# Machado should be leading RS, not Leipheimer



## philippec (Jun 16, 2002)

After yesterdays stage, Machado should be team leader at RS. All that effort just to see LL fade off the back...

ugh.


----------



## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

levi looks terrible at the moment

absolutely terrible

3 months to go...


----------



## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

I missed the stage.

Maybe they should sign Contador again.


----------



## gamara (May 20, 2002)

Yeah Levi doesn't look good. But he's their main GC guy & unless he says otherwise, they'll still have to ride for him. 

I know that Levi & Horner crashed early on in the race as did Contador. How bad was Levi's crash & how much is it affecting him now?? Who knows. All those guys like to play a bluffing game, so in terms of it affecting his performance its anyones's guess.


----------



## a_avery007 (Jul 1, 2008)

you are joking right? really? joking?

the guy has stood next to conitsnore( i stand by this assertion, especially after todays antics- complaining about sprint points, bagging on his team) 3 times!!!
yes 3X and only did not step on the highest step in 1 grand tour by less than 30 seconds.

he has won 3 TOC's.

sheesh give the guy a break!

he will be fit when he needs to, and Machado will probably gas if he even gets an invite to the big dance..lol


----------



## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

a_avery007 said:


> you are joking right? really? joking?
> 
> the guy has stood next to conitsnore( i stand by this assertion, especially after todays antics- complaining about springt points, bagging on his team) 3 times!!!
> yes 3X and only did not step on the highest step in 1 grand tour by less than 30 seconds.
> ...


You joking as well?

You don't get assigned as the team's GC contender just to fall back and reserve yourself to peak elsewhere in the season - even if it's just because you're the "veteran". The ever-more decorated AC didn't take up that approach at all, and took Paris-Nice. 

I'm not sure if Machado would've been more successful with RS behind him, but I wouldn't say Levi deserves "a break" after being chosen as the GC contender...


----------



## rubbersoul (Mar 1, 2010)

Apart from ToC, has Levi ever won a pro race?
________
MAGIC DRAGON DISPENSARY SANTA BARBARA


----------



## jerm182 (Jul 18, 2008)

*This must be a joke...*



rubbersoul said:


> Apart from ToC, has Levi ever won a pro race?


You can easily look this up. Levi's a top pro, and most people would love to have his results and a career like his. I'm sure you're joking though. You couldn't possibly be serious...


----------



## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

how levi plans to ride in the GTs this year has absolutely nothing to do with how bad his form is right now


----------



## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

LL said a month ago that he would use Algarve and Paris-Nice to get his legs back, and that the training doesn't get serious until he returns home (now) to get ready for the ToC. I suspect he'll be in better shape when he returns to Europe in May.


----------



## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

a bit odd then if he is using this race just for training when clearly out of form that he would be the official team leader


----------



## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

alexb618 said:


> a bit odd then if he is using this race just for training when clearly out of form that he would be the official team leader


 Agree but this appears to be one of those unwritten rules of the peleton: senior and most decorated rider on the squad gets the nod for "leader" regardless of what form they are in.


----------



## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

so why is the whole saxo bank not going back for andy schleck every time he gets dropped, it is because he is not in form and thus not the team leader (i dont know who is though)


----------



## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

alexb618 said:


> so why is the whole saxo bank not going back for andy schleck every time he gets dropped, it is because he is not in form and thus not the team leader (i dont know who is though)


 I think you meant Frank Schleck, but I'm guessing that Saxo was riding for Jens Voigt, anyway, who was the best Saxo rider in this race. Likewise, I did see Horner and Brajkovic ride away from LL today (Brajkovic ended up being the best-placed RS rider).


----------



## davidka (Dec 12, 2001)

Who said LL was "official" team leader at Paris Nice? He took a spill and probably isn't at his best anyway. Fact is, none of us know what his form is like or what the arrangement in the team is. 

Even so, I'd love to be able to get 3rd in a Pro Tour prologue (Ahead of Contador) with "poor form". It was only 8k, I'm sure anybody could've done that. ;-)

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/68th-paris-nice-his/prologue/results


----------



## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

moonmoth said:


> I think you meant Frank Schleck


no, andy in the tirreno adriatico, it was an example.


----------



## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

davidka said:


> Who said LL was "official" team leader at Paris Nice?


didnt his number end in "1"?

what is unusual is history has shown he peaks early-season, especially with 1 week tours. to me this is more a sign that radio shack is counting on him more for this years race than last years race. therefore, levi is racing into form. 

that makes me wonder if they plan on having him defend his ToC title. and what are the plans for the giro...

on a side note, didnt horner miss out on a break due to wind during one of the stages? that is unlike horner. at least unlike horner when he is racing to place or help someone place.


----------



## bandoulu (Nov 1, 2004)

He sucks .. so did Machado...


----------



## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

a_avery007 said:


> the guy has stood next to conitsnore( i stand by this assertion, especially after todays antics- complaining about sprint points, bagging on his team) 3 times!!!
> yes 3X and only did not step on the highest step in 1 grand tour by less than 30 seconds.


