Go Team Radio Shack!

[papaver]

2 belgians have signed up for RadioShack:

Sébastien Rosseler
Gert Steegmans

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

[PinkBike]

i thought they weren't allowed to announce until september 1st?

why would steegmans go to radio shack? they have no sprinter for him to lead out and no one to lead out for him. why would stijn devolder go there? they have no real classics interests. hmm, no real sprinters, no real climbers, no real classics riders, anyone who signs on will be there solely for lance to win the tour. and i cant see him beating alberto OR a schleck. and then in 2010, lance will realize he's just too old and where will that leave the team? i just dont see it as longterm. if they were they would be seeking out younger talent, and i read taylor finney was not going there after all.

astana is loudly announcing to everyone who will listen that alberto is indeed under contract to them next year.

vinokourov will be riding the vuelta according to velonews. oh boy. (snark)

and jens voigt will be riding the tour of missouri! as will mark cavendish! i would love to be there for that!

i like stijn devolder right where he's at, with boonen and chavanel at quick step.

i just hope i can find a way to watch the vuelta!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[papaver]

Well, it's officially announced here so.... and who says they are only interested in the tour? That would be silly. There's a lot more to pro-cycling than just the tdf pleezzzzz.

Those three cyclists are very close to Johan Bruyneel. Steegmans would be perfect to help out Devolder in de classics.

Devolder and Quickstep, it's not exactly a perfect marriage. There's a lot of critisism on both sides. By the way, QS is seriously trying to sign contador. There's even a chance that Boonen will leave QS.

[Possegal]

UCI regulations forbid 'official' notification of anything prior to Sept 1. Teams and riders can be fined for doing so. Doesn't mean that the info isn't leaking out there, because it is. But nothing "official" has come out and won't until Sept 1. But radioshack has said they have an interest in riders for the classics. We don't know who else they have signed or are trying to sign, but they don't seem to be just building a TdF team for Lance. Only time will tell, but they seem to be trying to build for a longterm future, as well as to help Lance compete for the podium in 2010. And Taylor Phinney has said he isn't ready to move up from the U23 development team, though it seems that is the future intent.

I've never been so anxious for September 1st to roll around.