I got Johan Bruyneel's Book!

[Phil C]

I finally went to the bookstore and bought it and I wasn't disappointed at all. In fact I was very pleased. It is called "We Might as Well Win." It is about being a team director in the Tour de France and gives insight into the strategies and decisions that must be made. It is great. He also gives some information about the time when he was a pro racer along with other pertinent interesting information. This is a great book. I highly recommend it.

A team director is like a head coach in the NFL or NBA or head manager in pro baseball. But he is more. He co-ordinates everything and is a big job. Johan is magnificient it. He has coached the Tour de France winners in 8 of 9 years with one rider for 7 and another one for one and that is remarkable. That is two winners over an 8 out of 9 years. The Tour de France to cycling is like the annual Super Bowl in football, the NBA final 2 in basketball and the World Series in baseball. No team director or any coach has done what Johan has done in cycling or any sport. I know Red Auerback won many titles in Boston but that was with the same team and basically the same players. Johan has done it with two riders. A remarkable man indeed.

Don't miss this book. It is still fairly new so you may want to wait till it is in paperback and cheaper but even at full price it is well worth it. I got home with it last night and was going to just read it for 30 minutes but it was so interesting that I made a 3 hour night out of it. Entertainment and insight indeed!

[charlesrixey]

was he implicated at all in the doping scandals with floyd landis?

obviously, with all of the rumors that have swirled around armstrong (and many other riders besides) it seems like that is a thankless job right now

[Phil C]

Originally posted by charlesrixey
was he implicated at all in the doping scandals with floyd landis?

obviously, with all of the rumors that have swirled around armstrong (and many other riders besides) it seems like that is a thankless job right now


No he wasn't Floyd's team director. He won with Lance Armstrong 7 straight times at the Tour de Fance and one time with Alberto Contador. It is frustrating for him and he sat out this year but hopefully will back with a team next year. None of his riders have ever tested positive while he was their team director. I think the main reason Lance won was because Johan and him trained for the Tour de France all year and trained hard with hard work.

[turbostud]

He didnt sit out Phil. His team, Astana, wasnt invited to the TdF because of all the doping problems associated with them last year. Of course he and Contador were not part of Astana last year and neither was Levi Leiphimer but they ultimately paid the price for joining Astana this year. Contador won the Giro d Italia this year with Bruyneel as the Director. Contador will most likely win the Vuelta a Espana in Sept also.

[Phil C]

Originally posted by turbostud
He didnt sit out Phil. His team, Astana, wasnt invited to the TdF because of all the doping problems associated with them last year. Of course he and Contador were not part of Astana last year and neither was Levi Leiphimer but they ultimately paid the price for joining Astana this year. Contador won the Giro d Italia this year with Bruyneel as the Director. Contador will most likely win the Vuelta a Espana in Sept also.

That is true but the riders were on the current team were innocent. It was just the a whim of the French Tour directors. They will be back next year and still be testing clean and have a good team at the Tour.

[Phil C]

I like the Tour De France.

[RedWhiteBlue]

Originally posted by Phil C
I like the Tour De France.
Your too cute.:kiss: