Road Bike Racing - Hamilton to Phonak!!!

Tyler's heading to Phonak for the next two years!

Do they have the muscle to help him win the TDF? CSC has/had such a strong squad and I'm not sure if Phonak will stack up...not sure if this was a good move.

Holy cow - the rumors are TRUE!!!!!!

Tyler to Phonak! (http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/4908.0.html)

It's a strange move- I thought that he was happy with the coaching at CSC. If he's more concerned with the money being offered, then I feel badly for him. I think under CSC, he probably would have done well, and when you do well, the money will follow. :(

Koffee

It's a profession. People move to different companies all the time. If someone were offering me more money for the same job- with the potential for more/better results, I would take it too.

Besides, they have Ivan Basso. Riis is happy to have a new understudy.

Hope they have a medical team just for him.

Koffee:

You might want to combine this with the other "Tyler to Phonak" thread.

Just a suggestion.

If someone were offering me more money for the same job- with the potential for more/better results, I would take it too.

But that's the thing- I don't think there's any more of a potential for more/better results than if he'd stayed with CSC. I think Riis would have worked well with Hamilton, and it could have been a team/relationship he could have grown with.

I wouldn't necessarily take a job for more money doing the same thing if I knew that I was going to excel at my job and end up on top. I actually did pass on some job offers in the past for that very same reason, and now I'm getting ready to come out on top very soon, just as I thought. I just can't see myself jumping from job to job, as the end result will be little or nothing to show for myself.

Either Hamilton needs to stay put with his new team and buckle down and start focussing, or he should stay with his current team and continue to shine and learn from Riis. I just think this is an important time in cycling, and with so many talents out there, it would be best to think about more than the money opportunity.

Good luck to him. I'm interested to see how this new team works for him. I bet in 2 years, he'll be with a new team.

Koffee

I think that this is like Ullrich going to Coast according to
Lance, He would have better under Riis.
I'm devastated, I never thought that would have happened.

Do you think Tyler (strong man that he is) could have finished
both Giro and TdF with the injuries he had without the benefit
of Ole? Do you think he will find that on Phonak?

Marty

I think he's setting himself up for failure with this change. I don't want it, but I think this is a bad move. He was just starting to really make some major progress and from all the things I read he was melding well with the management and style of training. Unless they were all puff pieces, which they could have been, then I don't understand this move. It's all about the benjamins $$$$ is all that makes sence.

Originally posted by Koffee Brown
I think under CSC, he probably would have done well, and when you do well, the money will follow. :(

Koffee

Huh? Where is the confusion here? With CSC he DID do well. He won Liege-Bastogne-Liege, finished fourth in the TdF (winning a stage), won the Tour of Romandie...

And the money DID follow. It is just with another team and CSC couldn't match the offer.

How in the world could a bunch of armchair quarterbacks second guess this move? He is a PROFESSIONAL athlete. They have a very short career and need to maximize their successes by making as much money as possible before they are yesterday's story and their transfers are no longer their choice to make.

I think that his fans should be happy for him. He is set to pocket a reported 3 million Euros over two years. Good for him.

And why should we think that his results will be diminished? Because he is no longer under the control of Mr. 60%? He won the Dauphine Libere before riding for Riis. Tyler will be just fine.

Originally posted by easyrider
Huh? Where is the confusion here? With CSC he DID do well. He won Liege-Bastogne-Liege, finished fourth in the TdF (winning a stage), won the Tour of Romandie...

And the money DID follow. It is just with another team and CSC couldn't match the offer.

How in the world could a bunch of armchair quarterbacks second guess this move? He is a PROFESSIONAL athlete. They have a very short career and need to maximize their successes by making as much money as possible before they are yesterday's story and their transfers are no longer their choice to make.

I think that his fans should be happy for him. He is set to pocket a reported 3 million Euros over two years. Good for him.

And why should we think that his results will be diminished? Because he is no longer under the control of Mr. 60%? He won the Dauphine Libere before riding for Riis. Tyler will be just fine.

I second this. Hear Hear!

I agree with many in that I think csc was a good fit for tyler, however I think that phonak could be an even better one. From the articles I read I got the impresion that it was not just that other teams were offering tyler more money, but that csc was going to have a hard time coming up with the already needed funds. Also csc was a strong team, but it was not built around tyler. At phonak tyler will hands down be the team leader and will not be expected to share his role with others such as carlos sastre. Also phonak is looking at bringing on four riders just for the team time trial at the tour. Although there are a few questions I think this could be a very good move for tyler.

-Matt-

I think some people are under the mistaken assumption that Tyler "needs" Riis and CSC to "bring him along". Tyler has a good relationship with that team but it is a 2-way street. Tyler brought alot of money and success to Riis and CSC, not the other way around!

Tyler is a pro and does what is best for him--just like every other pro. Whether it's a pro athelete or pro office manager or pro delivery guy. Surely you guys can understand that.

Tyler would know better than anyone, which team is better for him. He has to grab the opportunity while it presents itself. What if his crash was career ending? You make the money while it's available. With all the riders that are jumping teams right now, they could put together a great team for him.

In his own words:

Tyler Tunes: Entire article (velonews.com) (http://www.velonews.com/news/fea/4913.0.html)

"Next year, they (Phonak) are serious about wanting to compete in the Tour de France for the first time. They have restructured their entire team around this goal, and they have asked me to be their leader. It's every rider's dream to have this kind of support and this kind of opportunity. The Phonak roster is being overhauled with the Tour de France as the central focus."

I think under CSC, he probably would have done well, and when you do well, the money will follow

edit

I bet in 2 years, he'll be with a new team.


Koffee ... in 2 years he's probably out of cycling. He's 32, almost 33 and actually older than Lance Armstrong. This is almost certainly his final pro contract, and he's getting paid for what he's accomplished. There is nothing wrong with him trying to get something for everything he's put into bike racing, and results or not he isn't getting another shot at the big money. At 34/35 he'll be done, cyclists have tremendously short careers. This isn't some 25 year kid jumping for more money, this is a veteran at the very end of his career, and that's two entirely different things.

It has always seemed a bit odd to me that people are talking about how hard it would be for Lance to win a 6th at his age, but are happy to tell you what a great shot Tyler has at winning his first....

Tyler is older than Lance for God's sake!

Now, that being said, Tyler did the smart thing. He took the big payday that will reward him for his years of sacrafice upon his bike. There is not 1 person (don't be a hipocritre) who would not jump on the chance to make a LOT more money doing what you love to do.

Phonak has basically bought an entry ino the TdF and Tyler gets a shot at being the head honcho and maybe 1 last chance to win the tour. Seems like a win / win to me.

Go Tyler!