Tuesday 17 July 2012
Jakob and the Non-Payment
EisenAndy has moved to Wordpress for a while, to see if it is better than Blogger: and I took the opportunity to get the name Schleckland back, yay!
The address is schleckland.wordpress.com
But I'm keeping Eisen Andy going for now, as it has the best SEO!
Click here for an easy jump to the new blog, see what you think of it.
It's still in the papers, Jakob is still being reported as "suing" Leopard SA for his missing wages: although now their spokesmen, Carlo Rock (could you make up these names?) is stating that Jakob has changed the name of his private company, and hasn't done the necessary paperwork to get the money paid to them.
But do you not think that the administrator at Leopard SA would have noticed, or contacted him, or helped him, or reminded him what needed doing... and of course, there are apparently three others also complaining about not being paid.
I do think that the payroll department have a responsibility to ensure that all goes smoothly, especially if a team member is known to be less than happy.
Anyone who has ever read any books written by cyclists will know that their lives are very complicated, they get moved around from country to country, they don't have what you and I would think of as a home routine, and unless they can afford to each pay for their own private secretary, they must struggle to keep their paperwork under control. Indeed, we know that a lot of them can't even keep their ADAMS up to date!
So you do think that the admin people would make a bit more effort to ensure that things go smoothly.
And why are riders (yes, Jakob, this means you as well) complaining to the press instead of talking to their administrators about it?
For that matter, why does Jakob have to "sue" Leopard, instead of just asking them?
Or is it a mis-translation? In some contexts, to "sue" for something means simply to ask for it, not necessarily to take legal action, whereas the news report makes it sound as though Jakob has been forced to take legal action.
Of course, this means it could all be a storm in a teacup, blown out of proportion by the media who, as we well know, just love to make a story out of nothing.
However, it seems pretty clear now that Jakob is going elsewhere next season: Cycling News have been talking to Michael Morkov, ex Sky, now riding for Saxo-Tinkoff Bank (hard to resist calling them Stinkoff Bank, isn't it?!) who wants Jakob and Matti Brueschel to go back there, on the grounds of a United Danish Front.
Jakob's manager, Moreno Nicolleti (why wasn't he the one sorting out Jakob's money, then?) has stated in that report that Jakob's situation is "60 percent Riis, 30 percent Omega Pharma, 20 percent. Astana"
Meanwhile, somewhere in Luxembourg:
The door swings energetically open, and a greek god bounds into the room, which is lit up as though by a warm yellow glow.
Andy: "Jakob, mate, put that torch down."
Jakob: "Awwww, I liked it when Coug said that I lit up the room with a golden glow."
Andy: "How old are you, 12?"
Jakob pulls a mock grumpy face, then settles down on the sofa next to Andy.
Jakob: " Any chance of a beer?"
Andy: "Not while you are making trouble in the papers again."
Jakob: "What! Me?" (affects look of injured innocence)
Andy: "Yes, you. At the very least, you are breaking the rules of physics."
Jakob: (preening slightly) "Well, although I am pretty chuffed with my win of the Tour of Australia - "
Andy coughs behind his hand "a-hhheeeer, shitsmallrace."
Jakob continues as though he has not heard "- I wouldn't say that it breaks any laws of physics. Or are you referring to my incredible good looks?"
Andy points to Mr Nicoletti's report. Jakob raises his eyebrows, as though to say "What?"
Andy: "60% Stinkoff -"
Jakob: "Please don't call them that. It's not nice."
Andy: "I know, but Saxo-bank-Tinkoff-bank is so clumsy."
Jakob: "Oh, and Omega Pharma Lotto isn't?"
Andy: "Good point. Anyway, 60% to Bjarne, 30% Omega, 20% Astana. Really?"
Jakob: "Yes: I'd love to go back to Bjarne: it's a Danish team, we got on well, I've had some conversations with him and really, he's changed since we were there. No more boot camps, he promised!"
Andy: "I know. It's good to be on terms with him again."
Jakob: "So why not come back?"
Andy: "Mate, we've discussed this, we have a contract."
Jakob: (makes rude snorting noise through his nose) "Yes, and we all know how much Shack honoured some of our Leopard contracts, didn't we?"
Andy: "I know, I know. It's not an easy situation. Besides, too many team leaders in one team leads to problems. You said that, yourself, remember?"
Jakob: (sighs) "Yes, I know. But I can dream, can't I? Maybe Conti will go back to Astana?"
