# No Vuelta for Radioshack



## zosocane (Aug 29, 2004)

Per cyclingnews.com, TRS got the Giro treatment from the Vuelta, so no Vuelta. A team singularly built for grand tours (definitely not for one-day racing) will end up doing just one grand tour this season.

“We really wanted to ride the Vuelta but we weren’t invited,” RadioShack team spokesman Philippe Maertens told Cyclingnews from the Tour de Suisse. “The organisers said we didn’t have a strong team on a sporting level, that other teams are better. That’s strange because we wanted to send a very strong roster.”

Great, in September we get to watch stronger teams such as Pharma-Lotto and Bbox throw their best horses up the Altos de Covadonga.


----------



## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

What is the Giro treatment? Radioshat has made every effort to let us know they never wanted to ride the giro. So of course they were not invited there.


----------



## steve_e_f (Sep 8, 2003)

definitely a high profile snub. the cyclingnews article at least showed that it was a tough choice.


----------



## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

One can only guess that there was some hardball negotiations going on, such as "Commit to Armstrong riding" or else you're not in. Sounds like Leipheimer could have been a possible Vuelta rider but maybe RS wouldn't commit 100% to that, either. 

This really sucks for Tiago Machado.


----------



## Coolhand (Jul 28, 2002)

They still hold the Vuelta?


----------



## TiBike (Aug 2, 2004)

Is Radio Shack, excuse me "The Shack", really going to have an interest in sponsoring a Pro Tour team after 2010? Maybe this is harsh but does a company that is trying to rebrand itself really want to be associated with a once champion in his twilight? Just sayin. And I like watching Lance ride.


----------



## zosocane (Aug 29, 2004)

moonmoth said:


> This really sucks for Tiago Machado.


It also sucks for Jani Brajkovic (who would likely have been a captain), Chechu Rubiera (who probably won't make the Tour team and this probably would have been his last GT, his home tour also), Levi Leipheimer (another likely Vuelta captain who still hasn't won a GT, now he won't in 2010, and he'll be, what, racing age 36 in 2011?) and Andreas Kloden (I would think Kloden would have done the Vuelta because he hasn't raced much in 2010).

No Tour of Missouri either. September is going to be a LONG month for TRS.


----------



## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

I see this as a blessing. Who cares about the Vuelta? Now Radio Shack can dominate these other stage races going on at the same time.

Holland Ladies Tour
Tour de Slovaquie
Kroz Hrvatsku - Tour de Croatie
Tour of Marmara
Tour of Britain
Tour of Bulgaria
Tour de Hokkaido
Kroz Istru / Tour d'Istrie

Imagine the can of whoop-ass TRS could open on Ivaylo Gabrovski at the Tour of Bulgaria. Ivaylo won't even know what hit him.


----------



## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

Assuming they recovered from Nevada city classics.


mohair_chair said:


> I see this as a blessing. Who cares about the Vuelta? Now Radio Shack can dominate these other stage races going on at the same time.
> 
> Holland Ladies Tour
> Tour de Slovaquie
> ...


----------



## neilg1 (Sep 23, 2009)

Honestly? People saying who cares about the Vuelta? AKA a grand tour?
Are these the same folks who think the Tour of California is the pinnacle of cycling?
Jeez.....


----------



## fab4 (Jan 8, 2003)

Bruyneel actually submitted a strong roster with Levi, Kloden, Horner, and Jani. Four potential winners. Unipublic's reasoning of not good enough is mind boggling.


----------



## fab4 (Jan 8, 2003)

I guess Radioshack will be fielding a strong team at the US Pro Championship in Greenville, South Carolina.


----------



## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

fornaca68 said:


> No Tour of Missouri either. September is going to be a LONG month for TRS.


Probably their season is effectively over at the end of July after TdF, as far as stage racing goes. Yeah, there is Tour of Poland (August 1-7) I guess, and Tour of Denmark (August 4-8). One-day classics, too, like Paris-Tours, Lombardia, and San Sebastián that will appeal to some of the RS'ers. But I'm guessing Armstrong, Leipheimer, and Kloden will be MIA after TdF.

That proposed new Tour of Colorado can't come quick enough.


----------



## Dan Gerous (Mar 28, 2005)

moonmoth said:


> But I'm guessing Armstrong, Leipheimer, and Kloden will be MIA after TdF.


