# I Don't Get the RS Signings of the two Robbies



## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

Why did Radio Shack sign Robbie Hunter & Robbie McEwen?

Bruyneel almost never signs sprinters and his Grand Tour teams don't include them. Has Radio Shack lowered their sights and are now looking to clean up at races like Eneco and Vattenfall? I know RM is a very popular rider in Europe and Australia, so maybe they want to sell more RS gear? I don't get it.


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## zosocane (Aug 29, 2004)

moonmoth said:


> Why did Radio Shack sign Robbie Hunter & Robbie McEwen?
> 
> Bruyneel almost never signs sprinters and his Grand Tour teams don't include them. Has Radio Shack lowered their sights and are now looking to clean up at races like Eneco and Vattenfall? I know RM is a very popular rider in Europe and Australia, so maybe they want to sell more RS gear? I don't get it.


Makes sense to me. The Shack lost (i.e., let go) Gert Steegmans who really needs a lead-out train to be effective (so he's back at QuickStep). So without a sprinter on their roster and a couple of roster openings, they got two very experienced and very good riders who also happen to be sprinters that don't need lead-out trains to be effective. Both also have lots of grand tour experience. And in McEwen's case he adds a little name-cachet for the Shack's Tour Down Under roster. I would imagine one of the named riders on the TDU roster for RS will be asked to step aside to accommodate McEwen. I don't think Bruyneel expects either to bag many (if any) wins, but to at least have someone competitive in the sprints.


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## moabbiker (Sep 11, 2002)

RS doesn't have Lance or Bert on the roster anymore.. that's why. They lost the fizzle and have no real viable GC tour rider. Lance of course was never a viable GC candidate the past two years but he did add lots of media hoopla. McEwen can least try to bag a stage win or two at these grand tours if he doesn't get injured the rest of the year.


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## dougydee (Feb 15, 2005)

It's good to see that the "running man" got a protour team to sign him. Hopefully he can get a couple of wins in 2011


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## JSR (Feb 27, 2006)

Both these riders provide some punch in the Spring races, too. Without them RS wouldn't put on much of a show (ie TV time).

JR


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## JohnHenry (Aug 9, 2006)

I am happy for mcewen.

Glad he's getting another year,....if anything, to watch him wheelie over the top of some inglorious climb


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

classy move by bruneel...helping out respected riders that were screwed by a bad situation. jb is old school, he did it because it was the right thing to do.


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## Mr. Scary (Dec 7, 2005)

moabbiker said:


> RS doesn't have Lance or Bert on the roster anymore.. that's why. They lost the fizzle and have no real viable GC tour rider. Lance of course was never a viable GC candidate the past two years but he did add lots of media hoopla. McEwen can least try to bag a stage win or two at these grand tours if he doesn't get injured the rest of the year.


Yep, you're right as he was only 2nd at the Tour de Suisse and then 4th in the Prologue of the Tour (and ahead of all the GC contenders). I'm sure the numerous times that you slid on your back at 45mph didn't impede your efforts at all, you were right back on the bike and blitzing to a mountaintop finish win.  He had some bad luck at the 2010 Tour, the very next stage after his crash was the Tourmalet stage, while Schleck and Contador were riding upfront Armstrong easily sat behind Basso and near Levi (who was the top RS GC guy now) in the Top 10 while looking like he was on a Sunday cruise. His fitness was far better than his result showed, The day he went on the solo breakaway in the last attempt to win a stage, try looking at his average wattage. He was also the only rider alone a good part of the day. I'm not a fan of LA, but to state he was out of his league is not understanding what really happened in that race. Despite the fact he denied racing distracted I'd say that is exactly what we witnessed, hence the cause of the result and not fitness.


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## moabbiker (Sep 11, 2002)

Mr. Scary said:


> Yep, you're right as he was only 2nd at the Tour de Suisse and then 4th in the Prologue of the Tour (and ahead of all the GC contenders). I'm sure the numerous times that you slid on your back at 45mph didn't impede your efforts at all, you were right back on the bike and blitzing to a mountaintop finish win.  He had some bad luck at the 2010 Tour, the very next stage after his crash was the Tourmalet stage, while Schleck and Contador were riding upfront Armstrong easily sat behind Basso and near Levi (who was the top RS GC guy now) in the Top 10 while looking like he was on a Sunday cruise. His fitness was far better than his result showed, The day he went on the solo breakaway in the last attempt to win a stage, try looking at his average wattage. He was also the only rider alone a good part of the day. I'm not a fan of LA, but to state he was out of his league is not understanding what really happened in that race. Despite the fact he denied racing distracted I'd say that is exactly what we witnessed, hence the cause of the result and not fitness.


