Professional Cycling For the Fans - Did CSC abandon Zabriskie?

Don't these guys all have radios now, and so are in constant contact with the team director, who would have made this decision for the team



Hell yeah, I knew it was the DS's decision somehow or another.
Good call, PainTrain.
Thanks, you handsome devil, you.

A little narcissism here?

Well, CSC certainly made a bad PR call.
Actually, my feeling is that if you're dissed by FOX, intelligent people around the globe are more likely to give you plaudits. Giving FOX a reason to criticize you, more often than not, means you've done the right thing.

But seriously, I'm really surprised at this discussion. I truly can't fathom how (in the TTT) someone can expect a rider to have waited. All the arguments on both sides have been made already in this thread (except for maybe one point- without being hard on DZ, don't forget that he messed up), but I really don't see any justification for someone waiting for him. As already mentioned, the DS would have made an extremely poor decision to have done so.

Now, in the later stage when he crashed, that one I can understand being debatable to a degree.

That's what the news media does. They rush to print and broadcast with ill-thought out but opinionated junk on subjects they can't hope to comprehend.

People tend not to realize this until the news media reports on something they understand.

Doctors are amazed at how badly newspapers mangle the issues facing medicine.
School teachers roll their eyes when the TV news discusses education.
Gun owners have always known that the average reporter is totally clueless when it comes to firearms.

But let a doctor see a report on the evils of firearms, and he believes it. Let a school teacher see a report on hospitals, and she takes it as gospel.

The lesson to be learned here is not to trust reporters. Their job is to churn out pulp without study or reflection.

Now, in the later stage when he crashed, that one I can understand being debatable to a degree.

The main reason to hold onto Z once he crashed would be to have an early rabbit/scout on the last ITT. If Dave was fit he could've ran the final ITT at Lance's pace and told Ivan Basso where the hard/risky parts of the course were. But at what expense? If he dropped off once he could do it again. For how many mountain stages would CSC have needed to tow him back into the peleton? Once might've been nice but if he faded again the next day or crashed yet again it would've been all for nothing. The team objective is to get Basso on the podium and they still have Bobby Julich to scout the ITT for them.

I just have one question.

Has anyone heard Zabriski complaining? All I have seen in that vein is his confusion as to why he was so bad on the stage where he lost so much time.

Perhaps he understands a lot better than others. His days in Yellow were lost as soon as he went down (Actually as soon as he started to skid, even if he had stayed up he was out of Yellow). Perhaps he knows that the decision made was the right one, and it was right to make it before the time trail started.

My personal opinion is that he is a good young rider, one that has the potential to some day win a major tour. Perhaps he realizes that he just might end up on the opposite end of the same decision in a few years.

Have you guys checked out his blog lately? He addresses the issue there. And posts an interview with O'Grady.

Well, CSC certainly made a bad PR call.

yeah 'cause the boys over at fox sports... know fact one about cycling... what a joke... fox sports???... you've got to be kidding right??? [shaking my head]

CSC did exactly what they had to do.. unless the rider waiting for Zabriski had a time machine with him pacing him would have made no differenct what so ever... as others had said CSC lost by 2 seconds... the yellow jersy was gone when Zabriski hit the ground.

Others mentioned team work... the team is there to get Basso the highest GC placing it can... look at Discovery.. does any of those riders care where they place... NO.. do you see any of them going for the the polka dot jersey or the green jersey, yellow jersey? NO. the are forcused as a team on one goal... get Lance his 7th win. If CSC can, with minimal effort, get their sponsor some extra exposure by keeping Dave Z in yellow (and they did.. i personally think that was stupid) then that's cool, but Zabriski is there to support Basso, that's it. I know if I had gone down and it looked like someone was going to wait for me I would have screamed with everything i had to tell them not to... that's what TEAM WORK is about... it's not about me, or Zabriski in this case (that would have been selfish) it's about the team and the TEAM's goals that count.

Have you guys checked out his blog lately? He addresses the issue there. And posts an interview with O'Grady.

Here's Zabriskie's post on whether he was "abandoned":


Hello again. The other day I spent about 3 hours reading emails. I know some of you dislike the new auto response feature, as do I but as much as I would like to respond to every email, there are just too many. I do want to make it clear, I read every single email. I want to thank you all for the emails sent on both the highs and lows of the past few weeks, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading them. It is really nice to know that so many people care. So I pulled off the really big “W” in the prolog at the tour; then I pulled off losing the jersey in very dramatic fashion. I am still in Europe and have heard a little buzz here and there about some comments from a "wise" old sage on OLN. Just so everyone knows, Team CSC did not abandon me. In our meeting before the team time trial we agreed that the only rider we’d wait for would be Ivan since he’s our G.C. rider. I love being a part of Team CSC and since the day I joined, the team has done nothing but try to help me in any way it can.

Here's Zabriskie's post on whether he was "abandoned":

Thanks, hopefully the misinformed will hesitate to Monday morning quarterback obvious calls by the team leaders. As I stated in the beginning of this thread, one of the stupidest things I have heard Roll say was his criticism of Team CSC for allegedly abandoning Zabriskie. To do otherwise would be grounds for finding a new team leader. Even with Zabriskie's statement, I am sure some alleged cycling pundits will continue with their inane assessments.

Do you really think he would put in his blog..."yeah, I was pretty disappointed that they abandonded me?"

I agree with the decision to leave him after the crash and to not pace him back on the mtn stage, but I think the team showed a lack of support by not showing up to join him when he finished. That would not have cost Basso any time, and would have been a show of good faith both to DZ, and to the public who are now thinking he was abandoned.

[QUOTE=DogBoy]Do you really think he would put in his blog..."yeah, I was pretty disappointed that they abandonded me?"

I agree.

Even if DZ felt that way, of course you are right, he would not have foolishly stated so in a public internet site. This would have ruined relationships on his present team and caused other teams to think twice before signing him.

CSC was the last team on the TTT and could have remained at the finish line.

what the hell is wrong with you people?