# RadioShack annouces roster



## Mootsie (Feb 4, 2004)

From Twitter:

Lance Armstrong (USA) 
Fumiyuki Beppu (JAP), 
Sam Bewley (NZL), 
Jani Brajkovic (SLO), 
Matthew Busche (USA), 
Ben Hermans (BEL), 
Chris Horner (USA), 
Daryl Impey (SAF), 
Markel Irizar (SPA), 
Andreas Klöden (GER), 
Levi Leipheimer (USA), 
Geoffroy Lequatre (FRA), 
Fuyu Li (CHI), 
Tiago Machado (POR), 
Jason McCartney (USA), 
Dmitriy Muravyev (KAZ), 
Sérgio Paulinho (POR), 
Yaroslav Popovych (UKR), 
Gregory Rast (SUI), 
Sébastien Rosseler (BEL), 
Ivan Rovny (RUS), 
José Luis Rubiera (SPA), 
Bjorn Selander (USA), 
Gert Steegmans (BEL), 
Tomas Vaitkus (LIT) 
Haimar Zubeldia (SPA)

Sports Manager: Johan Bruyneel (BEL)

Sports Directors: Dirk Demol (BEL), 
Alain Gallopin (FRA), 
Viatcheslav Ekimov (RUS) 
José Azevedo (POR)


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## repartocorse40 (Feb 23, 2009)

steegmans...interesting....team looks strong to me


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## Mootsie (Feb 4, 2004)

Ya, there are a few surprises in the group.


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## AJL (Jul 9, 2009)

Definitely a strong tour team. Not sure about classics - I don't follow the classics enough to know.


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## Kevin_in_SB (Mar 7, 2009)

Strong team really built around Lance for sure.


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## TedH (Jan 1, 1970)

I do find it interesting that they took a Kazahk. Think there is a message "there is only one good local from Astana, and we took him"?


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## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

cant wait to see how bad their kit looks!


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## kbiker3111 (Nov 7, 2006)

TedH said:


> I do find it interesting that they took a Kazahk. Think there is a message "there is only one good local from Astana, and we took him"?


No, I think they had experience with him on Astana and wanted to sign him. Nobody would waste a contract to send a message.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

I think I see a sprinter or two. Interesting.


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## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

That's an awesome squad. Chris Horner is no gimme for the Tour, given that lineup, and I hope he can avoid the crashes between now and July.

Fumiyuki Beppu is an interesting name on that list. He's a decent but not spectacular rider who was having an average year on Skil-Shimano. Other than Bruyneel having him before on Discovery, why do you think he was signed?


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## Mootsie (Feb 4, 2004)

moonmoth said:


> That's an awesome squad. Chris Horner is no gimme for the Tour, given that lineup, and I hope he can avoid the crashes between now and July.
> 
> Fumiyuki Beppu is an interesting name on that list. He's a decent but not spectacular rider who was having an average year on Skil-Shimano. Other than Bruyneel having him before on Discovery, why do you think he was signed?


He's, as they say, big in Japan.


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## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

Really wish EBH would have gone here instead of Sky.


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## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

iliveonnitro said:


> Really wish EBH would have gone here instead of Sky.


would have been a huge mistake for anyone with that amount of talent going to RS


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## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

alexb618 said:


> would have been a huge mistake for anyone with that amount of talent going to RS


Maybe. But with half the team retiring in 1-2 years, he could learn a lot and then lead it all.


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## Creakyknees (Sep 21, 2003)

Beppu finished the Tour and actually had some decent stage results this year, and, LA / JB are familiar with him from Discovery days.


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## zosocane (Aug 29, 2004)

What's most interesting is that Contador wasn't successful in keeping a single teammate from his 2009 Tour de France win -- neither compatriot Zubeldia nor Sergio Paulino whom he specifically wanted on the Tour. Popo, Kloden, Rast, Lance, Levi, Paulino, Zubeldia, Muravyev are all together again. You put Horner in there -- yes, assuming he manages to avoid the crashes -- and there's your 2010 Tour de France team. No suspense in June!