Andy: (makes mock tearing-hair-out gesture) "Mate! Don't start that again! You'll set Coug off, and she'll be making up mad plans to shuffle everyone round again, it drove me mad last time! Anyway, that's not my point. 60 + 30 + 20 gives 110, and you can't have 110% of anything."
Jakob: "Yes you can - we talk all the time about giving 110%"
Andy: "Yes, but it can't happen. There are only 100 per cents in a whole thing. You can't have more. 110% doesn't exist: it’s meaningless, empty rhetoric. It’s a phrase uttered when people want to prove how committed they are to something, when they want to impress and in my opinion, adds an air of desperation to the person making the statement."
Jakob: (leans backwards and eyes Andy as though he has just turned green and sprouted horns) "Are you feeling all right?"
Andy: "Sorry, I think Coug feels strongly on that subject, and is putting words in my mouth."
Jakob: "Oh, right. OK, so perhaps Moreno can't add up properly, that's all."
Andy: "And he manages your affairs? No wonder you didn't get paid on time!"
Jakob throws a cushion at Andy, and before it degenerates into a wrestling match, we will leave them to it.
But now we know that Jakob apparently has 110% to give. Good to know.
As an aside, I saw on Twitter yesterday that Leelu has threatened Jakob that if he goes to Astana, she will personally fly over and slap him. Not sure if that's a reaction to Astana's doping history, or their pale blue kit...
Would that be so bad? Jakob in pale blue? I'd rather see him in dark blue and yellow, of course - the Stinkoff kit is really nice: it's not often that a mid-season sponsor addition actually improves the kit, but this is one case where it did.
But although as a general point, I would rather see Jakob back at Saxo, is the Astana kit really that bad??
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Pssst....Tour of Austria...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.velonation.com/News/ID/12427/Frank-Schleck-tests-positive-for-banned-diuretic-UCI-wants-him-to-leave-Tour-de-France.aspx
ReplyDelete@Susan, yup I saw that too. Just when I didn't think this TdF could get any more depressing for me....
ReplyDeleteHey, at least I can count on Aunty Coug to cheer me up a bit.
Yikes, apparently there were police cars waiting outside of the RSNT hotel, presumably to escort Frank: https://twitter.com/hendriksmj/status/225308708131979266/photo/1
ReplyDeleteSeems excessive, but I remember the French police jerking around Contador last year, before the Tour began, when he was training.
Anyone with a chemistry background know why Frank would be taking diuretics in the first place? I already know the cynic's theory, it makes metabolites that form from doping, leave the system faster.
Oh Frank! I hope this is all a wrongful misunderstanding...??
ReplyDeleteNot sure Ellie, it's not looking good. I think Frank was within his rights to contest the results, but he elected to pull out of the Tour instead. RSNT have stated that they do not administer Xipamide to the team, so either he's innocent, and taking a bullet for management, or, he's been caught in flagrante.
ReplyDeleteI think the aftermath of this, is that last year's Tour results will be looked at with a fine-tooth comb, blood samples, urine, and all. Sorry to say it, but while I believe in Andy, there is a taint by association that unfortunately goes with this kind of news--think Lance and the US Postal team. Was there anyone on that squad not subpoenaed?
Frank is claiming sabotage, and filing a complaint:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sbs.com.au/cyclingcentral/news/37994/Schleck-defence-begins-with-poisoning-claim.
Austria...Australia..... wups.
ReplyDeleteOh poor Frankie! How awful for you....
This has got to be a mistake - Frankie (and Andy) are genetically about as skinny and lightweight as it is possible to be, I cannot imagine that a diuretic (which in my non-medical experience is something to move water out of the body) would have that much effect on him.
Every commentator, right through this season, has been saying how lean Frankie looks: if he'd been using diuretics to lose water, he would have been found positive earlier than this.
Can this year get any worse for our Leopards? Can you imagine how Martine and the rest of the family must feel? The vultures are hovering..
Coug (with very much a glum face)
What horrible news to come home to after a fun day out!
ReplyDeleteI know that diuretics can actually be very dangerous when used when it's not medically necessary. Especially for endurance athletes, they already sweat litres a day and it's pretty hard for them to keep up with that with only drinking. So diuretics only cause them to lose more liquids which can eventually lead to heartattacks or cardiac arrest. I don't think any right thinking person would risk such things.
Add to that that diuretics are among the easiest-to-detect products on the doping list...
So all in all, I think this has either been a very stupid mistake by Fränkie or by someone else.
And I was thinking the same Coug, how horrifying for the family to know that your husband, son, brother or friend is in some police station...
