Andreau leaves Rock & Republic

snood

Why no extra cyclists for Rock? Why no TAS? They knew Puerto. They knew Tour of California antidoping. Same as Virenque and Valverde. A bad plan for Rock. No 2007 Vuelta for Sevilla. No 2007 Giro for Hamilton.

They are banned by races not UCI. Problem with business - go to court. Those are rules.

cyclingheroes

They don't have to go to court. They are not banned. According to the rules the race organisers did not have the right to ban them. The rules are there for everybody, also for the races but it seems you don't know the rules. Welcome in banana republic.

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Crankyfeet

I agree with Heroes. Everyone is playing God here. There is no accountability by the event organizers. They seem to think they can do what they like. "Oh I don't like your haircut...Your team is out". I know people don't like the idea of UCI running a Pro Tour, and I'm not happy with it either... but someone/thing needs to run a tour calendar here with a standard practice and rules that are enforced consistently. Every other sport has a governing body that controls participants as well as tournament/event owners. Invitational events are fine, but the tour needs a bedrock of standard operating procedures IMHO for sanctioned events.

Teams/sponsors and pro cyclists are being played with here like they don't have any investment in the sport. Their investment is huge.

snood

They can do what they want to do. They own race. Not because of the haircut - because of doping. Virenque DiLuca Basso Ullrich Hamilton Botero Sevilla Mancebo Liberty Seguros Relax Astana.

Fault is not races. Fault is Verdruggen. Fault is Spanish Federation. Fault is Kazakhstan Federation. Fault is Bruyneel. Hired Damsgaard too late.

cyclingheroes

They can't, the race is sanctioned by the UCI. All sanctioned races have to follow the UCI rules. If they don't like it they have to leave the UCI.

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Crankyfeet

I used "I don't like your haircut" as a metaphor for any arbitrary excuse. It wasn't meant to be taken literally.

I respect your opinion.

Bro Deal

Audio interview with Ball.

http://www.competitorradio.com/show...MichaelBall.mp3

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"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates

Crankyfeet

Thanks Bro. Very interesting. Got to understand this guy a lot better. He is all about branding.

Couple of moments in the interview when he revealed his character. He spent five minutes telling us that hiring Tyler was all about giving him a chance for redemption, that everyone should be allowed to make mistakes and have a chance to redeem themselves, and isn't that what this country was founded on. Then, when it was put to him that one of the big problems people have with Tyler is that he has never fessed up, Ball switches tack and says that he believes in Tyler and his claims of innocence. He basically shows us in that instant switch that Michael Ball will just come out with whatever bullshit line suits the moment. Yet he keeps trying to push the image that he is a straight talker (branding - its what he wants to be known as - not what he is).

Another example is his anecdote about how his acting training has helped him because it has taught him how to react to certain situations. Which to anyone means that it has taught him how to "act" in response to situations, to get the best message across (branding), but he suddenly realizes that he has divulged too much info about his real self so he summarizes his story by saying that acting has taught him how to react in an honest way. Huh???

I think this guy would love to be Bruyneel except be the owner of Tailwind and Discovery Channel as well. To have the best team that wins everything and everyone suspects is doping, but to never test positive. To be able to beat the system. Anti-establishment. He even says he doesn't like the Slipstream model. He would rather that any indiscretions that his athletes commit be kept within and not revealed to the public. As if that's going to make everyone accountable.

He rags on the French. "They don't like anyone. They don't even like themselves." That quote might comeback to haunt him in the garment business, let alone in his cycling endeavors.

He does understand branding though, but seems to think having a black bus, with half a dozen black Escalades, and a few glamorous paid girls hanging around the team makes them "cool".

Whatever.

Bro Deal

FLandis (leather jacket) hanging out with Rock Racking. That looks like his lawyer next to him.

__________________
"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates

snood

Is this for real Double Penetration interview or joke? Worse cycling interview of all!

http://www.dailypeloton.com/displayarticle.asp?pk=12283

Quote:

Some of your riders were outed right before the race, any real reason and what will be their ability to race this year? That was just a tragedy it really was and the AEG knows that! There is not an investigation there is no indictment nothing it is all hear say and this type of thing - these allegations and the knee jerk reaction it causes is infringing on the Civil rights of the riders. Let me be straight up here, I am a business man first and a team owner second. These people have to be out of their collective minds to think that I would lay out everything I have to build this team and then allow dirty riders on my team, thinking like that is incredulous to me. What I have allowed is guys a second chance everyone deserves a second chance everyone makes mistakes. These guys served their time they are clean and it is just dirty politics that bring this type of tragedy about, people are trying to affect the outcome of races with these types of allegations. The riders are just not getting enough support or credit for helping the sport grow and cleaning up their act from the inside out! Think about it if you were on a pro team, rider owner and you were in contention for major wins would you knowingly allow doping on your team?

thunder

the lawyer has seen too many tanning salons.

Bro Deal

He has a natural tan...

__________________
"You are like the wind and I like the lion. You form the tempest. The sand stings my eyes and the ground is parched. I roar in defiance but you do not hear. But between us there is a difference. I, like the lion, must remain in my place. While you like the wind will never know yours." -- Mulay Hamid El Raisuli, Lord of the Riff, Sultan to the Berbers, Last of the Barbary Pirates

thunder

dichotomy is buying a $300 pair of jeans for identity and bad boy credibility.

kennf

He's been hangin' with Tyler.