US Cycling Team?

96740 · 96740's Garage

What team is going to defend the Tour De France this year? Is the Discovery Team still together?

I'm watching the AMGEN Tour of California and see nothing but foreign teams. Do we have one? I can't get any info what teams are what.

dzls rok · dzls rok's Garage

nothing close to what discovery was, but slipstream/chipotle, rock racing and team healthnet are a few of the better u.s. teams.

96740 · 96740's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by dzls rok

nothing close to what discovery was, but slipstream/chipotle, rock racing and team healthnet are a few of the better u.s. teams.

That's too bad. Are we at least going to be competitive? I love how all these guys join our teams, and as soon as they become stars, they jump ship. I say ALL AMERICAN ONLY. And if we catch you doing any PED's we throw you off the Eiffel Tower!

Thanks for the info.

dzls rok · dzls rok's Garage

rock racing and slipstream have good int. riders. as well as some young promising riders.

Laneco · 02-21-2008, 05:19 AM

I couldn't even bring myself to watch TDF last year. That glorious race is becoming such a silly circus...

If we ever want to field a strong American team, we are going to have to put a great deal of development into our juniors and espoirs. Development takes money. With the nasty PED smear on cycling, big name sponsors are understandably leary. Who would want to spend development money on young riders or put a couple of million into a team only to have the star test positive with the sponsors name blazed across his chest?

angela

einreb · 02-21-2008, 05:46 AM

Levi on Astana would have been a good bet for an American win, but they have been banned from the tour.

The whole thing is sort of absurd since Cofidis and High Road (old T-Mobile) are in, but they had doping problems too.

tcar · 02-21-2008, 09:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by einreb

Levi on Astana would have been a good bet for an American win, but they have been banned from the tour.

So does that mean Levi himself is banned? Could he join another team?

einreb · 02-21-2008, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tcar

So does that mean Levi himself is banned? Could he join another team?

I dont know. The governing organization is insane.

here's an interview. levi is a classy guy IMO.

http://letleviride.com/

look 171 · 02-21-2008, 01:24 PM

I we want to competitive in pro cycling, we need the public and gov agencies to ok longer stage races with good climbs. No ifs or buts about it. Our riders just don't have enough racing miles in their legs. Their wpring races, not the classics, are easily over 100 miles long. Our pro 1,2s (do they still do that anymore?) are a little over half that and they go around the block. And yes, not enough money.

discovery is made up of many Europeans. They purchased many climbers and wind blockers to halp Lance.

Is the racing better today in the us at the club level? I have out of the game and got married, got fat in the pass 6 years. I raced as junior in 1984 until the late 90s.

k9handler · 02-21-2008, 04:20 PM

overall I think the sport is doing just fine, I still enjoy watching and going to see stages when in Europe was great. However the media and the governing body will mess things up even when the riders are clean.

look 171 · 02-21-2008, 11:31 PM

The UCI already screw thing up. They can't let thing be. Racing (pro level) were great to watch in the 80 all the way up the the late 90s. Real battles going on in those roads. Now with the radios in the rider's ears telling them when to attack and how many are coming is BS.

k9handler · 02-22-2008, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by look 171

The UCI already screw thing up. They can't let thing be. Racing (pro level) were great to watch in the 80 all the way up the the late 90s. Real battles going on in those roads. Now with the radios in the rider's ears telling them when to attack and how many are coming is BS.

Not really, when I raced in the 90's I never had a radio ear piece yet was able to get updates through the race staff...paid to be in the lead break with the constant gaps.

einreb · 02-22-2008, 07:12 PM

Levi crushed the tour of california TT today.

David Zabriskie's moustache was stunning. Of course nobody knows wtf I'm talking about.

look 171 · 02-23-2008, 12:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by k9handler

Not really, when I raced in the 90's I never had a radio ear piece yet was able to get updates through the race staff...paid to be in the lead break with the constant gaps.

I know you get it from the motor bike with the little chalk board, or is it the team car. I know you must be in europe, did you ride for a pro team? I know nothing about the non pro teams and how much support do they get. Here our local club level, you don't get much at all. Lucky if someone blocks for you when you get a gap. Maybe things are different now. I haven't race in 10 years.