Discovery in disarray.... ?
- Thread starter whiteboytrash
- Start date
I like how Disco report it as an "axe" of riders when all of them left of their own volition because they were sick of the **** pay and shitty management... looks like Levi and TommyD can go 1-2 in the Tour next year….
cheapie said:
Levi and Tom D will provide excellent support for Jan. Bruyneel seems only to work with riders of rock star status. I do see a mistake on Disco's though. They should have never allowed Eki to retire. Does everyone understand what a pyschological blow it was to opponents when a 40 year old man with a mullet passed you on a TT course? It destoyed any bit of concentration the other time trialers had.whiteboytrash said:
I'm curious about something... If Eki did not get a contract with Disco in management, would he be shipped back to the USSR? Or do they do that anymore? Or for that matter, is there a USSR? And if there isn't, why not?
With Jan they will have a shot at the TDF, Tom D at the Vuelta, and with Levi they have a rider with a cool name ..... "Levi, Levi, Levi"!!! A very easy name to chant for us Americans while we watch the TDF on OLN. Plus it is a name that Paul Sherwin can pronounce.
Things are looking up for Disco. Along with a bike that won't break, big George will take a PR trophy home yet.
Three points to think about while obsessing with your hatred for anything Lance related:whiteboytrash said:
1) The BBC headline uses the word "axe" nowhere does Disco use it or even imply it.
2) It's funny how we never hear the riders talk about "**** pay."
3) It's funny how the "shitty management" has been so successfull since the team started.
Your obsession has made you play the fool...as usual.
The problem is, you are not making him look like an ass.House said:
He is making you look like an ass because you keep taking the bait and over-reacting. It's just a frickin' bicycle team. The people on it are grown ups. They don't need you to defend their honour. Their results speak for themselves.
I think Bruyneel would prefer Basso, because of many reasons, his ages mostly, but also 'cause of Armstrong's high opinion on Basso. Also there's less controversy in Basso case than in Ullrich's (I think).
We'll see, both possibilities are still in circulation, but one thing is sure - they (Discovery) have made lot of space in budget, which indicates big signing plan.
We'll see, both possibilities are still in circulation, but one thing is sure - they (Discovery) have made lot of space in budget, which indicates big signing plan.
I haven't had the time to check this, but there were suggestions by Sean Yates in Cycle Sports when Il Falco won the Giro in 05 that Yates was unhappy Paolo was complaining about team support weakness. Yates was saying that Paolo was well-paid, notwithstanding he hadn't done anything at TM. Paolo could have been paid as much as 700K euros a year.
Then, Ace was paid at least $700-800K (if not euros) a year. That was because there were indications that DC was saving money by hiring Ace and getting the Liberty Seguros payment for Heras' early departure. They were also saving money because Heras was earning more than $1M a year at DC.
So, DC has at least 1.5M euro/year in salary room to play with from Savo and Ace's salary alone. They also never fully used the LA salary when LA retired. On top of that, they have salaries from some other more high paid (relative to their average cyclist, cyclists (relative to their current, younger team), to play with -- Beltran, etc.
Then, Ace was paid at least $700-800K (if not euros) a year. That was because there were indications that DC was saving money by hiring Ace and getting the Liberty Seguros payment for Heras' early departure. They were also saving money because Heras was earning more than $1M a year at DC.
So, DC has at least 1.5M euro/year in salary room to play with from Savo and Ace's salary alone. They also never fully used the LA salary when LA retired. On top of that, they have salaries from some other more high paid (relative to their average cyclist, cyclists (relative to their current, younger team), to play with -- Beltran, etc.
Of course Bruyneel prefers Basso, and not only because of age differences between Basso and JU. However, I meant Bruyneel might be targeting JU because he may be more achievable at this point. At least JU will be clearly leaving his former team. JU has one or two seasons left in him, and he needs the best support he can get for what remains of his professional life.
Astana already has Vino. I doubt JU would be willing to do a Klodie for Vino. CSC won't see JU as more attractive than Basso, and may be issues with even Basso. Milram has said they don't want JU. Gerolsteiner doesn't have the support team JU needs to have his best shot at the Tour 07, if he is permitted to ride.
JU's natural landing place is DC, if he can ride. They probably can cut his salary on the grounds that they can provide better nonmonetary terms for him (i.e., support for him to try and win the TdF). Who wouldn't want Levi, George, Popo, Chechu, Braj, Martinez, even Danielson supporting the new joiner in the Tour?
Astana already has Vino. I doubt JU would be willing to do a Klodie for Vino. CSC won't see JU as more attractive than Basso, and may be issues with even Basso. Milram has said they don't want JU. Gerolsteiner doesn't have the support team JU needs to have his best shot at the Tour 07, if he is permitted to ride.
JU's natural landing place is DC, if he can ride. They probably can cut his salary on the grounds that they can provide better nonmonetary terms for him (i.e., support for him to try and win the TdF). Who wouldn't want Levi, George, Popo, Chechu, Braj, Martinez, even Danielson supporting the new joiner in the Tour?
I think that would be pretty cool. It would be especially fun to watch all the Disco homers who have spent years bagging on Ulle make an about face. The downside is that Disco has been gutted and there is not much left to support UllrichDiabloScott said:
Bro Deal said:
Disco has been been gutted big time.... I certainly hope they have some master plan or they are going to suck.
This year Discovery was in discorray. How would you have used the "Gutted staff" to support Jan Ullrich. If they pickup JU then they will need some hard ass domestiques, not a team full of would be leaders.Bro Deal said:
Seems to me that they have their bases covered. If they pickup JU or perhaps Ivan the Basso, (which I believe is a longshot) then great ! They will have to relegate Levi to the bookend GT's and some domestic races . For both JU and IB they will have put forth contract clauses that will require DC to provide full and unconditional support for TdF (and Tour of California of course
) and if they don't sign either of the before mentioned then they have a very capable rider in Levi to lead the team.Personally, I would have thought Gerolsteiner would have been a better fit for Kloden and Ullrich. I don't think Ivan is going to leave CSC, CSC is not in disarray and they still have a very, very strong team, why leave.
Of course if they are both busted then that makes this discussion a moot point.
IMHO of course.
lw
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