Thank God for Mike Neel

Thank God Mike Neel is at the Tour of Georgia with the Siera Nevada team. Otherwise there would be
absolutly nothing happening at all.

The first stage is a microcosm of American cycling 2003 style.

Everyone is scared of either getting dropped or getting beat up by Saturn so the ride like sheep, no
make that lemmings, and hope that they can grab a top 20 to brag about at home at the local parking
lot criterium.

I've seen more aggressive racing at cat 4 women's events.

And what the heck is going on with Schroder Iron ? Have they sold their souls for a season of green
jerseys ? Perhaps there should be a Saturn A team and a Saturn/Schroeder Iron B team.

At least Vaughters had the decency to trip over his own feet and give the people of Georgia
something to look at.

Schmatz, I see you posting here lately. What gives ? How about an attack once in a while ?

 

"Hyllus" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Thank God Mike Neel is at the Tour of Georgia with the Siera Nevada team. Otherwise there would be
> absolutly nothing happening at all.
>
> The first stage is a microcosm of American cycling 2003 style.
>
> Everyone is scared of either getting dropped or getting beat up by Saturn so the ride like sheep,
> no make that lemmings, and hope that they can grab a top 20 to brag about at home at the local
> parking lot criterium.
>
> ?

British Cycling has been like this for years. One overpowering team and also rans. The only hope we
have is that the sport gets bigger and the good riders become sppread around more teams. I cant
speak for the American scene but I despair of it happening here.

Stan Cox

 

"Stan Cox" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Hyllus" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Thank God Mike Neel is at the Tour of Georgia with the Siera
Nevada
> > team. Otherwise there would be absolutly nothing happening at
all.
> >
> > The first stage is a microcosm of American cycling 2003 style.
> >
> > Everyone is scared of either getting dropped or getting beat up by Saturn so the ride like
> > sheep, no make that lemmings, and hope
that
> > they can grab a top 20 to brag about at home at the local parking
lot
> > criterium.
>
> British Cycling has been like this for years. One overpowering team
and also
> rans. The only hope we have is that the sport gets bigger and the
good
> riders become sppread around more teams. I cant speak for the
American scene
> but I despair of it happening here.

Prime Alliance's Pate, DeCanio and Creed will be the new top riders in pretty short order. It will
take harder racing than we've seen yet this year. Those three were really impressive at Sea Otter
and all it would take would be a better team management philosophy to kick butt big time.

Saturn is really a super team but they are a yesterday team whereas Prime Alliance is a
tomorrow team.

 

In article <[email protected]>, Tom Kunich
<[email protected]> wrote:

> Prime Alliance's Pate, DeCanio and Creed will be the new top riders in pretty short order. It will
> take harder racing than we've seen yet this year. Those three were really impressive at Sea Otter
> and all it would take would be a better team management philosophy to kick butt big time.
>
> Saturn is really a super team but they are a yesterday team whereas Prime Alliance is a
> tomorrow team.

Except for Tom Danielson.

-WG

 

On Thu, 24 Apr 2003 02:11:12 GMT, "Tom Kunich" <[email protected]> wrote:
>Prime Alliance's Pate, DeCanio and Creed will be the new top riders in pretty short order. It will
>take harder racing than we've seen yet this year. Those three were really impressive at Sea Otter
>and all it would take would be a better team management philosophy to kick butt big time.

Creed is a monster. I saw him lap the field twice at the world cup qualifiers 15K scratch in San
Diego - he made it look easy. That boy has a lot of pain left to dish out on the road (and the
track). Saturn dropped the ball not picking him up.

Thanks, Ronde Chimp

 

"Stan Cox" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> "Hyllus" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > Thank God Mike Neel is at the Tour of Georgia with the Siera Nevada team. Otherwise there would
> > be absolutly nothing happening at all.
> >
> > The first stage is a microcosm of American cycling 2003 style.
> >
> > Everyone is scared of either getting dropped or getting beat up by Saturn so the ride like
> > sheep, no make that lemmings, and hope that they can grab a top 20 to brag about at home at the
> > local parking lot criterium.
> >
> > ?
>
> British Cycling has been like this for years. One overpowering team and also rans. The only hope
> we have is that the sport gets bigger and the good riders become sppread around more teams. I cant
> speak for the American scene but I despair of it happening here.
>

I don't see that happening, for several reasons:

I don't expect all these riders to stay on Saturn. I don't expect these riders to have excellent
form all season (Horner's early season domination tapered off last year) and I don't expect the same
riders to dominate season after season. Two years ago Klasna was super-strong, he's fallen off the
radar since (though I understand he hasn't been healthy ?). Not to mention the talent on other teams
(USPS, Nav, Prime).

Plus the US domestic scene has a lot of money (relatively speaking), so some talent will always be
lured away to smaller teams.

-Amit

 

"Amit" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Stan Cox" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > "Hyllus" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> > news:[email protected]...
> > > Thank God Mike Neel is at the Tour of Georgia with the Siera Nevada team. Otherwise there
> > > would be absolutly nothing happening at all.
> > >
> > > The first stage is a microcosm of American cycling 2003 style.
> > >
> > > Everyone is scared of either getting dropped or getting beat up by Saturn so the ride like
> > > sheep, no make that lemmings, and hope that they can grab a top 20 to brag about at home at
> > > the local parking lot criterium.
> > >
> > > ?
> >
> > British Cycling has been like this for years. One overpowering team and
also
> > rans. The only hope we have is that the sport gets bigger and the good riders become sppread
> > around more teams. I cant speak for the American
scene
> > but I despair of it happening here.
> >
>
> I don't see that happening, for several reasons:
>
> I don't expect all these riders to stay on Saturn. I don't expect these riders to have excellent
> form all season (Horner's early season domination tapered off last year) and I don't expect the
> same riders to dominate season after season. Two years ago Klasna was super-strong, he's fallen
> off the radar since (though I understand he hasn't been healthy ?). Not to mention the talent on
> other teams (USPS, Nav, Prime).
>
> Plus the US domestic scene has a lot of money (relatively speaking), so some talent will always be
> lured away to smaller teams.
>
> -Amit

I hope for the sports sake that this is the case. I just wish that something similar would happen
here. All the best.

Stan Cox