Bern, June 14th 2010 – Team RadioShack has not been selected as one of the 22 teams that will line up in the Tour of Spain in September 2010. Team Manager Johan Bruyneel was perplexed when he heard the news from the media. Sixteen teams had already been pre-selected under a 2008 agreement between the organizers and the UCI but Team RadioShack did not get one of the six wild cards.
“I am not only surprised, I am speechless,” commented Bruyneel from the Tour of Switzerland. “At first I thought it was a mistake so I called organizer Javier Guillén for some explanation. He told me that the other teams offered him better options on a sporting level. I had to ask him to repeat it as I could not believe this but I heard right: we didn’t offer a good enough team. I cannot accept or understand this decision. With Levi Leipheimer, Andreas Klöden, Chris Horner and Jani Brajkovic we had four potential Vuelta WINNERS on the roster we sent to Unipublic. Our 2010 Team goals were the Tour de France and the Tour of Spain. That’s why - together with the need to perform well in the Tour of California – we skipped the Tour of Italy this year. ”
“Up until now it has never been accepted that a Team Manager stands on a soap box to defend the rights of the teams and the riders. We always have to accept; we don’t have many rights. After what I heard today, I take it as a personal mission: from now on I will fight for the interests of the cycling teams. It will be more than just a goal. I will work for it as hard as I’ve worked for my own team. It is really urgent that action be taken now as this is the time that the organizers will listen to the opinions of the teams. I will do everything that I can to bring all big teams to one level. What happened today is only a detail.”
“In cycling there are three parties: UCI, organizers and teams/riders. Unlike in other professional sports, the teams and riders are the main actors who are never heard. I will fight for our rights and for other things that rightfully belong to us but we never get. There is an abuse of power. Some organizers take away the hunger of potential sponsors to invest in our sport. It is unjust that a new sponsor, coming into cycling with a lot of enthusiasm, is not rewarded for their financial input. For me it is hard to explain to my sponsor that 21 other teams are apparently better than us. Especially when it isn’t true. These actions are unfair to our sponsors as well as a blow to our fans. “
“It is high time for ‘professional’ cycling to become professional. The structure of our sport needs to change towards a model of other successful professional sports like soccer, tennis, Formula 1, etc. Today, this is happening to our team and sponsors, tomorrow it could be any other team. Even if some parties don’t like to see or hear this, I will do anything which is in my power to contribute to making this happen.”
Source: Team Radioshack Press Release
To quote Shakespeare, something is rotten in the state of Denmark. I follow all the major cycling events, but I will not follow the Vuelta, because they are totally bush league with this omission.
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I totally agree.. This is obviously politics. How can you possibly explain that a team with riders as talented as those on TRS are left out of a race like the Vuelta. It doesn’t make any sense to me….
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I cant believe that they are still playing these childish games. Team Radio Shack IS the best team line up in years. Who needs the cry baby Contador? I hope they geet SO much heat for this and things will change for the better.
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I think the non selection is complete bull. I for one will boycott anything Spanish until next years team selections are made. This kind of petty political crap is not good for the sport and not good for the Vuelta itself. I think it is funny and sad they apparently haven’t figured that out.
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Yeah, other teams offered Guillén better options – better options of not taking the title from a Spanish team. The number of top rank riders on TRS is too high, and the professionalism too solid, not to invite them, not to mention the team’s solid success this year. Shame on the Vuelta.
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I doubt that Javier Guillén, La Vuelta’s organizer, can convince anyone involved in cycling that he is going to have 6 teams stronger than any team Radio Shack can put together for La Vuelta. Never mind 22 teams that deserve to race this year’s La Vuelta more than Radio Shack. It is incredible news and very, very unfair.
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Unbeliveable! I have just looked at the World Rankings and find that RSH have two riders (Horner and Brajkovic) in the top 12 (of 184) and stand 8th in the Team Rankings. No wonder Johan Buyneel is perplexed – who wouldn’t be! The Tour of Spain offered an opportunity for Armstrong & Brajkovic, in particular, to pit themselves against Contador once again; after the Brajkovic – Contador dog-fight up Alp d’Huez in the Dauphine it was a Tour I was looking forward to.
Perhaps there will be a change of heart by the organisers – let’s hope so.
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Una lamentable y vergonzosa decision, una falta de respeto a la aficion y region que les paga por un final de etapa en Coto Bello la cima Chechu Rubiera y una falta de respeto al ciclismo por dejar fuera a uno de los mejores equipos del mundo. Yo no vere la vuelta si no corre Radishack.
Animo desde ASTURIAS PUXA RADIOSHAK.
Un abrazo Bruyneel
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Stunned when I read this, so blatantly ridiculous that it is beyond description. Is this payback for Jani Brajkovic beating the Spanish favorite?
Bruyneel is right. There needs to be set criteria for determining invitations to major international cycling events, not favoritism and pettiness.
Plan for Team Radio Shack to take all three podium spots at the TDF, anger is a good motivator and, ultimately the TDF is the one that really counts.
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bunch of chickenbleeps! No worries we will get in July. Go to Radioshack
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Public opinion WILL prevail.
My bet is that Team RC WILL be included.
Unless the Spanish are totally numb.
If so…then F%*# the Vuelta.
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I smell something French in all of this. Isn’t ASO connected somehow. The ASO has a vendetta against Bruyneel. They barred Astana because of Vino when Vino wasn’t riding, but no problem now when Bruyneel is not involved. Maybe they are miffed that Armstrong is not riding. In any event – outrageous.
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Absolutely overwhelmed. It is NOT possible such choice made by “La Vuelta”.
How possible to think about this race being “a big one”, excludind Radio Shack?
Unbeliebable!!!
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It’s too obvious – none of the TRS contenders are Spanish!
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I have the true. They don’t want a strong team like RadioShack on Alberto
Contador’s way. They saw what happened in Dauphine with Contador having a hard time against Brajkovic. It is going to be against them like the Giro this year without RadioShack.
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The good side is that we may see a stronger RadioShack team for the north american races GP de Quebec, GP de Montreal and Tour de Californie.
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ALL WE (TRS) NEEDS TO DO IS ADD JANI B TO THE TEAM FOR TDFRANCE AND WIP UPON CONTADOR AND JUST SAY HA!!!
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I think after the spanish saw how jani went with alberto they decided that there would be too much comp from TRS
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