Michael Mørkøv has never ridden for Sky... he turned pro with Saxo Bank and hasn't ridden for any other pro team. and I think it's nice he wants to ride again with Jakob and Matti Breschel.
ReplyDeleteAnd I daresay Jakob HAS been talking to his accountant/administrator as well as his lawyer. for a long time. he is suing given the fact they haven't paid him all year. perhaps the media is the last resort? if he ran screaming to the media the first chance.he got, we'd have probably heard about this sooner!
yes, I don't want Jakob to go to Astana, given the past happenings there. its no secret I want him to go home to Saxo. :)
Who am I thinking of, then, if not Morkov? *adopts Thinker pose, briefly* Nope, it's gone. My mistake!
ReplyDeleteSee, this is what makes me cross about administrators: Jakob hasn't been paid all year, (silent scream of "ALL YEAR???" Leopard SA say "oh, he changed his bank details and hasn't filled the form in properly, not our fault, his fault." That is pathetic! I assume that they receive payments more-or-less monthly, you'd think after the first non-payment, someone in admin would have said to him "Mate, there's a problem, fill out this form" and that would be it. I can't believe it takes several months to sort out a simple issue like this. If anything, as I mentioned above, with Jakob being clearly unhappy and talking to the press about leaving, you would think that the management would take care NOT to give him anything extra to complain about.
And if the management (and you know who I mean by that) are justifying it by saying to themselves "Well, he's on his way out, don't bother making an effort for him, let him sue us if he wants to" and can't see what terribly bad publicity this is for them, then they are so stupid that I can't even be bothered to make up an insulting phrase for them.
*leans out of the window to shout* "Listen to Leelu, Jakob! Go home to Saxo!!"
Meanwhile poor Frankie is now going through it: at least Andy is on his side, he was contacted by reporters (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/frank-schleck-speaks-with-police-in-pau) and said "On my life and on my family, I'm sure he hasn't taken anything,"
Meanwhile Shack are backtracking at full speed - in an act of total support ("not") their spokeman, in the same report, said "We're all a bit devastated but we can't do anything, we can only acknowledge the facts and see what happens. It's up to Fränk himself to find an explanation," and then, to add insult to insult, : "He was our best rider here."
Huh, bit of a change of tone, there, from "we don't have a leader".
Although, interestingly, a year's ban for a specified substance, rather than a banned substance, would see him out of his Shack contract but then able to win UCI points? No, I don't think Frankie would be that devious. I bet that he is frantically going over ever single thing he ate or drank on the 12th and 13th... shades of Contador.
Coug
My stomach sank when I saw those news headlines about Frank. I couldn't, and still can't, believe it. I hope with all my heart that the B sample comes back negative. It's just terrible, and I hate the way Radioshack are distancing themselves and basically leaving him out there to fend for himself. At least Jensie is out there saying he still believes in him, along with Andy.
ReplyDeleteTo demonstrate even more Radioshack incompetence, there was a news article where the team said that Frank and Andy were the other two riders not receiving payments because of fears of money laundering! (http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/schleck-cancellara-complained-to-uci-about-non-payment-team-owner-confirms) What the heck?! That sounds preposterous. And they really don't care do they? They basically say, 'there are courts, they can go sue us'. It's utterly incomprehensible and ridiculous, this kind of attitude. It's so very, very frustrating. Coug, maybe we should all band together and just take over management/administration of the team? (Gee, that would be a sight wouldn't it? A fan-run team?)
I also think Jakob should go back to Saxo Tinkoff Bank, though I do understand if he has reservations, since they have Conti and he wouldn't be guaranteed leadership. (By the way Coug, 'Stinkoff' had never occurred to me before your post, and now it's all I can think of. *sigh* we've come a long way from Sexybank haven't we?) I know I'd love to see Matti go back to Stink.. sorry, Saxo Tinkoff Bank. Although, I do have to admit, whilst Astana aren't my favourite team, I did rather like Vino's Astana coloured bike...
Anyway, enough of my rambling...
Bris. Gal
Diuretics are commonly used in doping for a myriad of reasons. I don't think Frankie is an idiot but this is not good for him. The soap opera just gets worse each day. I hope 2013 brings a stable and happy team and cycling year for both Frankie and Andy. 2012 is surely a year to forget and move on from.
ReplyDeleteCindy
Hey Brisbane Gal (I'm grinning broadly at the thought of corrupting you with the Stinkoff suggestion - you hadn't seen that one? Really? First thing I thought, and I've been resisting it all these weeks!) yes, I read that report about money-laundering, it has to be the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.