Aren't they always?


----------



## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

Dan Gerous said:


> Aren't they always?


Armstrong, yes. Leipheimer made his name at the Vuelta and has a couple of podium finishes there. Klöden has started the Vuelta at least five times.


----------



## Poppadaddio (Apr 15, 2007)

*There You Go*



fab4 said:


> I guess Radioshack will be fielding a strong team at the US Pro Championship in Greenville, South Carolina.


Strong team indeed. The New York Yankees of professional cycling.


----------



## dave2pvd (Oct 15, 2007)

"No, we will not pay your $1M appearance fee".


----------



## spookyload (Jan 30, 2004)

Maybe show some interest in the World Championships. Both TT and road race. Perhaps the US can field riders from TRS instead of Team Jelly Belly


----------



## rikaguilera (Jul 31, 2008)

This is a big mistake on part of the organizers of the Vuelta. JB is already talking about starting a "Team's Union" to speak on part of "All" teams, their selections into races, and the race season structure. I see an organized group coming from this. Like or dislike The Shack, but they are good for cycling and promotion of the sport.


----------



## Mel Erickson (Feb 3, 2004)

fab4 said:


> Bruyneel actually submitted a strong roster with Levi, Kloden, Horner, and Jani. Four potential winners. Unipublic's reasoning of not good enough is mind boggling.


Well, they're reasoning is quite apparent. After all, Radio Shack is "only" ranked #8 by the UCI.


----------



## Eric_H (Feb 5, 2004)

There is talk about whether the Landis allegations have affected RS in getting into the Vuelta. My guess is more that this snub is a payback to LA and JB for their (perceived) treatment of Contador in 2009. AC is a hugely popular public figure in Spain, and there was much ado about his mis-treatment in the Spanish press (had to buy his own wheels, left at the hotel, etc, etc). I would not be the least bit surprised if Unipublic decided to take it out on LA/JB by not inviting them. Remember the Tour of Murcia (Valverde's home region) issued no invites to any Italian teams this spring as a form of payback for CONI's investigation?

At any rate, JB is right in that cycling does need to operate more professionally if it wants to be taken seriously alongside other sports. The doping stories already blight the sport on a near-weekly basis, it does not need polemics and lawsuits over race invites also making the headlines.


----------



## gh1 (Jun 7, 2008)

Eric_H said:


> There is talk about whether the Landis allegations have affected RS in getting into the Vuelta. My guess is more that this snub is a payback to LA and JB for their (perceived) treatment of Contador in 2009. AC is a hugely popular public figure in Spain, and there was much ado about his mis-treatment in the Spanish press (had to buy his own wheels, left at the hotel, etc, etc). I would not be the least bit surprised if Unipublic decided to take it out on LA/JB by not inviting them. Remember the Tour of Murcia (Valverde's home region) issued no invites to any Italian teams this spring as a form of payback for CONI's investigation?
> 
> At any rate, JB is right in that cycling does need to operate more professionally if it wants to be taken seriously alongside other sports. The doping stories already blight the sport on a near-weekly basis, it does not need polemics and lawsuits over race invites also making the headlines.


Good insight here, thanks for posting.


----------



## The Weasel (Jul 20, 2006)

To me (IMO), it's disgustingly obvious they are trying to protect another win by a spanish rider.
Cervelo is also not a Pro Tour team, but they got in. And who is their GC guy? He may not race the Vuelta if he does race Le Tour, but the organizers have certainly left the door open should Sastre decide to rest his recent back injury and return in the fall.

It should have nothing to do with any allegations by Landis. Hell, they let Valverde race last year dispite all the mountain hard evidence against him. They even gave him a little edge with the 'neutral' wheel change for Evans.

Let them continue down this path of grand tour detruction. Last year I watched very little out of disgust for Valverde.


----------



## zosocane (Aug 29, 2004)

This is what one Spanish journalist wrote of The Snub:

Luis Román Mendoza, journalist with Biciclismo.com: "Cycling is the only sport that – step-by-step, day-by-day, year-by-year, but especially stupidity-after-stupidity – seems to be set on its own destruction… The reasons for not selecting the North American team are not clear. Some have suggested that it’s because they weren’t planning to send their best riders. It was clear that Armstrong certainly wasn’t going to ride, and if Klöden and Leipheimer weren't going to be there either then what was the problem with them having a young leader like Brajkovic, whose victory in the Dauphiné Libéré was no fluke, alongside an Iberian group of riders composed of Zubeldia, Irizar, Rubiera, Machado and Paulinho?"


