Radio Shack Team, any future?

[jhuskey]

I know this team was basically built around Armstrong and althought they were a disappointment to many they still had some well placed fininshers in the TDF.
That being said the highest placed, Horner is no spring chicken and the youngest of the better timed riders Kloden is not exaclty peaking, he is well past that point at 35.
Leipheimer will be 37 this year, as I recall, so you got a bunch of talent but old talent and maybe some up and commers but I am not perceiving any standouts in the near future.
It is definitely recruiting time. Maybe the end of season shuffle will garner some new talent.

 

[pennstater]

I know this team was basically built around Armstrong and althought they were a disappointment to many they still had some well placed fininshers in the TDF.
That being said the highest placed, Horner is no spring chicken and the youngest of the better timed riders Kloden is not exaclty peaking, he is well past that point at 35.
Leipheimer will be 37 this year, as I recall, so you got a bunch of talent but old talent and maybe some up and commers but I am not perceiving any standouts in the near future.
It is definitely recruiting time. Maybe the end of season shuffle will garner some new talent.

Johan has always had a rider that can win a gt. Obviously Lance and Contador, but also Heras and il Falco. Now, eventhough the shack still has quality riders, they don't have any that can win a grand tour. Perhaps, Brajkovic can compete and Machado has been pretty impressive, but I think they need to get a proven winner to build the team around. I'm not very confident they can win any classics and at this point it looks like they can only compete in week long stage races like the Dauphine.

 

[roadhouse]

i do believe you are forgetting that Levi will be in prison with Lance or at the very least, banned from next season for his past drug use as will the team Doctor and Johan so there might not even be a Team Radio Shack.

 

[roadhouse]

The remaining stragglers not incriminated might be renamed as Team "Fry's Electronics" though.

 

[jhuskey]

i do believe you are forgetting that Levi will be in prison with Lance or at the very least, banned from next season for his past drug use as will the team Doctor and Johan so there might not even be a Team Radio Shack.

I have considered that there may not be a RS team but not necessarily for that reason.
Maybe they will get the Schleck boys.

 

[roadhouse]

What a catastrophe that will be, the freshest and favorite new gc contenders riding for the world's biggest doping kingpin. I surely hope they are smarter than that to go anywhere near Johan and even better, I hope Johan is barred from cycling altogether by then and in a four by eight prison cell....on Mars.

 

[genedan]

They could always resign Contador, I don't think it would be too terrible of an idea given that Bruyneel has won two tours with the guy, although I doubt Contador wants to go back given that RadioShack is currently under the heat from investigators.

Brajkovic, Machado, and Phinney seem to be very promising, and filling in the helper positions shouldn't be too much of a problem given that the market for them is very competitive. Those guys don't seem to be GT contenders, though Brajkovic comes pretty close. I think the team as it is could be very powerful in the shorter stage races like Paris-Nice, AToC, Catalonia, T-A, and the Dauphine.

 

[Andrija]

I think it depends on contract. If there's a clause which allows break after a year - the clause will be activated.
With Armstrong out of sport (I mean sport's biggest events) and roster like it's now, I don't think any American sponsor will be interested in continuing (sponsorship).
Maybe if they attract Schlecks they'll continue, but Schlecks have their own ambitions. No one else could be strong enough reason for the Shack to continue.

If there's no a year clause, they'll continue but concentrated on US races (market).

Bruyneel had some comments on A.Schleck's performance in the Tour... TT performance to be precise. Maybe he's advertising himself to Schleck... Advertising like potential DS in Schlecks' team or advertising his current team to Schlecks. Whatever, they (the Shack) need a rider for GTs, TDF if it's possible. Otherwise they're over.

 

[gtm]

Radio Shack sell electronics kits to spotty, virginal young men. Quite why they thought it would be a good idea to sponsor a pro cycling team is beyond me.

To be frank I expect that behind closed doors the Radio Shack Board are fingering the ejector seat. They paid $ millions to fund a team of long in the tooth has beens headed up by the focus of an increasingly ugly federal investigation. The fact that publications like the WSJ & Forbes Magazine are openly tearing strips off Armstrong shows he's losing the PR battle badly. This cannot be something Radio Shack want to associate their brand with.Whatever happens to the cycling team I can't see Radio Shack continuing the sponsorship much longer.

