i don't like this

[velobran]

Do you see any difference at all between those situations and the current one with O'Grady and Schleck the Younger?

Any at all?

the 5AM info didn't come to light until after I wrote that. I bet o'grady drank him under the table.

[54ny77]

Contrast that with cyclists gone wild: tooling around drunk on a single speed and sneaking a few Bon Bons....

If this was the NFL, it would have been strippers and Escalade drive-by's at 5AM.

[3wfab]

Andy needs some lessons from Kimi Räikkönen on handling team orders...

[72gmc]

A missed opportunity for bad headlines….

Schleck-faced in Spain
Tossed Like an Ugly TT Bike
Stuey, Schleck, Schlitz
Rules are Rules, Blusters Blood-Boosting Bjarne

[Saab2000]

Sounds like Superweek, which is a non-stop party for two weeks. Groupies and all.

[Jef58]

Alcohol isn't against the rules, outright. A lot of teams have a glass of wine with dinner during grand tours. Saxo must have a rule about drinking outside of the confines of the team, i.e., going out to a bar

That sounds logical, along with the 5am thing. A lot of sport/team rules depends on the organization and management to deem what is or is not appropriate behavior during competition time. Even some NFL teams had different standards. Coaches like Don Shula would not tolerate any rule breaking and players were traded if they challenged his authority. Though it may have gone lax lately, there are some organizations that are still very strict.

[EricKeller]

making them ride after staying out til 5am would be fun, but I think having two stars miss the time cutoff might have been more embarrassing than sending them home. Shockingly bad decision-making on the part of these riders.

[Saab2000]

You guys take this too seriously. Live a little and let live. Fact is that the sponsors get more bad publicity by the whole thing than if he had given them a tongue lashing and a wink-wink-nod-nod and let them suffer for the next day or so.

It's partying by a couple of young guys. Not the end of the world.

[SteveP]

5am?
see ya boys.

they are calling riis a dick by that move.
he has to fire them or he is.

[Dave Kirk]

The more info that comes out the more I think BR nailed it.

Dave

[jeffreyt]

BR did the right thing. It wasn't their first year on Saxo, and I'm guessing that they knew the team rules.

Also, If I was out drinking until 5 am... my wife, sure as all heck, would have shut me down!

Jeff

[Jef58]

You guys take this too seriously. Live a little and let live. Fact is that the sponsors get more bad publicity by the whole thing than if he had given them a tongue lashing and a wink-wink-nod-nod and let them suffer for the next day or so.

It's partying by a couple of young guys. Not the end of the world.

Please tell us you have never done this before a flight the next day.... (kidding of course). I guess if they were drinking Mich Ultra they would have been fine, but we don't know if they were drinking 9% euro stuff.

[Human Epic Jolt]

"let's cool that one and get onto a new subject. I love trees and boats"

Oliver Reed

[Saab2000]

Please tell us you have never done this before a flight the next day.... (kidding of course). I guess if they were drinking Mich Ultra they would have been fine, but we don't know if they were drinking 9% euro stuff.

They are bike racers, not carrying paying passengers. Not the same thing.

When I raced a group of us lived it up at a party at Marquette University the night before the Lakefront long course at Milwaukee's Superweek. Felt like shit until the last lap and then got a killer leadout to make the placings.

BR did what he felt he had to do. There's almost certainly more to this story than anyone here knows about or it would have been pushed under the rug.

[Proparc]

Wasn't it the Lotto riders that would drink 3-4 beers before having bottles of wine for dinner DURING a grand tour?


I also recall the interview with Cancellara after last year's TdF TT in Annecy when he was drinking a beer in the hotel complaining about losing to AC. Riis didn't kick him out of the TdF did he?

The Lotto riders are Belgian, they have an excuse. Andy Schleck is a Luxemburger, there is no excuse for his behavior.

Bjarne Riis can't kick Cancellara out of the TDF. Fabian has this unual characteristic called SPEED!!!

[Saab2000]

The Lotto riders are Belgian, they have an excuse. Andy Schleck is a Luxemburger, there is no excuse for his behavior.

Bjarne Riis can't kick Cancellara out of the TDF. Fabian has this unual characteristic called SPEED!!!

Schleck's not too slow either. Last time I checked he was 2nd in the TdF. And Stuart O'Grady is a Paris-Roubaix winner, just like Fabian Cancellara.

[Tom]

If I had short timers on my crew and a couple of them were behaving like it, even if I needed them I'd walk them to the door.

[Mr.President]

Well now it is O'Grady saying it didn't go down like BR says. He is doen with Saxo, so I figure there was probably a long string of dissention and BR was fed up. If it was 2 beers then it seems harsh. All night partying, then yeah I see reason.

either way, probably not the most desired outcome for all parties.

[toomanybikes]

Well now it is O'Grady saying it didn't go down like BR says. He is doen with Saxo, so I figure there was probably a long string of dissention and BR was fed up. If it was 2 beers then it seems harsh. All night partying, then yeah I see reason.

either way, probably not the most desired outcome for all parties.

The published interview of O'Grady in an Aussie newspaper just point sout that this is not the first time.

O'Grady complains that they just had a "couple of beers" ................. after riding our guts out on the TTT.

OK. but the TTT was a week ago.

[54ny77]

good laughs here:

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