communicated through videos on his for profit Livestrong.com site - I'd say he was really the architect of his misfortune wouldn't you? 

And why wouldn't the peloton respect him? They're all professionals together. But perhaps it should be the role of press and commentators to prick the ego bubble a little :wink:


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## Bianchigirl (Sep 17, 2004)

teoteoteo said:


> Lance just doesn't like mediocrity, if that makes him a primadonna in your book so be it. It doesn't matter if it's the Giro, or Nike or Trek. If it's not done right he'll say it. It's not something he hides, or that the people going into endeavors with him don't know about. Angelo wasn't bitten and isn't a dummy, optimistic yes, dummy no.


Gosh the Giro's been running for 100 years but all it needed was Lance Armstrong to sort out its mediocrity? You'll certainly have more fun watching ToC if that's your opinion of one of the greatest races in the world :wink:


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## teoteoteo (Sep 8, 2002)

Bianchigirl said:


> Gosh the Giro's been running for 100 years but all it needed was Lance Armstrong to sort out its mediocrity? You'll certainly have more fun watching ToC if that's your opinion of one of the greatest races in the world :wink:


Where did I ever mention ToC? But yes, the Giro has had a 100 years to get it right and yet it still isn't the best. Also noting that great to watch and well run are two different paths.


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## stevesbike (Jun 3, 2002)

have you ever thought that there's just no Italian market for Tandy 15-band graphic equalizers? Italians are much too stylish to ever let a Radioshack open in their country...


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## rubbersoul (Mar 1, 2010)

That too....


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## SwiftSolo (Jun 7, 2008)

Marc said:


> Is it? Has anyone in the US honestly NOT heard of RadioShack before?


Geez, never thought of that. Since Coca Cola is known by every living being on the planet, they can save a lot of money and simply stop advertising their name and product! That is pure "genius"!


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

SwiftSolo said:


> Geez, never thought of that. Since Coca Cola is known by every living being on the planet, they can save a lot of money and simply stop advertising their name and product! That is pure "genius"!


Yea, after all USPS did WONDERS for making money for the USPS-the same should be true for The Love Shack also. Geez yourself.


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