Actually, one time it was Contador who was standing next to Levi on a podium. More impressive than the 30 seconds that he missed the top step of the podium on a grand tour was the 46 seconds that he missed it by in another one. All 46 of those seconds were bonus points, and Levi wasn't trying to win; he clearly rode for Contador and burned himself out for him more than once, scaring Contador to death. He was also riding for Contador in the TDF that he came up 30 seconds short of him in. Levi is a good teammate and not the type to attack the designated team leader, even if he felt that he could beat him.

I still think Levi is underrated. Honestly, he is the one person that has given the best stage racer in the world the most legitimate competition in GT's (counting people who actually finished the race) and has done so riding in support of and not trying to beat him. Nobody (that finished the race) has EVER put Contador on the defensive in a GT; not Andy Schleck, not Valverde  , not Sastre, not a single person other than Levi, who did so riding in complete support of Contador's wins. 

Concerning Levi's pro wins:

National TT champion
National RR champion
1st overall in Deutschland Tour
1st overall in Dauphine Libere
1st overall in Vuelta a Castilla y Leon
1st overall USA Pro Tour
Multiple stage victories in GT's and other stage races, including time trials and HC mountaintop finishes


----------



## a_avery007 (Jul 1, 2008)

thank you for bringing out information to help people understand just how good this guy is..


----------



## Don Duende (Sep 13, 2007)

Is Tiago Machado, Bruyneel's new wunderkind?

Is he the future of pro-cycling, will he challenge Contador? Will he be the one to stop Contador from breaking Armstrong's record at the TdF? 

Today Tiago was a minute faster than Contador in Corsica at the Criterium Internationale. He was third place, 32 seconds behind Contador at the Algarve in February.


----------



## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

a_avery007 said:


> thank you for bringing out information to help people understand just how good this guy is..



He's better than good. He's really good. I've harped on this issue a lot, but I admit that I'm still not over it. It's been held over his head for years that he had his chance to be the top GC rider for a team when he rode for Rabobank and Gerolsteiner, but even though he was theoretically at his physical peak at the time, I do not think that he was. He's developed since then, and since he's really improved he has been peaking at a different time of the season. Anyway, I've posted on this a million times, so I'm letting it go for now.



I'm interested to see what his form will look like in July since he's peaking in April this year.


----------



## Bianchigirl (Sep 17, 2004)

Did you see Tour of the Algarve? Probably a truer reflection on respective abilities.


----------



## Bianchigirl (Sep 17, 2004)

Bruyneel says no TdF for Machado - wonder how long he'll stay at RS as his style doesn't really match their team ethic and tactics.


----------



## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

Bianchigirl said:


> Bruyneel says no TdF for Machado - wonder how long he'll stay at RS as his style doesn't really match their team ethic and tactics.


 That's probably because TM has never done a Grand Tour before and JB prefers tested veterans on his TdF squads. I'm sure we'll see TM in the Vuelta this year. What is it about TM's style that you think is not appropriate for Team RS?


----------



## alexb618 (Aug 24, 2006)

moonmoth said:


> What is it about TM's style that you think is not appropriate for Team RS?


instead of going back to help lance with the rest of the team after he was dropped, he selfishly attempted a stage win.


----------



## thoran (Aug 1, 2009)

alexb618 said:


> instead of going back to help lance with the rest of the team after he was dropped, he selfishly attempted a stage win.


Considering Lance and all of team RS were very clear (both before and after the race) of what Lance's expectations were, you really think they should have sent the whole team back for him? I can't see what possibly would be gained by having any help beyond Popovych go back to ride with Lance.


----------



## Bianchigirl (Sep 17, 2004)

He's an attacking rider which absolutely doesn't fit the RS style - if they took him to the TdF they'd actually give themselves a variety of tactical options against Contador. As it is, the squad that is shaping up will ride the TdF as every other Bruyneel squad has ridden it. It just seems a shame that, with Armstrong now lacking any explosive punch in the climbs, they don't send riders like Horner or Machado up the road to draw Astana's fire.


----------



## diarrheaawareness (Mar 31, 2010)

lol at op. levi is mad underrated, just check his palmares.

but even better, he is LA`s loyal lieutenant and he is also bringing awareness, so in my opinion he is golden for RS.


----------



## Tater Salad (Mar 31, 2010)

moonmoth said:


> That's probably because TM has never done a Grand Tour before and JB prefers tested veterans on his TdF squads. I'm sure we'll see TM in the Vuelta this year. What is it about TM's style that you think is not appropriate for Team RS?


He attacks when it makes sense even if his team "leaders" are being shepherded up the mountiain by 4 or 5 guys who had a chance to win the stage? That's a no-no on RS.


----------



## diarrheaawareness (Mar 31, 2010)

Cant see how LA, LL or TM can avoid winning the Tour this year. All it takes is some grass and leaves and Berto hitches a ride in the autobus.


----------



## SlowMo (Apr 18, 2006)

Bianchigirl said:


> *It just seems a shame that, with Armstrong now lacking any explosive punch in the climbs*, they don't send riders like Horner or Machado up the road to draw Astana's fire.