----------



## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

I think the snub was both obvious and unprofessional. I mean, what's the point in paying the big fees to be a UCI Pro Tour team and not get an invite to Vuelta? I'm not bashing Andalucia-Cajasur or Xacobeo Galicia, but they get they get invited over RS? In the Pro Tour teams, Milram? FdJ? I don't think either of these teams have done much this season (or last season).


----------



## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

Well Radio Sack team only interest is obviously the TDF, they dissed the Giro and now the others ( including Tirreno Adriatico and more to come? ) are dissing them.


----------



## SantaCruz (Mar 22, 2002)

Definately a snub. 
But were Leipheimer and Kloden CONFIRMED as riders?
What is the chance that Contador might ride La Vuelta?
Maybe Vuelta officials were afraid the Landis allegations will have more clout by Sept.


----------



## Jesse D Smith (Jun 11, 2005)

mohair_chair said:


> I see this as a blessing. Who cares about the Vuelta? Now Radio Shack can dominate these other stage races going on at the same time.
> 
> Holland Ladies Tour
> Tour de Slovaquie
> ...


Shows how much you know. I've been a close follower of Ivaylo's blog, and have inside information that he's only using TOB as training for the real objective- KITDI.


----------



## Dan Gerous (Mar 28, 2005)

If we were 3 years ago, RS would be out of the Tour de France as well, they shouldn't complain...


----------



## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Salsa_Lover said:


> Well Radio Sack team only interest is obviously the TDF, they dissed the Giro and now the others ( including Tirreno Adriatico and more to come? ) are dissing them.


The thing is, there was definitely dissing on both sides, but RS not getting the invite was like getting sucker punched in plain sight of everyone. Simply put, what LA and JB did is basically forgettable from a PR perspective and the Vuelta snub will blanket almost anything JB, LA, Astana, etc. 

Like him or not, JB is a very shrewd tactician. Perhaps too shrewd, but he has gotten fairly decent results. The TdF is their primary objective, thus, he only wants to work towards that goal. The Giro simply got in the way of his primary objective. The Vuela, obviously being after the TdF is after the primary objective and would be a target of opportunity. I would have liked to see Horner give it another go....ok, mostly not crash out.


----------



## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

SantaCruz said:


> Definately a snub.
> But were Leipheimer and Kloden CONFIRMED as riders?


That could have been part of it, but what does "confirmed" really mean six or eight months ago when they submitted their application? What if a "confirmed" rider breaks three ribs at a post-TdF crit? Even for the "confirmed", how many of them bail out after five stages so they can rest up for Worlds? 

The process fails when you start enumerating riders instead of trusting the teams to send a decent squad.


----------



## philippec (Jun 16, 2002)

spade2you said:


> Like him or not, JB is a very s<strike>h</strike><b>c</b>rewed tactician.


oops, you let a little typo slip in there... no worries, it's fixed now :thumbsup:


----------



## Richard (Feb 17, 2006)

Eric_H said:


> There is talk about whether the Landis allegations have affected RS in getting into the Vuelta. My guess is more that this snub is a payback to LA and JB for their (perceived) treatment of Contador in 2009. AC is a hugely popular public figure in Spain, and there was much ado about his mis-treatment in the Spanish press (had to buy his own wheels, left at the hotel, etc, etc). I would not be the least bit surprised if Unipublic decided to take it out on LA/JB by not inviting them. Remember the Tour of Murcia (Valverde's home region) issued no invites to any Italian teams this spring as a form of payback for CONI's investigation?
> 
> At any rate, JB is right in that cycling does need to operate more professionally if it wants to be taken seriously alongside other sports. The doping stories already blight the sport on a near-weekly basis, it does not need polemics and lawsuits over race invites also making the headlines.


I think this pretty much nails it.


----------



## Coolhand (Jul 28, 2002)

How will they warm up for the World Championships? That's the Vuelta is fallen to now for elite riders right?


----------



## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

philippec said:


> oops, you let a little typo slip in there... no worries, it's fixed now :thumbsup:


Well played, sir. Well played. :thumbsup:


----------



## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

Coolhand said:


> How will they warm up for the World Championships? That's the Vuelta is fallen to now for elite riders right?


