Ferretti standing by VDB for now...

"Chris" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Given the management style of Ferretti (who lives up to
his name even more since his return to DS after sitting
out a few seasons) it surprises me a bit that he came out
defending a lackluster VDB who will miss the Giro due to
illness and probably less than expected form.

Apparently VDB signed his initial contract with Ferretti
that allows

either

Quoted message said:

party to terminate with virtually zero notice (as opposed
to running to

the

Quoted message said:

end of a season) and pay *only* for performance. Could
this be a case of Ferretti being more compassionate than
he is typically (although he was

also

Quoted message said:

very patient with the flash-in-the-pan winner of the 2002
Vuelta)? Or

could

Quoted message said:

it be that Ferretti is as pragmatic is he is hard? After
all, he can field VDB for no cost at all until there is a
payoff for the team. Still, Fassa Bortolo has plenty of
depth in talent and the salaries that go with and

must

Quoted message said:

be one of the best funded teams so it hardly seems worth
it unless

Ferretti

Quoted message said:

believes in VDB.

Does anyone have any clues or insight of VDB's form this
year and or his relationship with Ferretti?

My understanding was that VDB doesn't get paid until he
collects 500 UCI points, then his incentives really
accelerate.

-T

Chris said:

Given the management style of Ferretti (who lives up to his
name even more since his return to DS after sitting out a
few seasons) it surprises me a bit that he came out
defending a lackluster VDB who will miss the Giro due to
illness and probably less than expected form.

Quoted message said:

Does anyone have any clues or insight of VDB's form this
year and or his relationship with Ferretti?

I have no clues, but would imagine that VDB maybe has been
doing things right and got sick anyway, so Ferretti is
standing up for him..

JT

John Forrest Tomlinson said:

Chris said:

Given the management style of Ferretti (who lives up to
his name even more since his return to DS after sitting
out a few seasons) it surprises me a bit that he came out
defending a lackluster VDB who will miss the Giro due to
illness and probably less than expected form.

Quoted message said:

Does anyone have any clues or insight of VDB's form this
year and or his relationship with Ferretti?

I have no clues, but would imagine that VDB maybe has been
doing things right and got sick anyway, so Ferretti is
standing up for him..

JT

I could spend more than a few minutes dredging up the links
on CN to his placings in the classics, but suffice to say he
has been pretty good. I don't think there's any question of
form being good. It's just one of those things, you get sick
sometimes at the worst possible time. Maybe when he recovers
Giancarlo will let him take a few of the non Giro riders to
some of the minor races going on during the month.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Chris said:

Given the management style of Ferretti (who lives up to
his name even more since his return to DS after sitting
out a few seasons) it surprises me a bit that he came out
defending a lackluster VDB who will miss the Giro due to
illness and probably less than expected form.

Apparently VDB signed his initial contract with Ferretti
that allows either party to terminate with virtually zero
notice (as opposed to running to the end of a season) and
pay *only* for performance. Could this be a case of
Ferretti being more compassionate than he is typically
(although he was also very patient with the flash-in-the-
pan winner of the 2002 Vuelta)?

Aitor Gonzalez can still prove himself - and he has
certainly done better than the '02 Giro winner. It may just
be wishful thinking on my part, but Gonzalez is one of my
favorites for this upcoming Tour...

Quoted message said:

Or could it be that Ferretti is as pragmatic is he is
hard? After all, he can field VDB for no cost at all until
there is a payoff for the team. Still, Fassa Bortolo has
plenty of depth in talent and the salaries that go with
and must be one of the best funded teams so it hardly
seems worth it unless Ferretti believes in VDB.

Does anyone have any clues or insight of VDB's form this
year and or his relationship with Ferretti?

Ferretti says that VDB does not seem to be pulling his leg,
and I guess that's the end of it. Now, if he did what
Botero reportedly did in the past week - fly home in
disgrace, though I have yet to find confirmation of this
outside of Road to the Tour - then his career would almost
certainly be over.

-Sonarrat.

"Tom Schulenburg" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

My understanding was that VDB doesn't get paid until he
collects 500 UCI points, then his incentives really
accelerate.

If this is true, then he has a ways to go. Currently at 341.

-Sonarrat.

"Chris" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Given the management style of Ferretti (who lives up to
his name even more since his return to DS after sitting
out a few seasons) it surprises me a bit that he came out
defending a lackluster VDB who will miss the Giro due to
illness and probably less than expected form.

