The person who writes their website reports, press releases etc, I mean.
Here we are, rapidly approaching the Vuelta, last big race of the season: all eyes are on it to see how Contador fares, and to see if there is a last-minute miracle involving Andy's pelvis, Frankie's complete exoneration and full apology from WADA, and Jakob's sudden promotion to Road Captain.
(OK those last three are extremely unlikely, but a gal can hope?)
RadioShack announce their team: you just know that every Schleck and Fuglsang fan in the world is going to leap eagerly upon the report, "just in case", and you just know that every cycling press journo is going to leap on it in order to be the first to report the contents.
So, what do RadioShack choose to tell us?
They are sending three GC guys - oh dear, no-one strong enough to be an actual leader? - one of whom is Linus Gerdemann, who is described as having had a very good early career, but who "has failed to live up to earlier expectations."
Nice.
For a start, you don't put derogatory comments about your own riders in your own reports. You just don't.
Secondly, if you really feel you have to make the point that he's not done as well as hoped, you can say "who has not lived up to earlier expectations". You don't have to put the word "failed" in there.
Thirdly, do you really think this will motivate him to do well? Starting the race with the word "failed" around his neck? Knowing that every cycling fan has read that report and is thinking of him as a failure?
Presumably someone somewhere in RadioShack thinks that it will motivate Linus, but I have my doubts.
What a dreadful team to ride for! I can only assume that it's a great deal nicer for the Shack riders otherwise they would all have left the team - and if that is the case, then it's pretty disgraceful to treat half of your guys differently from the other half, don't you think?
Sigh...what a team....They once again prove they do not care about their riders at all! Gerdemann is being dragged through the mud at every race he shows up by the press, saying the exact same thing his team is now saying. I think that's already bad enough, he doesn't need his team to say such things about him too. Isn't it an employer's job to step up for your employees?
ReplyDeleteI was already bothered that when Jesse Sergent won bronze at the Olympics (I know it was on the track, but still..the guy won BRONZE!) there was only a copy of a tweet on the website. I would presume they'd be so happy and proud of him they would at least put up a nice article. Now there was nothing, just the tweet...
And Andy's comeback is once again postponed, he's still in too much pain, poor guy. http://www.denverpost.com/cycling/ci_21330420/andy-schleck-ruled-out-usa-pro-challenge-colorado
Inge
They really are the worst team management. I mean, talk about utterly demoralising! That's absolutely no way to lead a team to success - bad mouth your riders in public and then expect them to be motivated to go win for you? They're crazy! If they were in any other profession and trying to manage a team/staff/company that way, they'd be out of a job. It's ridiculous. I really do wish that our Leopards could make a run for it to another team like Jakob.
ReplyDeleteI've my fingers crossed that Frankie's case will be resolved SOONER rather than later, but sadly, I'm not holding my breath waiting for that to happen. *sigh* The likelihood of happy dolphin holiday snaps this off-season is looking even more unlikely :(
Bris. Gal
Hi Inge, I'd forgotten about the Jesse Sargeant medal episode: and he's a Shack rider!! Shock horror, they really don't care about their own guys either. This is just so disgraceful.
ReplyDeleteAs Brisbane Gal *waves* says, if this were any other profession, they'd have the unions in uproar, the staff all resigning, and would be thrown off the job in disgrace.
I think we all have our fingers crossed for Frankie, this is one case where no news is NOT good news, we want to hear what's going on, and we want it to go on NOW! I dread to think what the atmosphere is like in Mondorf these days: I keep picturing the pair of them slumped on the sofa, (Andy with an extra cushion, of course) staring glumly ahead, and saying "Pfff..." to the attempts by Martine, Leea and TinkerJil to cheer them up.
Coug