I don't think any of RS riders would be contenders for the WC


----------



## gh1 (Jun 7, 2008)

The Weasel said:


> To me (IMO), it's disgustingly obvious they are trying to protect another win by a spanish rider.
> Cervelo is also not a Pro Tour team, but they got in. And who is their GC guy? He may not race the Vuelta if he does race Le Tour, but the organizers have certainly left the door open should Sastre decide to rest his recent back injury and return in the fall.
> 
> It should have nothing to do with any allegations by Landis. Hell, they let Valverde race last year dispite all the mountain hard evidence against him. They even gave him a little edge with the 'neutral' wheel change for Evans.
> ...


LOL, so you are saying because RS wasnt invited that its tour destruction? Thats really pretty funny.


----------



## Gnarly 928 (Nov 19, 2005)

"Cat Fight!"....another one. Wassup with The Suits? 

The 'little generals' who run professional cycling are pretty childish...I see lots of 'getting even by all these guys 'in charge'..Makes for good "soap opera" 

As for the Vuelta...It is kinda lame when many of the best riders aren't riding to try to win or even finish the whole tour.. and they declare as much before they even start..


----------



## AdamM (Jul 9, 2008)

Obvious that something has changed, but wasn't this situation is exact sort of thing the Grand Tour / ProTour agreement was supposed to prevent?


----------



## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

AdamM said:


> Obvious that something has changed, but wasn't this situation is exact sort of thing the Grand Tour / ProTour agreement was supposed to prevent?


That agreement didn't anticipate the quick formation of powerhouse teams (RS) or the fast decay of existing teams (Footon) to the point where they are a minor-league squad.


----------



## Coolhand (Jul 28, 2002)

Salsa_Lover said:


> I don't think any of RS riders would be contenders for the WC


Any? Not sure that's true. There are some good riders outside the GC guys.


----------



## The Weasel (Jul 20, 2006)

gh1 said:


> LOL, so you are saying because RS wasnt invited that its tour destruction? Thats really pretty funny.


I am saying that they continue to make a series of bad decisions which erode the Vuelta's popularity and prestige with spectators.


----------



## zosocane (Aug 29, 2004)

The Weasel said:


> I am saying that they continue to make a series of bad decisions which erode the Vuelta's popularity and prestige with spectators.


Correct. The Vuelta is the least popular of the 3 GTs and seems to do little to distinguish itself from its sister GTs. It has been reduced to a 3-week prep race for a one-day race (World's), and its organizers continue to have unimaginative routes or creativity. Not many fans line the roads, and sponsorship is weak. 2 years ago they brought the Angliru stage in -- a stage that should feature almost every year or every other year like Huez -- and now the 09 and 10 editions will pass without it. Now, they exclude arguably the best GC team from the field, Radioshack, probably because they lack a "name" Spanish GC guy (e.g., Sastre (Cervelo)) or Spanish stage-hunter (e.g., Barredo (Katusha)); Flecha (Sky)) -- mixed in with a little pay-back for the way Bruyneel handled the Armstrong-Contador fiasco last year. Radioshack would have fielded at the Vuelta this year's Dauphine winner (who outright beat Spain's best GC guy) and this year's Basque Country winner (who beat Spain's second-best, now-banned GC guy) on the roster, plus a two-time TdF podium finisher, and also a 3-time ToC winner, Vuelta runner-up, and 1-time TdF podium finisher. No GT in its right mind excludes that type of firepower. It makes the race more interesting and more competitive at the GC level. And unlike a lot of other riders, most of the Radioshack guys don't have aspirations for the World's, so they won't abandon after 13 stages and conclude, "yep, the legs are feeling good again, I'm ready for the World's."

Just a stupid, stupid move by the Vuelta on every level possible and otherwise bad for cycling.


