With le Tour long gone cycling is dead. No one has anything to talk about. New product is about to hit the shelves and Interbike is about a month away, so maybe some nuggets in there. There is talk of the "silly season" all of the transfers, retirements, new teams, and sponsors new and old.
Right now the big news is Saxo-Schlecks-Contador. Saxo is sticking around with Riis now that Pistolero has signed on. The Schlecks are jumping ship to form a team with Kim Anderson that will have a Luxemburg flavor. Saxo might loose some firepower if O'grady, Voigt, and Fuglsang fly the coop; but Fabian still has a year on his contract so he will stay put.
Riis has been very busy signing all of Pistolero's mountain helpers. Noval, Hernandez, and Navarro have all inked two year deals with Saxo-Sungard. Looks like Riis is crazy mad for another Tour win with a Spaniard. Just watch him, he will do it. I just hope they don't hurt the Classics side of the house. Fabian is superhuman, but these fly-weight climbers will have nothing to do with the cobbles.
Speaking of Classics and cobbles...Quick Step signed a deal with Ricco. That's right, No JOKE. Lefevere must be out of his ______ mind. Quick Step is a Classics team, what are they going to do with Ricco? Dude is an ______. Can he ride a bike? Heck yeah he can ride. Question is...Can he ride a bike CLEAN? Not a big fan, not a fan at all. Ricco is all of 26 soon to be 27 in September, so that has a great deal to do with his attitude and style or lack of style; but it is guys like him that make cycling a Joke. Patrick, I hope you know what the heck you are doing. I'm going to watch just to see what happens.
One of longest running teams in Caisse D'Epargne, has a new sponsor in Telefónica. They will race under the trade name Movistar, there is a joke in there somewhere. At least Movistar is easier to pronounce than Caisse D'epargne. I never really understood the French bank sponsorship of a Spanish cycling team. Someone had some Polaroids?
Well maybe just life support. Vuelta? anyone?
Dude, US pro champs are coming up; Tour of Utah, and the Vuelta always rocks... I can't wait. I needed a break from the TV... I love all the coverage (even though VS ain't the best), but I just can't watch that much TV... I think the family, and office are glad that the Tour is over. I spent 3 weeks totally side tracked -- glued to the internet, and then the TV at night... I woke up to the Tour -- just a few minutes of TV before work -- and then went to sleep watching the Tour. I was even ranting to the patients about the Tour.
ReplyDeleteThe break was good.... Plus the Fall classics will be here before you know it. Can't you get us a flight to the Paris Tours. I'd love a ride over the pond in that mustang...