Apparently VDB signed his initial contract with Ferretti
that allows

either

Quoted message said:

party to terminate with virtually zero notice (as opposed
to running to

the

Quoted message said:

end of a season) and pay *only* for performance. Could
this be a case of Ferretti being more compassionate than
he is typically (although he was

also

Quoted message said:

very patient with the flash-in-the-pan winner of the 2002
Vuelta)? Or

could

Quoted message said:

it be that Ferretti is as pragmatic is he is hard? After
all, he can field VDB for no cost at all until there is a
payoff for the team. Still, Fassa Bortolo has plenty of
depth in talent and the salaries that go with and

must

Quoted message said:

be one of the best funded teams so it hardly seems worth
it unless

Ferretti

Quoted message said:

believes in VDB.

Does anyone have any clues or insight of VDB's form this
year and or his relationship with Ferretti?

In my limited view, VDBs Spring campaign has been pretty
strong. Obviously, it hasn't been stellar, but he's been
near the front of the action at most of the key events. Phil
Liggett made a comment about VDB during the Tour de Georgia
coverage. He quoted Frank as saying he was finiding that he
lacked the strength at the end of races to finish things
off. I believe in context, Frank was saying this was partly
a function of his form needing to come around a bit farther
and partly a function of the fact he's a few years on from
when he was the wonder brat.

Bob C.

"psycholist" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In my limited view, VDBs Spring campaign has been
pretty strong.

Obviously,

Quoted message said:

it hasn't been stellar, but he's been near the front of
the action at most of the key events. Phil Liggett made a
comment about VDB during the Tour

de

Quoted message said:

Georgia coverage. He quoted Frank as saying he was
finiding that he

lacked

Quoted message said:

the strength at the end of races to finish things off. I
believe in context, Frank was saying this was partly a
function of his form needing

to

Quoted message said:

come around a bit farther and partly a function of the
fact he's a few

years

Quoted message said:

on from when he was the wonder brat.

VDB was trying to cover his losses with dope instead of hard
nosed training. He is paying for that now. However, he still
has more natural talent than
7/8ths of the peloton so if he can maintain his morale and
his disapline he'll jest be coming into his most
productive years now.

"psycholist" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Chris" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Given the management style of Ferretti (who lives up to
his name even

more

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

since his return to DS after sitting out a few seasons)
it surprises me

a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

bit that he came out defending a lackluster VDB who will
miss the Giro

due

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

to illness and probably less than expected form.

Apparently VDB signed his initial contract with Ferretti
that allows

either

Quoted message said:

party to terminate with virtually zero notice (as
opposed to running to

the

Quoted message said:

end of a season) and pay *only* for performance. Could
this be a case

of

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Ferretti being more compassionate than he is typically
(although he was

also

Quoted message said:

very patient with the flash-in-the-pan winner of the
2002 Vuelta)? Or

could

Quoted message said:

it be that Ferretti is as pragmatic is he is hard? After
all, he can

field

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

VDB for no cost at all until there is a payoff for the
team. Still,

Fassa

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Bortolo has plenty of depth in talent and the salaries
that go with and

must

Quoted message said:

be one of the best funded teams so it hardly seems worth
it unless

Ferretti

Quoted message said:

believes in VDB.

Does anyone have any clues or insight of VDB's form this
year and or his relationship with Ferretti?

In my limited view, VDBs Spring campaign has been
pretty strong.

Not his worst, but not even close to his best.

Obviously,

Quoted message said:

it hasn't been stellar, but he's been near the front of
the action at most of the key events. Phil Liggett made a
comment about VDB during the Tour

de

Quoted message said:

Georgia coverage. He quoted Frank as saying he was
finiding that he

lacked

Quoted message said:

the strength at the end of races to finish things off.

Perhaps that is what Ferretti sees. I doubt he will let him
race the Tour, but I could be wrong. I guess we will see
what happens this fall. The real point I was getting at
though is that Ferretti is one of the most brutal directors
in modern cycling and with all of the drama of VDB's career
and considering how close they were to not even signing that
contract, it surprises me that he is still supporting VDB.

Quoted message said:

I believe in context, Frank was saying this was partly a
function of his form needing

to

Quoted message said:

come around a bit farther and partly a function of the
fact he's a few

years

Quoted message said:

on from when he was the wonder brat.

Bob C.

"Sonarrat" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Tom Schulenburg" <[email hidden]> wrote
in message

news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

My understanding was that VDB doesn't get paid until he
collects 500 UCI points, then his incentives really
accelerate.

If this is true, then he has a ways to go. Currently at
341.

-Sonarrat.

VDB has the potential to settle that deficit during any one
week or less that he races.