----------



## 55x11 (Apr 24, 2006)

fornaca68 said:


> Correct. The Vuelta is the least popular of the 3 GTs and seems to do little to distinguish itself from its sister GTs. It has been reduced to a 3-week prep race for a one-day race (World's), and its organizers continue to have unimaginative routes or creativity. Not many fans line the roads, and sponsorship is weak. 2 years ago they brought the Angliru stage in -- a stage that should feature almost every year or every other year like Huez -- and now the 09 and 10 editions will pass without it. Now, they exclude arguably the best GC team from the field, Radioshack, probably because they lack a "name" Spanish GC guy (e.g., Sastre (Cervelo)) or Spanish stage-hunter (e.g., Barredo (Katusha)); Flecha (Sky)) -- mixed in with a little pay-back for the way Bruyneel handled the Armstrong-Contador fiasco last year. Radioshack would have fielded at the Vuelta this year's Dauphine winner (who outright beat Spain's best GC guy) and this year's Basque Country winner (who beat Spain's second-best, now-banned GC guy) on the roster, plus a two-time TdF podium finisher, and also a 3-time ToC winner, Vuelta runner-up, and 1-time TdF podium finisher. No GT in its right mind excludes that type of firepower. It makes the race more interesting and more competitive at the GC level. And unlike a lot of other riders, most of the Radioshack guys don't have aspirations for the World's, so they won't abandon after 13 stages and conclude, "yep, the legs are feeling good again, I'm ready for the World's."
> 
> Just a stupid, stupid move by the Vuelta on every level possible and otherwise bad for cycling.


Great post. Agreed 100%. I think Vuelta needs Radioshack more than Radioshack needs Vuelta. Bad move Vuelta. One move closer to second-rated sporting event.


----------



## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

It is so ridiculous 

You guys really think LA and RS are that important ?

The Vuelta has been on for 75 years, it is one of the 3 grand tours and will remain as is, long after LA and his RS team will be a memory ( and probably a bad one )


----------



## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Salsa_Lover said:


> It is so ridiculous
> 
> You guys really think LA and RS are that important ?
> 
> The Vuelta has been on for 75 years, it is one of the 3 grand tours and will remain as is, long after LA and his RS team will be a memory ( and probably a bad one )


It's not about LA and you could almost guarantee that he wouldn't even show up. I don't think that RS is *that* important, but deserved a spot above plenty of the teams that were selected. It's not like JB hasn't ever been to the Vuelta or had a winner.


----------



## OES (Jan 23, 2002)

Actually, it's already third-rate. How many of you think to yourselves, 'WOW, I can't _wait_ for the Vuelta?' 

It's just leftovers every year. Moving to September was a terrible idea.




55x11 said:


> Great post. Agreed 100%. I think Vuelta needs Radioshack more than Radioshack needs Vuelta. Bad move Vuelta. One move closer to second-rated sporting event.


----------



## mohair_chair (Oct 3, 2002)

OES said:


> Actually, it's already third-rate. How many of you think to yourselves, 'WOW, I can't _wait_ for the Vuelta?'
> 
> It's just leftovers every year. Moving to September was a terrible idea.


Well, there have been some exciting Vueltas. The 2003 edition was a pretty good race, and seeing Saiz go bonkers was great. But yeah, not usually.

I don't think they'll ever move it back to its original spot on the spring calendar.


----------



## OES (Jan 23, 2002)

mohair_chair said:


> Well, there have been some exciting Vueltas. The 2003 edition was a pretty good race, and seeing Saiz go bonkers was great. But yeah, not usually.
> 
> I don't think they'll ever move it back to its original spot on the spring calendar.


It's like the Pro Bowl the week after the Superbowl.


----------



## WrongBikeFred (Oct 19, 2005)

In this world of global economics, global politics and global sports, it's good to see a country that wants to focus a little more locally. Of course local does not make a "Grand Tour", but as long as the boys running the Vuelta remember that they were the ones that bowed out and chose this, they have my full support. The competition makes the race, and less than GRAND competition makes less than a GRAND tour. I hope this is what they intended.


----------



## OES (Jan 23, 2002)

Maybe they're making the best of a bad situation. Given modern racing, training, keying, and the race calendar, September is about the silliest time imaginable to get top talent in top form in a three-week stage race. They're not 'grand' anymore anyway. So exploit the local market and make it a great national event. It makes financial sense, from their point of view. 



WrongBikeFred said:


> In this world of global economics, global politics and global sports, it's good to see a country that wants to focus a little more locally. Of course local does not make a "Grand Tour", but as long as the boys running the Vuelta remember that they were the ones that bowed out and chose this, they have my full support. The competition makes the race, and less than GRAND competition makes less than a GRAND tour. I hope this is what they intended.


----------