Where do you come up with this stuff? Seriously. Take a look at last years TdF - 2 individuals (AC and AS) were the only 2 that got past LA and he wasn't too far off their heels. He's got another full year of riding and now he has no explosive punch? 

Compared to AC, maybe not(?), but to the entire TdF field I'm going to have to say you're off on that comment. You've got to be the anti-Lance of all time.


----------



## Bianchigirl (Sep 17, 2004)

You obviously watched an entirely different TdF to me, and many others, last year then. And an entirely different Crit Int by the sounds of it. Really, it's OK to admit that age has robbed him of the ability to climb - and TT - as he did in his glory days. My point was actually that by taking attacking riders to the TdF, RS would greatly expand their options. Until I see evidence that Armstrong can match the attacks of riders like AC and AS in the climbs - as he once could on Ventoux against Pantani - then I'll continue to believe the evidence of my own eyes.

I just wonder how he will fare this year when riders like Menchov, Evans, Nibali etc etc are still in the mix come the Pyrenees unlike last year. When there are several strong riders, not just the 2 left standing in contention after the TTT as there were in 2009. Adding Machado to the mix to draw the fire of those contenders might have been a smart move. Instead I presume Bruyneel already knows he needs all the old guard to shepherd his star to the finish just like at the Crit :wink:


----------



## gegarrenton (Jul 10, 2009)

Bianchigirl said:


> You obviously watched an entirely different TdF to me, and many others, last year then. And an entirely different Crit Int by the sounds of it. Really, it's OK to admit that age has robbed him of the ability to climb - and TT - as he did in his glory days. My point was actually that by taking attacking riders to the TdF, RS would greatly expand their options. Until I see evidence that Armstrong can match the attacks of riders like AC and AS in the climbs - as he once could on Ventoux against Pantani - then I'll continue to believe the evidence of my own eyes.
> 
> I just wonder how he will fare this year when riders like Menchov, Evans, Nibali etc etc are still in the mix come the Pyrenees unlike last year. When there are several strong riders, not just the 2 left standing in contention after the TTT as there were in 2009. Adding Machado to the mix to draw the fire of those contenders might have been a smart move. Instead I presume Bruyneel already knows he needs all the old guard to shepherd his star to the finish just like at the Crit :wink:


----------



## diarrheaawareness (Mar 31, 2010)

TM has a lot to learn from LL before he is ready to lead the mighty Shackmobile.

OT: tomorrow LA himself will strike gold at the RvV - another great one for TRS. You heard it here first. At the same time it will be perfect preparations for the cobbles in the tour. He is Genius, Lord Armstrong the Jesus and Gandhi of Cycling combined.


----------



## Caroline13 (Mar 31, 2010)

diarrheaawareness said:


> TM has a lot to learn from LL before he is ready to lead the mighty Shackmobile.
> 
> OT: tomorrow LA himself will strike gold at the RvV - another great one for TRS. You heard it here first. At the same time it will be perfect preparations for the cobbles in the tour. He is Genius, Lord Armstrong the Jesus and Gandhi of Cycling combined.


Using Jesus' name in vain on the eve of Easter. Nice.


----------



## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

Bruyneel did comment today on TM, the Tour, and confirmed that TM will ride the Vuelta:


> Tiago's a great talent and has certainly been very impressive. He's been working very hard and has a great mentor in Jose Azevedo. It's great to see him make a smooth transition to the ProTour, be a reliable teammate and produce. Now I know from the Twitter and Facebook posts that there's a group pushing for him to make the Tour team. Do I believe he will be there one year? Yes. Is this the year? No. And there's a couple reasons for that. The easy answer is that we can only take nine riders and when you look at our roster, there's a bunch of riders who already have the Tour experience or completed numerous Giros and Vueltas and are ready for the next "step." But truthfully, Tiago needs to gain more experience. And that's not a bad thing. Developing into a Tour rider just takes time and luckily we're not in a position where we need to rush that development. He's slotted to do the Vuelta and we'll continue to work with him so he's learning, developing and improving. We want to see him be a strong teammate and continue to develop. If he produces like he did last week - even better, but we're trying to give him small objectives and keep a narrow focus where he can handle the appropriate challenges we put forward.


----------



## Coolhand (Jul 28, 2002)

moonmoth said:


> Bruyneel did comment today on TM, the Tour, and confirmed that TM will ride the Vuelta:


This makes sense- start him off in the Vuelta for his first GT. Get some experience at the 3 week grand tour level and then in a year have him ride his first TdF. Radio Shack has some nice young talent on the team, and on the Trek/Livestrong team. Going to be fun to watch them mature and become team leaders in the future.


----------



## uzziefly (Jul 15, 2006)

Machado is a good rider indeed and at the Vuelta, he'll be given the license to run free and attack I'll like to say, so, this would be good for him.

LA - he lacks the extra punch but we'll see for real in July hopefully and I'm hoping he'll be in the best shape so far then so that it'll be a more exciting race.


----------