What's this response have to do with Robbie McEwen? NOTHING. Lay off the egg nog.


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## Mr. Scary (Dec 7, 2005)

moabbiker said:


> What's this response have to do with Robbie McEwen? NOTHING. Lay off the egg nog.


It was a rebuttal to your inebriated statement about Armstrong's role on RS, drunkard.

I think it's oddly funny that McEwen was signed considering several years ago he reportedly told Armstrong to shut his mouth or he would fill it with his fist. I wasn't there, just read it so I don't know the context but now they are acting like they are long lost buds.


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## ultimobici (Jul 16, 2005)

Mr. Scary said:


> It was a rebuttal to your inebriated statement about Armstrong's role on RS, drunkard.
> 
> I think it's oddly funny that McEwen was signed considering several years ago he reportedly told Armstrong to shut his mouth or he would fill it with his fist. I wasn't there, just read it so I don't know the context but now they are acting like they are long lost buds.


It was over an "attack" on the Maillot Jaune while he was taking a leak. McEwen upped the pace prior to a sprint and Armstrong was a little miffed. RM apologised and thought that was an end to it. Problem was Armstrong kept on about it afterwards. Hence the "Shut your mouth, or I will fill it with my fist."


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

cxwrench said:


> classy move by bruneel...helping out respected riders that were screwed by a bad situation. jb is old school, he did it because it was the right thing to do.


Pretty much.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

ultimobici said:


> It was over an "attack" on the Maillot Jaune while he was taking a leak. McEwen upped the pace prior to a sprint and Armstrong was a little miffed. RM apologised and thought that was an end to it. Problem was Armstrong kept on about it afterwards. Hence the "Shut your mouth, or I will fill it with my fist."


taking a leak before an int. sprint? How many noob points is that worth?


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## atpjunkie (Mar 23, 2002)

and possibly they can work in tandem. Both are cagey and can do well on their own. As a two man team they could provide some surprises


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## JohnHenry (Aug 9, 2006)

JohnHenry said:


> I am happy for mcewen.
> 
> Glad he's getting another year,....if anything, to watch him wheelie over the top of some inglorious climb


i just wanted to recycle this pic of robbie going over the tourmalet.


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## LostViking (Jul 18, 2008)

Glad to see both got rides!

I wish the Lance fanboys would ease off into retirement like their man-crush. Lance was done after number three at the TdF - the rest is just his farewell tour.


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## Eric_H (Feb 5, 2004)

Robbie McEwen is a great signing. Engaging and extroverted, plus he is a real warrior on the bike. His knee injury in 2009 would have ended most riders' careers but he battled back, I hope he gets a stage win in a GT in 2011.

Robbie Hunter....I have never been a big fan. He won a Tour stage with Barloworld in 2007 but most of his wins are in smaller races. He is a B-rate sprinter at the Pro Tour level, but if he can be happy punching tickets for McEwen then it might work out.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

Eric_H said:


> Robbie McEwen is a great signing. Engaging and extroverted, plus he is a real warrior on the bike. His knee injury in 2009 would have ended most riders' careers but he battled back, I hope he gets a stage win in a GT in 2011.
> 
> Robbie Hunter....I have never been a big fan. He won a Tour stage with Barloworld in 2007 but most of his wins are in smaller races. He is a B-rate sprinter at the Pro Tour level, but if he can be happy punching tickets for McEwen then it might work out.


I agree about McEwen.

I think Hunter should have had a better year. He took a little time off for the birth of another child. In the TdF, he had much more of a support role, but ultimately crashed out. In '09 I think he had 2 2nds in the Giro, but I don't think Barlow World had too many invites to high profile races. I think he's in a position where he knows he'll need to get some wins or face retirement.


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## shomyoface (Nov 24, 2007)

Hunter is a hard man of the peloton, I think that he could do well in the cobbled classics if given a free role. McEwen selects his races and RS have no cobbled classics men, he could fair pretty well - we know he understands how to keep up front, and he can sprint.


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## LauraM (Oct 27, 2010)

*Radioshack Press Release*

Here is the press release info from the Radioshack website, in case some of you haven't seen it. Answers some of the questions asked on this thread.

http://www.livestrong.com/teamradioshack/news_press-release-robbie-mcewen-robbie-hunter-team-radioshack/


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## thechriswebb (Nov 21, 2008)

This is an EXCELLENT signing.