The other point of interest is Steegmans. He will apparently captain the Classics squads, and I think Vaitkus, Rosseler and Beppu will be key to his efforts. After his debacle of a season at Katusha, I think Steegmans has a lot to prove.

Great to see Chechu given another contract and hopefully he ends his career with RadioShack. He almost didn't get a contract when Disco folded 3 years ago and here he is, the gentleman and the racer, back once again. I suppose he will be on the Giro and Vuelta squads.

Also good to see Jason McCartney back with USPS Mach IV.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

fornaca68 said:


> What's most interesting is that Contador wasn't successful in keeping a single teammate from his 2009 Tour de France win


Conti is a great rider, but LA and his cohorts have deeper pockets, unfortunately. 

I don't mean to speculate, but I wouldn't be too surprised if Astana isn't even invited next year.


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## AvantDale (Dec 26, 2008)

Creakyknees said:


> Beppu finished the Tour and actually had some decent stage results this year, and, LA / JB are familiar with him from Discovery days.


They got a Chinese rider too...looks like he was on Discovery also.

They're going way international.


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## MaddSkillz (Mar 13, 2007)

Who the hell are those people?


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## TheDon (Feb 3, 2006)

They ride treks right?


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## Mootsie (Feb 4, 2004)

TheDon said:


> They ride treks right?


Will a Trek fit me?


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## cbuchanan (Mar 6, 2006)

Beppu is wanted on the team by Trek to help with their Asian sales. There looks to be a small problem however as Skil-Shimano did not know he was looking to leave until Radioshack released their roster. Now it seems that Beppu has signed with two teams for 2010.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/skil-shimano-expect-beppu-to-stay


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## innergel (Jun 14, 2002)

I like Steegmans and would like to see some additional straight up, drag racing sprinters on the team. 


Now let's see the kits.


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## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

AvantDale said:


> They got a Chinese rider too...looks like he was on Discovery also.
> 
> They're going way international.


 If you remember the final days of Discovery when they were looking for a new sponsor, Bruyneel kept hinting that he had a Chinese title sponsor lined up. He even fielded a decent team to Tour De Qinghai Lake that year, when most just send their reserves or don't send a team at all. By signing a Chinese rider, JB gets an open door into a country with 1B+ people and billions in the bank.


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## JSR (Feb 27, 2006)

moonmoth said:


> By signing a Chinese rider, JB gets an open door into a country with 1B+ people and billions in the bank.


Or, more precisely, TREK gets an open door to that market.

JSR


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## LostViking (Jul 18, 2008)

An impressive line-up - but a lock on the TdF? Don't think so.

I wonder as well what their kits will look like - should get the guys who designed Cervelo's, and not Milram's -


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## bigmig19 (Jun 27, 2008)

"What a trainwreck."


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## WeakMite (Feb 20, 2005)

Mootsie said:


> Haimar Zubeldia (SPA)


Man... hopefully he's living in Monaco these days. It couldn't be easy living in Spain riding for RadioShack. If he does... I'm sure he'll never do training rides in RS kit.
;-)




Mootsie said:


> Sports Directors:
> 
> Viatcheslav Ekimov (RUS)
> José Azevedo (POR)


Two sporting directors that even now (given 6 maybe weeks prep) could outride better than half team.


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## iliveonnitro (Feb 19, 2006)

Probably red and black kits if RS keeps their colors. Rumor had them in blue for the longest time, as RS may change their colors with their name.


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## bigmig19 (Jun 27, 2008)

This isnt as fun without the requisite Lance haters! Where did they go? A whole thread on RS and not one unkind word about Lance. Although.... its more "focused" without them. Go shack attack.
And is it GERT as in yoGURT, or "hairt" Steegmans?


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## mendo (Apr 18, 2007)

Lots of great climbers.

They have some good side story-lines as well. Two of only a handful of East Asian riders in the Pro Pelaton. Impey's comeback.


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## worst_shot_ever (Jul 27, 2009)

Pretty excited to see how Busche does this season. For some reason I thought he was going to BMC.


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## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

iliveonnitro said:


> Probably red and black kits if RS keeps their colors. Rumor had them in blue for the longest time, as RS may change their colors with their name.


dont forget the yellow highlights


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## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

I pick, Alberto Contador


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