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Lopes off GT

M

MDJ

Monkey
Dec 15, 2005
669
0
San Jose, CA
SylentK said:
You know, I'm a little disappointed in this thread. You guys made it sound all dramatic and ooohhh my gosh did you hear what Lopes said? and geez that guy is a jerk blah blah blah....Did you read the qoute from Transcend.com? Here I'll post it for you:

An obviously dissapointed Lopes posted this on his blog earlier today. "I guess winning the World Champs, World Cup series and being with the company for 7 years is not good enough. Some pretty lame excuses were given to me & if they would have just told me the truth I would have respected them more. I have been around too long & know way too many people for me not to hear news from others. That's what happends when you have a bunch of corporate yahoos who really don't get it. I do want to really thank Hans, Monkey, Steve Spencer, my teammates, the entire California office, and all the distributors who have supported me in the last couple years. I'm actually pretty happy in some ways and had some really good meetings with other companies who make some nice bikes."

Professionally speaking he's got a solid case. I think he's telling the truth, which from the sound of it, is more than what his former boss(es) did. That is what's unprofessional here. I'd be pissed too (mad, not drunk, to those not fluent in Amurrrican).

Speaking of drunk, I'll go back to drinking my Sheep Dip...
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Yeah, a bit more diplomatic but...he still bashed them to some degree. Somebody that is the best in the business at marketing himself should have been even more diplomatic.

How eager would you be to sponsor him now knowing that you may get the same treatment and ruin any goodwill he may have given the company.
 
rky mtn srfr

rky mtn srfr

Monkey
Nov 26, 2006
127
0
Boulder
I'm with Lopes. I've seen the up's and downs of GT and their disregard of their workers for the sake of corporate profit. F em. I hope Flyin Brian gets a contract on a sweet ride for next year. I also think I-drove is poo.
 
kidwoo

kidwoo

Artisanal Tweet Curator
Aug 25, 2003
42,146
13,340
Squirtin ketchup n' mustard on charred flesh
spookydave said:
The next time you go out to eat take a look out back. There will be a grip of them locked up back there. GT has over taken Motiv as the dishwasher's bike of choice.
Now out in front of my shop (across the street from a Home Depot) it is clear that Huffy is still the king ride of the day labors.
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Crazy how many dishwashers know who lopes is.

Or is it that dishwashing lends itself well to aspiring 4x champions?:D
 
Nagaredama

Nagaredama

Turbo Monkey
Nov 15, 2004
1,596
2
Manhattan Beach, CA USA
Zutroy

Zutroy

Turbo Monkey
Dec 9, 2004
2,443
0
Ventura,CA
Nagaredama said:
How about when EC was rocking a Turner DHR?

When Hannah was on Haro he was riding all types of bikes with duct tape on them.

Just because he doesn't ride a factory frame doesn't mean much.
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The difference is neither of those companies was pushing a bike into those areas. Well Haro was kinda sort of..........

Mongoose wasn't even making quality bikes when EC was on the Turners. Once they decided to actually sell race able bike, the team rode stock frames, and still does.

GT was marketing an "Lopes" bike.

The thing people lose sit of is these companies are in business to make money just like any other company. Lopes was an employee, and like any other company out there they make choices that effect the people working for them. People get let go everyday who are doing everything right and being productive for the company, because someone decided they want to do something differently. It's life it happens you get over it.
 
D

dropmachine

Turbo Monkey
Sep 7, 2001
2,922
10
Your face.
I've gotten the chance to speak to Brian a few times, and if theres one word that describes him, its intense. The guy is there to win, and not bugger around. It carries over to his general personality (that I have seen) as well. Dude is very sharp, and even talking to him you can tell hes takin you apart like on a race course.

I can also see how people think hes a dick. Of course hes got an ego, hes the best at what he does, has been for a while. Hard to not have an ego I guess considering. That said, hes still very approachable, friendly, engaging, and honest. I love listening to his Cannondale stories. Very rare that any pro will be that open.

Is what he did unprofessional? Well, maybe. Definitely some hurt there. But at least the guy is honest. No bull**** about blah blah and no lies, which is a lot more then some racers can say.

