teetopkram

https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/upda...ed-from-vuelta

nvrlnd7

Sorry man but andy comes out like a ****** bag on this one,he knew it was team policy,but still went drinking.

rogwilco

^^
I don't think he went out to get wasted, he probably had a glass of wine before going to bed or something. I think it's a crazy decision to kick them out for this and I doubt Riis would have done that to any cyclist who's not leaving the team.

collegeskier

I think it flows both ways with Andy leaving he was not worried as much and Riis has no reason to keep him on, especially with AC coming. He does not need to win a GT this year because he figures he can get 1 if not 2 next year.

Cat4Lifer

Yeah, Riis' move does make him look like a bitter man. Like rogeilco mentioned, I doubt this would have happened if Andy and Stuart hadn't already made their move. A small fine sure, but to forcibly withdraw them? That seems more than harsh.

Kayce

Andy says they went out to a bar and had a couple of beers after dinner. Sounds pretty clear that they dont care one bit about the team(which helped them out a lot), nor for Riis, who andy recently called a friend. Riis doesnt seem vindictive, so much as dealing with riders that dont care for their team in the only way he can. They are still under contract, and know exactly how they are expected to act, and chose not too.

nvrlnd7

Someone here has read the velonation story,and i agree.These 2 riders really are showing a lack of class,they should have followed team policy and helped frank go for the GC.I know alot of people here wanted andy to win the TDF but i think he acted like an entitled brat there and in this situation,thats my take im sure it's not yours(the reader)but we are entitled to one thing in life and thats our own opinion.

Bacciagalupe

Based on what little info is available, it seems pretty straight-forward that AC & O'G violated the rules. I concur they wouldn't have done it if they were still in serious contention; it's also possible they are taking a bit more relaxed attitude as a result. At the same time, I don't necessarily think they're being rude or disrespectful to the team, they just wanted to unwind.

As to Riis, it doesn't make sense to be nasty about this. Schleck is young, and there's a pretty good chance Riis and Schleck will work together again at some point in the future.

MNRon

I think both sides are telling the other to piss off.. If AS wasn't leaving at the end of the season, he wouldn't be kicked out of the race, and by the same token, if he wasn't leaving he probably wouldn't have broken the rules so visibly. This goes both ways, I think...

Sea Green Sky

The other side

This is the problem with statements like "he probably had a glass of wine before going to bed or something" in forums - it's just conjecture based on nothing.

If it was one of my riders that was so disrespectful as to come in a 05:00 on a race day I would have sent him home as well, right after washing the team bus.

chasm54

Absolutely. These guys are professionals, and the team has a right to expect them to behave as such. If I were the coach I'd take an especially hard line because they are prominent guys and you can't have that sort of example being set.

rogwilco

Yeah, I just didn't expect two "veteran" riders like A Schleck and Grady would behave so unprofesionally in one of the biggest races of the year. My bad.

Cat4Lifer

Seems rather rash--maybe even irrational--for Riis to weaken his team. What was the rational behind the decision to remove them from the race: you've broken team rules; therefore, it is in the team's best interest that you two leave the race now? Trying to see how kicking them off is better for the team. And, if I'm ot mistaken, Riis also didn't take [I forget his name] the Director Sportief, who also be leaving, to the Tour.

Romans8:28

Perhaps.......but ultimately the "team" may be stronger (even in this race), you do realize that the night owls weren't exactly a dominate force in the race

Cat4Lifer

I don't see how.

Your point?

daytonian

would you want to be on a descent going 60 mph next to 2 guys running on 2 hours sleep and hungover?
Riis is in the right.

Cat4Lifer

Hell yeah I would. lol

Romans8:28

You cut out a cancer to strengthen a body (so to speak)......

My point is that it is little to lose at this point, Andy was barely (mentally) at the event to begin with

Cat4Lifer

Yeah, despite the cancer analogy, I'm still gonna say I don't see how kicking them out makes them a better team.
What makes you say they aren't "mentally at the event"?

Bacciagalupe

- If the reports are correct, there's no way they'd be out until 5AM if they were actually focused on the Vuelta.
- Andy had no plans to contend for the Vuelta anyway
- Andy is also is gearing up for the Tour of Lombardy
- O'Grady is prepping for the World's
- It sends a clear signal that Riis is not putting up with any shenanigans, even from a top rider

OrionKhan

+1 on both accounts. Seems like Andy was at the Vuelta because he had to be there, not because he wanted to be there. His performance showed it. How hard is it to lay off the beers for 3 weeks? And rolling in a 5 a.m. is inexcusable. He didn't seem to have that problem in July. People seem to want to give Andy a lot of leash for a guy who has one significant win (L-B-L, 2009) in his career and never won a grand tour (no offense to the Luxembourgers and their national titles).

Cat4Lifer

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bacciagalupe

- If the reports are correct, there's no way they'd be out until 5AM if they were actually focused on the Vuelta.

It sends the message that Riss will not put up with shenanigans from two riders who are leaving his team at year's end--i.e he seems bitter.
Staying out partying doesn't mean one isn't commented to doing their job: look at Heinrich Haussler. He won a stage in the Vuealta the day after a night spent partying at a discotheque.
A monetary fine would have accomplished sending a message. Kicking two out of the Vuelta two riders, who will quit the team at year's end, smacks of bitterness IMO.

Bacciagalupe

Oh, please.

It's cycling. Riders change teams constantly, and a DS who burns bridges all the time is not going to last, and Riis has lasted.

Andy will be able to ride Lombardy, which is what he wants; and if Riis was genuinely vindictive, I'm fairly confident he could do something much more damaging than boot them from a stage race they obviously don't care much about. I'm fairly sure if he fined them instead of suspending them, the same exact people would say "Riis is bitter" anyway.

(By the way, you asked for indicators they weren't serious; nothing you're saying supports a contrary view.)

I don't think Riis is the one being petty here....

VT Biker

Riis is not just doing this for this year. He is doing this to set an example for next year. If this passes this year, what do you think the riders who stay on or come into the team next year will think?

Any was being an A$$Hat. And by the way...his freaking brother was in the race, in theory still in contention. Now - I do wonder whether Frank admitted to Andy that he did not have the form (after seeing him unable to match attacks on moderate climbs, that might have been all Andy needed to know). Either way, this was unprofessional, and insult to the team, and insult to the Vuelta, and luckily, I no longer feel bad for Andy and the dropped chain.

colombo357

Andy didn't stay out to 5AM, you bozos. Stop believing everything you read on the innernet. Believe me instead! ME!!!