The End (of RadioShambles) Is In Sight!

I  know,  I know,  in this post-Lance era it's wrong to be happy about the loss of yet another cycling sponsor, but honestly, in this case I think I am justified in being just a little bit happy at hearing the news today that RadioShambles are pulling the plug at the end of this season.

Well, not definitely pulling the plug, nothing has been confirmed yet, and - typically - the team don't know anything about it.

According to the Velonews version of this story: 

“We do not know anything. I cannot confirm it,” RadioShack-Leopard spokesman Philippe Maertens told VeloNews via telephone. “I don’t think [RadioShack] has even decided yet. We don’t know anything.”

*hollow laugh* We know how that will turn out, don't we? The riders will be the LAST to know about any changes that are going to completely change their lives....

So  how is this likely to affect Our Andy?

On the one hand, my heart bleeds at the thought of our brave Leopards having yet another major upheaval: they will either be dispersed among other teams, or - vague rumour from Boulder Elle - go en masse to a new German team.

On the other hand, a fresh start might be just what Andy needs. Taking the rest of this season to get his fitness back, then moving to a new team next year, without Mr Bruyneel, without the tainted RadioShambles name,  and hopefully without the weeble-like Mr Becca holding the purse-strings.

Meanwhile, other news, Andy went on Lux tv last night, which is exactly the right thing for him to do, and it's been reported today that he has said the Munich drunken episode (rather cruelly referred to on the forum as Shandygate)  is "ridiculous".  Not quite a denial, but good enough for me.

He also said:

"I'll keep working and I know that the people who believe in me will keep believing in me."

All together now: "WE BELIEVE IN YOU, ANDY!!"