The Curse of Cofidis -- revisited

About 2 1/2 years ago I posted this:

>Armstrong signs with them and gets cancer
>
>VDB signs and ends up in the loony bin
>
>Julich has success with a TDF podium, then becomes more notable for crashing
>
> and didn't Cyril Guimard have some, um, legal problems while working as their DS?
>
>What else? Who's next?

The updates:

David Millar going nuts

Kivilev (RIP)

NS

 

Lately Mattan has started to be openly critical too.

Their salary system with a huge impact of UCI points prevents team behavior. They start a World Cup
race as a bunch of individualists instead of protecting the most suited riders for a certain race.
If there is any cooperation at all, it's because the riders among themselves get along.

Why bridge a gap for a teammate with winning chances, or why gamble on a lucky shot attack for
victory, when you can better don't mind the debates, wait, and sprint for X th place and the points?
With such a policy the management shouldn't complain the riders are not visible enough.

 

From: Nev Shea ([email protected]) Subject: The Curse of Cofidis -- revisited Newsgroups:
rec.bicycles.racing Date: 2003-04-16 22:07:00 PST

> About 2 1/2 years ago I posted this:
>
> > Armstrong signs with them and gets cancer
> >
> > VDB signs and ends up in the loony bin
> >
> > Julich has success with a TDF podium, then becomes more notable for crashing
> >
> > and didn't Cyril Guimard have some, um, legal problems while working as their DS?
> >
> > What else? Who's next?
>
> The updates:
>
> David Millar going nuts
>
> Kivilev (RIP)
>
> NS

Update:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2003/tour03/?id=news/jul03/jul07news Tyler Hamilton's, Levi
Leipheimer's and Marc Lotz's dreams of riding a good Tour de France came to a bitter end in stage 1
after they were involved in the massive pileup with less than 500m to go. The crash was precipitated
by Jose Enrique Gutierrez (Kelme), who lost control after being pushed by a Cofidis rider as the
peloton wound up for a bunch sprint.

 

David Ryan <[email protected]> wrote in news:3F08858A.219C0431 @hotmail.com:

> From: Nev Shea ([email protected]) Subject: The Curse of Cofidis -- revisited Newsgroups:
> rec.bicycles.racing Date: 2003-04-16 22:07:00 PST
>
>> About 2 1/2 years ago I posted this:
>>
>> > Armstrong signs with them and gets cancer
>> >
>> > VDB signs and ends up in the loony bin
>> >
>> > Julich has success with a TDF podium, then becomes more notable for crashing
>> >
>> > and didn't Cyril Guimard have some, um, legal problems while working as their DS?
>> >
>> > What else? Who's next?
>>
>> The updates:
>>
>> David Millar going nuts
>>
>> Kivilev (RIP)
>>
>> NS
>
> Update:
>
> http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2003/tour03/?id=news/jul03/jul07news Tyler Hamilton's, Levi
> Leipheimer's and Marc Lotz's dreams of riding a good Tour de France came to a bitter end in stage
> 1 after they were involved in the massive pileup with less than 500m to go. The crash was
> precipitated by Jose Enrique Gutierrez (Kelme), who lost control after being pushed by a Cofidis
> rider as the peloton wound up for a bunch sprint.

Funny you should dig this post up from 2 1/2 months ago. It's was one thing when Cofidis only ruined
their own riders (like in the prologue), but now they sabotage other teams as well.

But this is only the first full day of racing -- I wonder what other surprises this team from hell
has in store for this Tour . . . perhaps by the end the mentally fragile David Millar will be carted
off in a straight jacket.

NS