ReplyDeleteNo doubt an accountant at either Leopard or SexyBank set it up (can't be coincidence that no Shack or Newly Imported riders are affected) to be tax-efficient, and while I can understand the need to ensure clarity and avoid money-laundering, I seriously cannot believe anyone would think that Fabu, Frandy etc are into money-laundering. Also, as they all worked for the Leopard SA management team last year, and managed to get paid perfectly well there (more or less), you have to wonder why has it only just become a problem, don't you? And finally, WHY are they not TALKING to each other? Leopard SA seem to me to be whining about being sued, yet if the riders concerned haven't been told what the problem is, or how to fix it, what else were they to do? We have to assume that they, or their managers, have tried asking, asking nicely, asking with menaces etc and have not received any sort of answer or co-operation.
Meanwhile the Frankie news rolls on: http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/clouds-loom-over-radioshack-nissan-in-pau apparently the family were with him on the rest day when the news broke. I just can't imagine how devastating that must be, to have to deal with it in front of the team, the press, etc. Shack are still despicably saying "it's up to Frankie to deal with the accusation" with no hint of support: Mr Bruyneel hasn't even bothered to comment on it as yet.
The peloton are "in shock", Bjarne is "shocked and surprised": Andy, bless his cotton socks, http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/andy-schleck-frank-has-never-taken-anything-illegal, repeats that they have never taken anything illegal, and is the only person so far to use the word "we" rather than "he". Good to know that Frank is not competely alone at this time, despite the total lack of support from Shack. Andy quite reasonably points out that they train together, prepare together, race together (although "a little less this year" ) and I think we can assume that if Frankie were up to anything bad, Andy would know about it.
Fingers crossed that this B sample comes back clean, which will indicate contamination of the A sample flask: but even that will still leave Frankie tainted (again), not to mention ruining his Tour, bringing the name of cycling into disrepute etc.
There has to be a better way of dealing with this problem.
Coug
Oh, Leelu, nearly forgot, sorry about the Michael Morkov confusion: he rode in the Revolution track series earlier this year: he was on the Howies team but Jesper Morkov (his little brother) was on the Sky team. You can see why I got that wrong!
ReplyDeleteApologies to everyone concerned, and maybe in a year or two we'll see Jesper with Michael at Stinkoff, along with Matti and Jakob?
Fingers crossed!
Coug
Did you see this?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.johanbruyneel.com/blog/article/2012-tour-de-france-blog-3-wait-and-see
Some Tour so far hey? Season for that matter...
I suddenly have an image of you Coug, throwing your head back and giving an evil laugh at the thought of now having corrupted my dear innocent (ok, not that innocent) mind with 'STINKOFF'. *sigh* honestly, that's all I see/think of now when I see one of their riders.
ReplyDeleteHmm... apparently Bruyneel is supportive of Frank. I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
Bris. Gal
I responded to Bruneels post that it was nice to see him actually supporting a rider instead of chastising (and not paying them)! But there was certain more work to do to correct the "errors".
ReplyDeleteThis whole thing feels really suspisscious (spelling err. intentional). How do you get out of paying a rider? Dope them! That nullifies the contract if they are busted for doping.Becca, are you behind this?
The most sad is that we look at Frank and think - why in God's name would you use a diuretic? It's the reverse effect a rider wants in terms of hydration. The only GOOD reason is to wash out residue of micro-dosing. OR Someone has sabotaged you Frank. Can you spell B&B?
Then there is this...
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/schlecks-rumoured-to-have-signed-with-astana-for-coming-year
Riders need a union that supports only them. That looks out for only their interests and is involved in all aspects of UCI, WADA, USADA with a voice that matters.
Hahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahaha!
Like THAT will ever happen! No, it is preferred that they be gladiators, and disposable one's at that.
Ah cycling. You are breaking my lil heart!
easy mistake to make Coug. especially since Michael and Jesper look a lot alike. hopefully one day we will see both racing for Saxo!
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing if there's any truth in the Schlecks to Astana rumour, that rules out Jakob to Astana. And now Popovych (sp?) has said on his blog that Jakob has already signed for Saxo. Hopefully there is truth to that!!!
I must admit, it was kind of lovely of Andy to lump himself in with Frank, when he said "we've never taken anything". Possibly silly, given the way conclusions get jimmies to in cycling, but nice to see family honour at play nonetheless.
"conclusions get jimmies to"??? JUMPED to, I meant!! lol
ReplyDelete