Oleg flexing his muscles!!

[oldpotatoe]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tinkoff-saxo-confirm-riis-suspension

Wonder if mr 60% stays?? Tough for the team at the beginning of the season.

[bobswire]

This story caught me eye,one of those,"are you kidding me". http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-check-36-milan-san-remo-bikes-for-motors

[earlfoss]

That motor in the bike thing is interesting. I mean, there have been unconfirmed rumors from pros about them being used in races so you never know. I wouldn't be surprised in the least if motors have already been tried in the peloton.

[FlashUNC]

Tinkoff bought the team from Riis, so I'm sure Bjarne got his payday. Oleg has wanted to play DS for a while now and seems like he's maybe not the most stable decision maker.

[peanutgallery]

So to add more intrigue...after everything we've learned over the last few years, the UCI would really dime out a team that they discovered was doing this?

Doubt its going on, but.....

This story caught me eye,one of those,"are you kidding me". http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/uci-check-36-milan-san-remo-bikes-for-motors

[Bstone]

Oleg has wanted to play DS for a while now and seems like he's maybe not the most stable decision maker.

Seen it a million times. Rich guys can be impatient and generally think that they know everything about everything (except when they don't).

Used to work in health care. Doctors always thought that because they had made it through medical school that they were also financial geniuses, etc, etc. Until they had lost a lot of money.

[tele]

I cant imagine 2 giant sized egos can coexist like that-- only a matter of time before Riis gets the official boot.

[FlashUNC]

I cant imagine 2 giant sized egos can coexist like that-- only a matter of time before Riis gets the official boot.

Does he even care at this point? I'm sure he got a hefty sum from Tinkoff to sell the team. Assuming he ducks a suspension from the Danish federation, I'm sure he'd find a gig pretty quickly somewhere else.

[tele]

Does he even care at this point? I'm sure he got a hefty sum from Tinkoff to sell the team. Assuming he ducks a suspension from the Danish federation, I'm sure he'd find a gig pretty quickly somewhere else.
I was surprised he even made it through the buyout...and then he makes over a million Euro on top of that!?

[FlashUNC]

I was surprised he even made it through the buyout...and then he makes over a million Euro on top of that!?

Same here. I thought once the buyout was finished he was outta there.

Those two clearly had tension even before the deal was done. And isn't as if Riis and Contador see completely eye to eye either.

[oldpotatoe]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tinkoff-saxo-confirm-riis-suspension

Wonder if mr 60% stays?? Tough for the team at the beginning of the season.

Page 2..Riis gets a MILLION Euros a year??? Yowser..wonder if he's suspended with or without, pay.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/tinkov-and-riis-the-anatomy-of-a-power-struggle

[PQJ]

I hope this doesn't screw Contador. Riis is probably the best DS in the business.

[soulspinner]

I hope this doesn't screw Contador. Riis is probably the best DS in the business.

Me too. He needs as strong a team as he can get against Froomie..........

[cmg]

after watching staging 4 of the volta catalunya, Contrador seems to riding by himself. where was his team? Sky and BMC are riding together, they seem to have depth. Paying for a couple of stars and expecting them to carry the team, then sacking the one that might have an idea doesn't seem like a well thought out plan. don't think Tinkov will be around for another season after this one.

[oldpotatoe]

after watching staging 4 of the volta catalunya, Contrador seems to riding by himself. where was his team? Sky and BMC are riding together, they seem to have depth. Paying for a couple of stars and expecting them to carry the team, then sacking the one that might have an idea doesn't seem like a well thought out plan. don't think Tinkov will be around for another season after this one.

Tinkov will be but SaxoBank won't be the sponsor. You'll see Riis next year running a team, w/o Oleg and with SaxoBank. We'll see how many zillionz of Rubles Oleg loses this year to see if he will be another cycling oligarch.

[Red Tornado]

Interesting to see how far off this team is from the "glory days" of the early-mid 2000's. Of course the team may have been all juiced up back then, but still.

Riis seemed to have that gift of being able to run a team and yet still relate to - and get the max out of - his riders. Always thought well of him for that, until the stories I've heard/read recently; and those may be more-or-less recent developments.

Riis seems to also have that cat-like knack of always landing on his feet. I think he'll do just fine, regardless of what happens in the Danish investigation. He's got plenty of Euros and is well-liked enough. Worst case is he retires and lives a nice comfy life - maybe ends up being a commentator. Alternate outcome: survive the investigation proceedings and lay low, then re-surface managing another team. I'd think there are plenty of riders who would love to ride for him.

Tinkov himself said he's trying to "motivate" his riders. This kind of stuff happens all the time in the corporate world and I've witnessed it at some of the places I've worked. Some folk respond well, others don't. I would think Tinkov would be smart enough to recognize if his tactics were lowering morale instead of making the team more hungry for wins. It's not a healthy environment when people are working to not get fired instead of working to excel; lived that scenario out too at a past employer - not fun.

