Go Team Radio Shack!

[papaver]

GREAT! I never really cared for Contador, glad to see what should be a strong US based team. I made need to start shopping the local RS.

ehm... it will be an US/Belgian team...

[jobob]

ehm... it will be an US/Belgian team...

LOL, details ...

It'll be another opportunity to rally around the stars & stripes and as such it'll get high visibility for cycling in the US, so it's all good.

And who knows, maybe the Radio Shacks in Fremont & Redwood City will even be less crappy than they are now.

[papaver]

LOL, details ...

Well it's obvious that Johan Bruyneel will be in charge. And I've noticed that he talks very highly of Jurgen Van den Broeck (in almost every interview with the Belgian tv). And he isn't on the Astana team.

And there are talks that there will be a Belgian sponsor too. But those are only talks.

[tulip]

I doubt many here would say "details" if we neglect to mention that a team has US ties. Besides, isn't Garmin considered a US team? And Columbia?

[Cataboo]

I doubt many here would say "details" if we neglect to mention that a team has US ties. Besides, isn't Garmin considered a US team? And Columbia?

No, no US team = Lance = tour de france.

Anything beyond that are details.

[Possegal]

Well it really is kind of "details". Garmin and Columbia aren't considered US teams, they ARE US teams, and RadioShack will be as well. Each team has a country they are actually registered in for their UCI license.
http://www.uciprotour.com/templates/...U2MTU&LangId=1
Garmin and Columbia are registered in the US. No one says Astana is a US team due to Lance, or a Spanish team due to Contador, or a Belgian team due to Bruyneel. It is a Kazakhstan* team because that is where it is registered. RadioShack, by all I've read, will be registered in the US, so it will be a US team. The nationality of the DS or the team members or any minor sponsors, will be "details".

* - though in an odd twist, the listing of teams from the Tour of California lists Luxombourg as its country, but that is the only place I have seen that and the UCI site doesn't say that
http://www.amgentourofcalifornia.com...am-astana.html

I think we can all agree though that in most cases (perhaps excluding Euskaltel) the team may have a country due to where it is registered, but the reality is a very international team. That's one of the coolest aspects of cycling to me.

[papaver]

2 belgians have signed up for RadioShack:

Sébastien Rosseler
Gert Steegmans

Expected for 2011 : two times Tour de Flanders winner Stijn Devolder.

[carinapir]

Well it really is kind of "details". Garmin and Columbia aren't considered US teams, they ARE US teams, and RadioShack will be as well. Each team has a country they are actually registered in for their UCI license.

It's kind of scary to me that no one seemed to notice that Garmin and Columbia were strong American teams in this year's TdF. I suppose that you could stay that both of their top performers were British but is Lance really all we Americans can pay attention to?

I kind of hope that Contador goes to Garmin, as is also rumored, but only if he could fit in. Those boys are great!

Carina