Did GT make a mistake dropping him? Maybe. Maybe not. As it is, I don't think they used brian right. You can't just have a top rider and expect wins alone to bring sales. I didn't see much marketing of Brian outside racing, and definitely not much pushing of the GT name. The fact that he was on a GT always seemed kind of incidental.

A great example of complete marketing is Gracia and Commencal, ANY of Konas riders, Wade and Rocky.....
 
H

Homey

Monkey
Oct 27, 2004
136
0
The O.C.
Anyone know how he left Cannondale? Was it the same circumstances? Did he leave the same way he left GT?
I've talked to Lopes a few times and he seems like a cool guy, just made a bad decision that is getting blown-up on the internet...
He'll do fine on another bike - but I'm sure he was making bank at GT.
 
Transcend

Transcend

My Nuts Are Flat
Apr 18, 2002
18,040
3
Towing the party line.
Volvo/Canondale ended their high level gravity program if I remember right. Cedric stayed on, but the team as much smaller afterwards and operated on a greatly reduced budget.
 
bizutch

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
Transcend said:
Volvo/Canondale ended their high level gravity program if I remember right. Cedric stayed on, but the team as much smaller afterwards and operated on a greatly reduced budget.
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Got any pics of a US National where them, GT Trek & Specialized parked their Tractor trailers side by side by side?

Note:
Cannondale's lockdown on their pro team not only coincided with the downturn of the TV programming, it also was at the same time as their moto division tanking.
 
SPINTECK

SPINTECK

Turbo Monkey
Oct 16, 2005
1,370
0
abc
He has enough side sponsors, why doesn't he take risk or find some investors and start his own brand?? Too complicated?? He has to be an expert on geometry and set-up.
 
rosenamedpoop

rosenamedpoop

Turbo Monkey
Feb 27, 2004
1,284
0
just Santa Cruz...
SPINTECK said:
He has enough side sponsors, why doesn't he take risk or find some investors and start his own brand?? Too complicated?? He has to be an expert on geometry and set-up.
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Time consuming enough to start a new company as a full time gig, much less traveling and training as a top pro racer too.

Maybe in a few years after he retires.
 
B

beesonutah

Chimp
Apr 23, 2006
18
0
I have had the opertunity to work with Lopes a couple of years ago as the GT/Mongoose team manager. And those of you hateing just to hate don't understand alot of whats going on. True he has an ego. But anyone at the top of there sport does, He is not going to win any awards for being the coolest guy in the world, but he's a decent guy, He is just very focused and trying to be in control of his own destint. Don't get me wrong he could have handled it better, But thats just him reacting to a 6 figure pay cut(suprise). And the truth is I have close freinds in the company that work with him everyday and they don't even know the real reson. It's just a corprate company doing corprate things. And maybe this will be an eye opener to Brian to handle things alittle diffrently.
Like I said he has his goods and his bads and I have seen both sides but I wish him well in the next chapter of his life.
 
S

snowskilz

xblue attacked piggy won
May 15, 2004
612
0
rado
Has anyone kept up with the jp walker / forum debactle? same thing as lopes. Except Jp was offered a new contract with certain restrictions then goes b****ing on the internet about it. There was actually an article on transworld snowboarding with him.

These 2 are both major players in the sports they partake in. Just sucks we have to listen to them b and whine about their personal affairs.
 
sayndesyn

sayndesyn

Turbo Monkey
Sep 24, 2004
2,212
0
Crying in the corner of a Refrigerator Box
wtf, their moto division tanked!!?!? I gotta buddy on Ohlins who still has some of the shocks they made for Cannondale, need to hit him up...

bizutch said:
Got any pics of a US National where them, GT Trek & Specialized parked their Tractor trailers side by side by side?

Note:
Cannondale's lockdown on their pro team not only coincided with the downturn of the TV programming, it also was at the same time as their moto division tanking.
Click to expand...
 
H

h22ekhatch

Monkey
Jun 13, 2005
269
0
Portland
I think a couple people mentioned this already, but its probably worth repeating...what was lopes doing for GT? I mean, I don't know about your area, but around here the only place I see a GT mountain bike is on the showroom of Performance. I honestly honestly can think of seeing like maybe one or two at a DH race in my life. People just don't give a **** about the GT brand, Lopes or not. He is an awesome racer and might as well be with a great brand. Lopes can win every race he enters, but it certainly didn't seem to be helping GT really.

