Leipheimer
August 1st, 2007 |So now that Levi got a taste of the Tour podium is he going to be satisfied playing second fiddle to an established Tour winner?
After the Ivan Basso debacle, who says that Disco team director Johan Bruyneel is not going to go out and sign an additional grand tour rider that may further demote Levi to the role of “super domestique”?
Money talks and maybe Bruyneel has ponied up to keep his odds high for the 2008 Tour. But Levi’s stock value went way up this month, I have to believe that there are numerous teams looking to pick up a potential Tour winner.
What would you do? Stay with Disco and hope for more and longer time trials in 2008 or consider jumping ship to a team that is 100% solely committed to your cause?
12 Responses to “Leipheimer”
First things first: no sponsor = no team. That needs to be resolved.
Second, Levi better see the writing on the wall. Gerolsteiner let him go in favor of Stefan Schumacher. Then, after Disco signed him, they went out and got both Contador and Basso. Not exactly strong signs of faith in Levi.
Levi is what he is. He’s an aging second-tier star in a sport short on top-tier stars at the moment. And that, sir, is the only reason he podiumed this year.
His stock did not rise one iota in my mind over the last month.
sport short on top-tier stars at the moment.
Um, hello? Heinrich Haussler? The Racing Kangaroo?
Like, duh.
Levi is still questionable, but he beat a lot of other supposed contenders.
I say keep him. I don’t think any Discovery riders have gotten popped while on the team, but the heat is going to be on Contador now and I don’t think he can keep it up with that kind of scrutiny. Levi is American and will be Disco’s guy in 2008.
The question is whether Levi is content to continue to chase after second-tier goals such as the Dauphine, Tour of California, etc. There is no doubt he’d continue to have protected status in races like that. I don’t think first in the tour is in the cards for him, but if that’s his goal he’s going to have to go elsewhere.
Levi is American and will be
Disco’sguy in 2008.What does being an American have to do with a team sponsored by a Chinese GPS manufacturer?
I don’t even consider Disco an “American” team anymore (even though they are officially registered in the United States). Their American riders:
Shortbus
Levi
Danielson
Tony Cruz
Jason McCartney
5 out of 27 riders. Despite ProTour status, I don’t think they can even be considered a “heavy hitter” team for the upcoming USPRO race – that designation certainly falls on (one of the following) – Slipstream, Health Net or Toyota-United. They (Disco) are a far cry from the pre-2003 Postal days. The whole Basso thing last winter proved what Bruyneel thought of Leipheimer, so I doubt anything has changed, save for the fact that he’s a year older and a year less likely to beat the other Grand Tour favorites. I’m with Rob on this one.
Conversely, I’d also think it a mistake for Leipheimer to leave Disco of his own free will with hopes he’d be TdF leader for another team.
Um, hello? Heinrich Haussler? The Racing Kangaroo?
i nearly choked on my soda. that’s the best front page for a website ever.
Levi needs to go back to Rabbo. I hear they are looking for a mentor for Dekker.
I doubt that both Leipheimer and Contador will be free to race by this time next year…
come on now, USPRO?
george and levi dropped all those chumps with relative ease and a little collusion.
how will they act this year, now that they actually ARE on the same team?
i have comments under (dis) and (dis)pencer…
i am way out in front. bitches.
in your face.
power rankings are up.
http://www.thedispencer.blogspot.com
Levi is soft. He’ll never get any higher than 3rd, even in a drug depleted tour like ‘07. He rides the climbs “at his own pace”??? What the hell is that? You can’t win the tour by just hanging in there on the climbs.