RS has been very weak in anything but TT's and difficult mountain stages. They aren't going to be driving an intricate leadout train into the finishes of flat stages like Highroad or Slipstream, but it will be nice to see them having a couple of cards to play in stages that they were just riding out in the peloton before. 

I'm glad the Robbies found a place on a Pro Tour team. This Pegasus stuff sucks.


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## OnTheRivet (Sep 3, 2004)

I'd be willing to bet RS got both these guys at a cut rate too. Makes the signing easier to understand.


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## tgregory00 (Dec 2, 2010)

McEwen is an awesome sign. I guess Hunter could help him out, not that McEwen needs a team to win.


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## RRRoubaix (Aug 27, 2008)

Very glad to see this- LOVE Robbie!
(Although I still can't believe he named his son Ewan- that's just cruel :lol: )


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## weltyed (Feb 6, 2004)

public relations.

these are two names people know, both in the US and overseas.


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## spade2you (May 12, 2009)

weltyed said:


> public relations.
> 
> these are two names people know, both in the US and overseas.


It's a little more than PR. Sure, it looks like a nice gesture, but I have no doubt the Robbies will win a few races to pull their weight.


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## Alaska Mike (Sep 28, 2008)

As an organization that has 1 year left on its contract with its sponsor, that just lost Phinney (its "next big thing"), and has its biggest star retiring from pro cycling, it makes complete sense.

They had no real sprinters. Sprinters win stages. Stage wins get publicity, especially when you might not have a serious threat for the GC win. Sponsors like publicity.

When you don't have a sprint train, you get a sprinter that doesn't require one.

I'd love to see Radio Shack get a Vuelta invite this year and have Jani take it.


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## moonmoth (Nov 8, 2008)

Alaska Mike said:


> They had no real sprinters. Sprinters win stages. Stage wins get publicity, especially when you might not have a serious threat for the GC win. Sponsors like publicity.
> 
> When you don't have a sprint train, you get a sprinter that doesn't require one.


So are you suggesting that RS will put Robbie McEwen on their TdF squad and let him go solo in pursuit of stage wins? That may have worked 3-5 years ago but RM understandably doesn't have that type of horsepower any more to individually weave among the power sprinters in the final 200m and outfox them. I'm a big RM fan, by the way, and there was nobody like him that could repeatedly sneak in among an established train and then launch for the win. 

Or are you perhaps thinking that RS will get invites to the Giro or Vuelta, where RM could stick it out for the first 10 stages or so, and try to get some wins? This seems more likely.


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## Alaska Mike (Sep 28, 2008)

Exactly. I don't think he has the engine anymore for the TDF, with Cav and Greipel going head-to-head, and a few others that can pull off the odd sprint stage win.

Maybe put him in some prestigious 1 day races, some smaller stage races, and maybe the Vuelta (the Giro looks brutal). That would be a nice program for him.


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## PhatTalc (Jul 21, 2004)

Mr. Scary said:


> Yep, you're right as he was only 2nd at the Tour de Suisse and then 4th in the Prologue of the Tour (and ahead of all the GC contenders). I'm sure the numerous times that you slid on your back at 45mph didn't impede your efforts at all, you were right back on the bike and blitzing to a mountaintop finish win.  He had some bad luck at the 2010 Tour, the very next stage after his crash was the Tourmalet stage, while Schleck and Contador were riding upfront Armstrong easily sat behind Basso and near Levi (who was the top RS GC guy now) in the Top 10 while looking like he was on a Sunday cruise. His fitness was far better than his result showed, The day he went on the solo breakaway in the last attempt to win a stage, try looking at his average wattage. He was also the only rider alone a good part of the day. I'm not a fan of LA, but to state he was out of his league is not understanding what really happened in that race. Despite the fact he denied racing distracted I'd say that is exactly what we witnessed, hence the cause of the result and not fitness.


That stage 8 crash gets faster everytime someone mentions it. Also, the Tourmalet stage was stage 17, not the next day. As for the breakaway stage, he was out alone for a few km (as he tried to summit the Tourmalet alone see the live report here), the rest of the time he had companions. LA _may_ have been able to podium in 3rd in 2010, but as far as winning the race, he was out of his league.


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## bigmig19 (Jun 27, 2008)

Pinch me! I have been away from Pro Cycling for about 2 months. I awake to find that my two favorite riders are on AMERICAN teams!!!! Not that it means I have any better chance of ever seeing them live (unless the TDGeorgia comes back). But i can dream of seeing thor and Robbie here in the states. Cool.


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