Irritated team manager douses the flames of speculation
The signing of Alberto Contador to Bjarne Riis’s Saxo Bank/SunGard team for 2011 will be a huge boon to the Danish outfit, but the Spaniard’s entrance, the ensuing signing of his chief lieutenants, and the exodus of many of Saxo Bank’s stalwarts has left Fabian Cancellara in a bit of a lurch. So much so in fact, that rumors have begun to swirl and gather power pointing toward a possible move to the Swiss BMC team for 2011. Bjarne Riis is not pleased with the talk though.
In a recent curt conversation with RadsportNews.com after the Vattenfall Cyclassics in Hamburg, Cancellara showed little enthusiasm for his current plight and spoke cryptically about next season.
“I still have a contract, and I can’t really change that. Things are happening right now, and there are a lot of changes, but officially, not everything is known at this point.”
According to the German website, Bjarne Riis did not inform Cancellara of anything throughout the recent string of transfers – Contador, Noval, Hernandez, and Navarro. The Olympic and World Champion found out everything through the press, and the slight has left the powerhouse Swiss seemingly ready to leave.
While it is still just speculation, Cancellara did not bat down the mention of a move to BMC in a conversation with EuroSport either.
The arrival of Contador and dreams of a Grand Tour Triple Crown have left this year’s Tour of Flanders/Paris-Roubaix double winner less than pleased with what can almost be termed his old team, as next year’s Saxo Bank squad stands to bear very little resemblance to the 2010 edition. If the projected moves go through, Cancellara’s support in the Classics appears to be in shambles. It’s not surprising that the superstar would be unhappy with the developments of late.
The unhappy Classics King has not been shy about stirring up rumors, and conversely, Saxo Bank boss, Bjarne Riis, is not shy about quashing them.
The stern Riis has a penchant for irritation when confronted with questions he feels are ridiculous, and this is one such topic.
“Try to listen, he has a contract. And all those rumors and speculations? I cannot comment on them.”
Sporten.dk presses the matter and asks Riis: so he will race for you next year?
“Yes, that’s what I’m saying. He has a contract.”
Riis also takes the chance to point out that Cancellara cannot buy himself free of his contract either. In other words, unless Riis somehow makes a complete 180 and decides to release the Flanders/Roubaix double winner, Fabian Cancellara will be racing for Saxo Bank/Sungard in 2011.