Michael Jordan can endorse that knockoff walmart soda all he wants, I am still buying Coke...
 
go-ride.com

go-ride.com

Monkey
Oct 23, 2001
548
6
Salt Lake City, UT
rosenamedpoop said:
Got that right! At the '04 National Champs, Lopes was chilling at the side of the 4x course getting ready for his qually. My good friend Drunk Koocher stumbled up to Lopes, shoved him, and started turning the adjuster knobs on his fork while offering friendly words of encouragement like "OOOOOhhhh big man B-Lo, sup tough guy? Think you're hot sh!t huh?"

Lopes, in an all too typical display premaddona-ism, just walked away looking disgusted. What a d!ck.
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Dude, what your friend did was just wrong. BL was minding his own business and your drunk friend goes over and starts bullying him, and somehow you think Lopes was a d!ck. Lopes is at his job when he's at races. I doubt anyone on this board would find it acceptable for some drunk to walk into their place of work and start something like that.
 
B

blue

boob hater
Jan 24, 2004
10,160
2
california
go-ride.com said:
Dude, what your friend did was just wrong. BL was minding his own business and your drunk friend goes over and starts bullying him, and somehow you think Lopes was a d!ck. Lopes is at his job when he's at races. I doubt anyone on this board would find it acceptable for some drunk to walk into their place of work and start something like that.
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I think the post was in jest...

:monkeydance:
 
bizutch

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
go-ride.com said:
Dude, what your friend did was just wrong. BL was minding his own business and your drunk friend goes over and starts bullying him, and somehow you think Lopes was a d!ck. Lopes is at his job when he's at races. I doubt anyone on this board would find it acceptable for some drunk to walk into their place of work and start something like that.
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Drunk dude would eat from a straw if he pulled it near me...
 
rosenamedpoop

rosenamedpoop

Turbo Monkey
Feb 27, 2004
1,284
0
just Santa Cruz...
go-ride.com said:
Dude, what your friend did was just wrong. BL was minding his own business and your drunk friend goes over and starts bullying him, and somehow you think Lopes was a d!ck. Lopes is at his job when he's at races. I doubt anyone on this board would find it acceptable for some drunk to walk into their place of work and start something like that.
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Umm...I know that man. I was employing irony, a rhetorical device, in which there is a gap or incongruity between what a speaker or a writer says and what is generally understood.

That said, I'd still rather hang out out with Koocher than B-Lo!
 
DirtEveryDay

DirtEveryDay

Turbo Monkey
Nov 24, 2003
2,692
4
Pacific North Wet
Hey, any rumors on Lopes finding a new home yet? I'm really not the biggest Lopes fan, but anyone with that much skill and desire to simply win needs to be out there. It would be nice to see someone who needs an A rider pick him up...but not sure who could afford him.
 
F

FrontRangeDH

Monkey
Sep 12, 2007
591
0
15 sq. miles surrounded by reality
I am curious about this too. It seems like he is one of only a few riders especially in the states who only rides 4X/Slalom, most of the top riders do just downhill or both which I think makes them more marketable than Lopes. There are still a few other top americans who havent been picked up yet either though.
 
G

General Lee

Turbo Monkey
Oct 16, 2003
2,860
0
The 802
FrontRangeDH said:
I am curious about this too. It seems like he is one of only a few riders especially in the states who only rides 4X/Slalom, most of the top riders do just downhill or both which I think makes them more marketable than Lopes. There are still a few other top americans who havent been picked up yet either though.
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because the 'top' Americans still get beat by second-tier talent from the rest of Europe, Australia, and New Zealend and have yet to prove they can do better than crack the top 20 of a world cup on a good day. There are massively talented riders in the US, but talent is relative. Simply put, the 'top' riders are not Americans.
 