 

[roadhouse]

extremely rich , spotty, virginal boys. that along with the Lance Factor.

RadioShack Corporation - RadioShack Corporation Reports First Quarter 2010 Results

 

[SDMichael]

I don't see them becoming the Radio Schleck team... Andy and Frank are big European powerhouses who are unlikely to join a team that doesn't even really have any great domestiques.

Plus leaving Saxo would break up a team containing 2 Schlecks, 2 Haedos, and 2 Sorensens

 

[Bro Deal]

Jeebus! Doesn't anyone read the news? The Schlecks are forming a new team.

 

[swampy1970]

What a catastrophe that will be, the freshest and favorite new gc contenders riding for the world's biggest doping kingpin. I surely hope they are smarter than that to go anywhere near Johan and even better, I hope Johan is barred from cycling altogether by then and in a four by eight prison cell....on Mars.

... And you think that riding for Mr 60% makes the Schlecks any more saintly?

 

[roadhouse]

i just wouldn't like to see them get caught up in and possibly busted and possibly helping further ruining what little reputation cycling has left with all of the doping scandals no matter who they ride for.

let me ask you this, do you think they are doping? Andy?

 

[Bro Deal]

... And you think that riding for Mr 60% makes the Schlecks any more saintly?

Riis admitted what he did. Hopefully he is smart enough to no longer get personally involved in running a doping program--unlike a certain other team manager.

 

[pearl-drum-man]

Jeebus! Doesn't anyone read the news? The Schlecks are forming a new team.

I had seen that they wanted to form a LUX based team, and iirc they already claimed to have primary sponsorship in place but were withholding announcement. As I mentioned in another thread I had a brief thought that they may actually be joining with Radio Shack, although practically speaking I can't see that as viable.

 

[GT Fanatic]

Radio Shack sell electronics kits to spotty, virginal young men.

Surprisingly, Radio Shack is a pretty successful company, so there must be a lot of "spotty, virginal young men" out there.

While I'd agree that their products are a bit chintzy, they're one of those little stores that always seems to have what you need when nobody else does...

 

[jhuskey]

People in the electronic field or serious hobbyists call Radio Shack, Battery Shack due of the lack of quality or useable products they have.
They have taken a different direction over the year mostly due to what the general public wants.
No one fixes anything anymore, it's a throw away society now.
They are trying to phase Radio out of their name.

 

[Bro Deal]

Surprisingly, Radio Shack is a pretty successful company, so there must be a lot of "spotty, virginal young men" out there.

While I'd agree that their products are a bit chintzy, they're one of those little stores that always seems to have what you need when nobody else does...

RS is hardly a successful company. It has been on the ropes for a long time. Stories about buyouts and acquisitions have been surfacing for many years now. While the very recent results are not bad, this is a troubled company. Just this year there has been expectations that the company would be acquired by Best Buy. Another story was that a private equity firm was in the process of buying the company.

I suspect that the reason RS sponsored a cycling team (really they just sponsored Armstrong and the baggage that came along with him) was to raise their public profile and improve the chances of a buyout.

Check out this classic Onion piece from 2007.

Even CEO Can't Figure Out How RadioShack Still In Business | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

 

[GT Fanatic]

RS is hardly a successful company. It has been on the ropes for a long time. Stories about buyouts and acquisitions have been surfacing for many years now. While the very recent results are not bad, this is a troubled company. Just this year there has been expectations that the company would be acquired by Best Buy. Another story was that a private equity firm was in the process of buying the company.

I suspect that the reason RS sponsored a cycling team (really they just sponsored Armstrong and the baggage that came along with him) was to raise their public profile and improve the chances of a buyout.

Check out this classic Onion piece from 2007.

Even CEO Can't Figure Out How RadioShack Still In Business | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Well if they're sponsoring big names like Lance Armstrong, they aren't hardly suffering.

Also, the "Onion" couldn't be further from being a credible source, and the article is from 2007.