[BumbleBeeDave]

. . . he's maybe not the most stable decision maker.

. . . for "Gargantuan Understatement Of The Year."

Maybe the UCI will give Oleg a special trophy?

BBD

[ultraman6970]

Contador, sagan and pretty much the whole team look tired this season.

[oldpotatoe]

Contador, sagan and pretty much the whole team look tired this season.

Well, they don't need
-overbearing owner
-Director essentially canned
-remaining directors trying to keep Oleg happy.

Not surprised they are (mentally) tired...Sagan looked like a first year pro. As he got swept up.

[earlfoss]

Sagan looks like he might have gained some weight in the off season and hasn't shed it in time for racing. Perhaps he was resting on his laurels a bit after getting signed to Saxo.
It may take a contract year to get him back to his potential.

[binxnyrwarrsoul]

Sagan looks like he might have gained some weight in the off season and hasn't shed it in time for racing. Perhaps he was resting on his laurels a bit after getting signed to Saxo.
It may take a contract year to get him back to his potential.

Or a different team.

“We know how to put pressure on ourselves and it’s not necessary for anyone else to do it for us.” Sagan.

Yeah, that wasn't too thinly veiled. Tinkov strikes me as a meddling my way or the highway type. And contrary to what he thinks, he doesn't know everything about everything. The best CEOs do what they are good at, know what they are good at, admit/realize what they aren't good at, and HIRE the best people to do those things. Something an ego that size will not allow. Team will fold in 2016.

[bluesea]

A grand tour contender has more than enough on the table already, but the added pressure of your boss concocting a scheme for three consecutive tours surely doesn't help. Your peers are basically laughing while you have to spend all this time coming up with polite PC responses to the press.

[Black Dog]

Or a different team.

“We know how to put pressure on ourselves and it’s not necessary for anyone else to do it for us.” Sagan.

Yeah, that wasn't too thinly veiled. Tinkov strikes me as a meddling my way or the highway type. And contrary to what he thinks, he doesn't know everything about everything. The best CEOs do what they are good at, know what they are good at, admit/realize what they aren't good at, and HIRE the best people to do those things. Something an ego that size will not allow. Team will fold in 2016.

This.

[ultraman6970]

Yeah but look at contador, his attacks are really crappy, you can tell he doesnt have it, sagan looks overweight and for the 1st time you can see in his face that he is just tired... no spark in their attacks at all... no happiness in any of those two or the team at all.

Doubt contador will do something in the giro at all, heck even T'J looks with a lot more wish and desire to win a race, valverde's year if he doesnt screw up IMO. Sky is right there also.

[oldpotatoe]

Goodbye Mr Riis-..wonder what took so long. Bet he is relieved..Riis that is.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/03/news/tinkoff-saxo-bjarne-riis-part-ways_364894

[oldpotatoe]

Goodbye Mr Riis-..wonder what took so long. Bet he is relieved..Riis that is.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2015/03/news/tinkoff-saxo-bjarne-riis-part-ways_364894

Bumping this cuz surprised no comments...

[dcama5]

. . . for "Gargantuan Understatement Of The Year."

Maybe the UCI will give Oleg a special trophy?

BBD

Exactly!! Well said!

[bluesea]

Bumping this cuz surprised no comments...


My comment is Patrick Lefevre has run the most doped up teams for 10 years longer than Riis--nobody says anything about him.

Once a guy is busted, move on the the next already. Dwelling on, is what destroys the building of any kind of process. Then its only sideshow after sideshow.

[oldpotatoe]

My comment is Patrick Lefevre has run the most doped up teams for 10 years longer than Riis--nobody says anything about him.

Once a guy is busted, move on the the next already. Dwelling on, is what destroys the building of any kind of process. Then its only sideshow after sideshow.

??

I thought the interesting thing was Oleg canning his main man, at the start of a season and the effect on the team..nothing about doping and Lefevre. Kinda like a NFL manager getting sacked after a successful season..wait a minute, that's what happened to Fox and the Donkeys!!

[ceolwulf]

Interesting statement from Oleg:

https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1018301871530669

Dunno about more circuit races but, definitely the current financial model seems like it could be improved.

[Grant McLean]

Tinkov is a total nutjob.

Regardless of the need for the sport to change, I doubt many inside the sport
are taking advise from him, the guy is a bull in a china shop.

-g

[bluesea]

??

I thought the interesting thing was Oleg canning his main man, at the start of a season and the effect on the team..nothing about doping and Lefevre. Kinda like a NFL manager getting sacked after a successful season..wait a minute, that's what happened to Fox and the Donkeys!!


Sorry, my funny bone gets tweaked too easily, hahaha. Oleg is a tool.He's intruding on and possibly wasting a precious season for some riders who don't have the season to waste.

[Bstone]

High level of douchery.