bizutch

bizutch

Delicate CUSTOM flower
Dec 11, 2001
15,928
24
Over your shoulder whispering
General Lee said:
because the 'top' Americans still get beat by second-tier talent from the rest of Europe, Australia, and New Zealend and have yet to prove they can do better than crack the top 20 of a world cup on a good day. There are massively talented riders in the US, but talent is relative. Simply put, the 'top' riders are not Americans.
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yeah...what's up with that. They just fart around, painting helmets, dissing others online and ride World Cups on half baked teams with no future. You'd think they'd try to win or something instead of geeking online like..... :rofl:
 
F

FrontRangeDH

Monkey
Sep 12, 2007
591
0
15 sq. miles surrounded by reality
General Lee said:
because the 'top' Americans still get beat by second-tier talent from the rest of Europe, Australia, and New Zealend and have yet to prove they can do better than crack the top 20 of a world cup on a good day. There are massively talented riders in the US, but talent is relative. Simply put, the 'top' riders are not Americans.
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You don't think that the US may be struggling due to lack of support by legitimate teams building and developing young riders like the Aussies and Brits do? I think the US struggles because of things like NORBA being crap, luckily smaller groups like the Southridge guys and the MSC guys are taking a personal responsibility in American racing to hopefully develop some world class riders.

I see Peaty's proteges all over the world cup, I dont see any older top americans developing riders like that. Definitely not Lopes, I see Carter trying with his Tribe, but thats about it.

I know there isnt any money in DHing to encourage these Americans to put together stuff to help grow the sport and make more fast Americans but it seems like we keep running into walls. Its really hard to get points to race World Cups and takes a trade team. Thats how I am getting to them this year. Without getting experience like actually going to the world cups its hard to perform at world cups.

A few years ago there were a lot of top americans in the world, now its a lot of top Aussies and Brits and South Africans, I am sure Americans will be back on top before too long
 
FCLinder

FCLinder

Turbo Monkey
Mar 6, 2002
4,402
0
Greenville, South Carolina
FrontRangeDH said:
I dont see any older top americans developing riders like that.
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I am, its just it will be about 12 to 14 more years till he'll be ready.. Ha Ha, my son is only 1.... Just messing!!!!!! Hell, the way the South East has been lately with DHers having babys I am sure there will be some really good DHers coming out of the South East with in that time frame. Knowing my luck my son will not want anying to do with 2 wheels...

:cheers:
 
W4S

W4S

Turbo Monkey
Mar 2, 2004
1,282
23
Back in Hell A, b1thces
General Lee said:
because the 'top' Americans still get beat by second-tier talent from the rest of Europe, Australia, and New Zealend and have yet to prove they can do better than crack the top 20 of a world cup on a good day. There are massively talented riders in the US, but talent is relative. Simply put, the 'top' riders are not Americans.
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Need to remind you that JD was second in JR. worlds and that there are a bunch of kids as fast as he is coming out of SoCal. Depending on how the sport continues to change, I suspect the US will, once again, become a power in international racing.

Aaron Gwin got a big ride too, BTW.
 
F

FrontRangeDH

Monkey
Sep 12, 2007
591
0
15 sq. miles surrounded by reality
W4S said:
Need to remind you that JD was second in JR. worlds and that there are a bunch of kids as fast as he is coming out of SoCal. Depending on how the sport continues to change, I suspect the US will, once again, become a power in international racing.

Aaron Gwin got a big ride too, BTW.
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Agreed, I still find it weird that Tyler Mccaul is stilll looking for a ride based upon his season and skill set. But with guys like those kids stated above, Americans are getting faster. Lets not forget about Shoey Juicler
 
John P.

John P.

Turbo Monkey
Sep 24, 2001
1,170
0
Golden, CO
Along these lines, I could never understand why more American DH racers don't spend their winters in Australia and New Zealand racing those national series. I mean, isn't it apparent that a major way the Aussies/Kiwis got so fast over the last 10 years is that while all the northern hemisphere dudes were doing their winter 'training' (read: sitting on their arses and drinking beer), those southern hemi dudes were racing full national series against top-tier competition?

I'm an old enough fart to remember the days when the U.S. ruled the international DH circuit, and then slowly, a bunch of Aussie grubs started scraping together enough money to come over to the U.S., sleep on floors, and hitch rides to our national series. In our winter, they'd fly back home and race their own series. Lo and behold, a few years later, guys like Rennie, Kircaldie, Kovarik, Rando, Waddell, and countless others were routinely kicking north american ass.

Gripe all you want about a lack of industry sponsorship or national team support, but to me, it just seemed like the Aussies and Kiwis are/were more dedicated. They had little or no money behind their efforts back in the late 90's, and now 10 years later, look where they're at.

I'll put on my flame retardant suit now, and prepare to get torched.

--JP
 
F

FrontRangeDH

Monkey
Sep 12, 2007
591
0
15 sq. miles surrounded by reality
John P. said:
Along these lines, I could never understand why more American DH racers don't spend their winters in Australia and New Zealand racing those national series. I mean, isn't it apparent that a major way the Aussies/Kiwis got so fast over the last 10 years is that while all the northern hemisphere dudes were doing their winter 'training' (read: sitting on their arses and drinking beer), those southern hemi dudes were racing full national series against top-tier competition?

I'm an old enough fart to remember the days when the U.S. ruled the international DH circuit, and then slowly, a bunch of Aussie grubs started scraping together enough money to come over to the U.S., sleep on floors, and hitch rides to our national series. In our winter, they'd fly back home and race their own series. Lo and behold, a few years later, guys like Rennie, Kircaldie, Kovarik, Rando, Waddell, and countless others were routinely kicking north american ass.

Gripe all you want about a lack of industry sponsorship or national team support, but to me, it just seemed like the Aussies and Kiwis are/were more dedicated. They had little or no money behind their efforts back in the late 90's, and now 10 years later, look where they're at.

I'll put on my flame retardant suit now, and prepare to get torched.

--JP
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Its hard to flame over the truth. I think you are absolutely correct. When I was ski racing, to stay competitive, we had to train in the summer. I think its abosolutely necessary to ride in northern Hemisphere throughout the winter. Thats probably why alot of SoCal kids are getting fast. I rde road and DJ all winter to get better, stronger, faster.
 
G

General Lee

Turbo Monkey
Oct 16, 2003
2,860
0
The 802
bizutch said:
yeah...what's up with that. They just fart around, painting helmets, dissing others online and ride World Cups on half baked teams with no future. You'd think they'd try to win or something instead of geeking online like..... :rofl:
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well, i'm flattered that you consider me one of the 'top' americans, but i must confess: i'm an average speed, part time american pro racer with a full time job and no interest whatsoever of treating racing as anything more than a hobby. if my job didn't give me 3 months of the summer off i wouldn't travel all over to race, but since since i have the time i'm taking advantage of it.

As for the the fastest guy in this country, who are indeed plenty fast, they are still not up to speed with the guys who are getting rides. it's a competitive market with few spots to go around. look at the race times in the next dirt magazine, the senior, jr, and even youth podiums are only a few seconds back. the UK alone is stacked deep with talent so if americans are looking for a handout me thinks they are out of luck. those of us 'just farting around . . riding World Cups on half baked teams with no future' are proof positive that if all these unappreciated, unsupported up-and-coming US riders wanted to get on the circuit it is right there waiting for them.

As JP mentioned, the guys who came over and took all their jobs did it on their own dime and without support and they continue to do so today; sleeping on floors, bumming rides, and spending summers 1000's of miles from home for a chance to ride their bikes on the worlc cup or (once upon a time) the norba circuit. That's what it takes for an unsupported, highly talented rider to make it these days and i just don't see most american kids wanting to make that sort of sacrifice. it's just not cool or flashy enough. like him or not, the only one who comes close if Riffle. He left Yeti and went to honda/ih and trecked around on the WC circuit for the entire '06 season without support or even a ride to or from the airport because he figured that was what it would take to compete.

and somewhere along the line a bunch of them got sidetracked with the notion that riding a front suspension, knobby tired mtn. bike in the skate parks was rad, and that doing watered-down bmx tricks on city streets and over camels was the future of the sport.
 
dirttastesgood

dirttastesgood

Turbo Monkey
Dec 12, 2006
1,517
0
CT
Yeah, the urban/park stuff has sidetracked a lot of kids. Out of the 10 kids I starting riding with in 04 I'm the only one racing, the rest are wearing girls jeans and riding around on pavement.
 
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