{"id":3244,"date":"2013-12-05T11:00:42","date_gmt":"2013-12-05T11:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/crankpunk.com\/?p=3244"},"modified":"2013-12-05T11:00:42","modified_gmt":"2013-12-05T11:00:42","slug":"oleg-tinkov-is-this-as-bad-as-we-think-it-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/crankpunk.com\/ja\/2013\/12\/05\/oleg-tinkov-is-this-as-bad-as-we-think-it-is\/","title":{"rendered":"Oleg Tinkov: is this as bad as we think it is?"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Tim Renowden<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

So Saxoff is now Tinko, or something like that. Sinkoff Taxo? Sixo Tankoff? I can\u2019t keep up.<\/p>\n

I met Oleg Tinkov once. It had taken me the best part of two hours to pass by his various layers of security: the voluptuous receptionist at the front of his corporate office; the thick-necked security guards frisking me at the metal detectors; the thin-lipped man with an earpiece, with his dead-eyed gaze as I strolled through the heavy steel doors.<\/p>\n

Once inside, the man himself was seated behind a huge mahogany desk with a scale model of Europe and a big red button, smoking an enormous cigar and stroking a white cat. He rotated in his leather chair and growled, \u201cGreetings\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Not really, obviously. This story is a complete fabrication. But would anyone be surprised if it were true? It\u2019s not that much more fanciful than some of the lurid-but-genuine commentary about cycling\u2019s newest team owner.<\/p>\n

Mr Tinkov does present in public as (to borrow a phrase common in Australian pubs) a pretty loose unit, known for firing off drunk tweets faster than, well, a Russian downing shots at a wedding.<\/p>\n

[check out Neil Browne’s collection of Tinkov tweets here<\/a>]<\/p>\n

So colourful is Mr Tinkov that there\u2019s even been murmurings of the UCI setting up a \u201cfit and proper\u201d person test, presumably to prevent people like him sullying cycling\u2019s good reputation for ethics and governance.<\/p>\n

Frankly, I think this is a bad idea. Basically, I just don\u2019t think it\u2019s fair to single out cycling for attracting dubious characters, when the English Premier League is allowed to exist.<\/p>\n

Then there are the practicalities: it wouldn\u2019t necessarily be easy designing a test that catches one self-made millionaire businessman with a slightly dusty public image but lets all the others stay.<\/p>\n

I mean, he\u2019s no shadowy oligarch. Tinkov made his millions from flipping companies and investing the huge profits in new companies, which he then flips for even huger profits.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s had the business importing cheap electronics from Asia; the brewery with a fake back-story and risque commercials; and the dot.com credit card company with the recent shaky IPO. All very successful businesses.<\/p>\n

He\u2019s clearly in this for the long haul.<\/p>\n

I will admit he did a pretty amazing job at alienating his star rider, Alberto Contador, by very publicly criticising him during and after this year\u2019s Tour.<\/p>\n

On July 22<\/a>: \u201cHis salary doesn’t match his performance. Too rich and isn’t hungry, that’s my opinion, and I deserve it. He must work harder\u201d<\/p>\n

A week later<\/a>: \u201che is not riding Vuelta- he is tired), LOL, what the fuck Conta is tired from,one race?He isn’t tired to receive monthly HUGE check, though.\u201d<\/p>\n

In September, after his relationship with Riis and the team had seemingly broken, Oleg tweeted<\/a> \u201cContador to join Alonso team in 2014?\u2028If Bjarne get rid of Conta I may re-think may departure from #TeamSaxoTinkoff\u201d<\/p>\n

No surprise that Alberto\u2019s sulky teenager impression was on full display at the Tinkoff-Saxo launch. Like a teenager, Alberto just has to survive one more year, and then he can go hang out with his mate Fernando Alonso and not worry about his stupid team owner and his stupid chores.<\/p>\n

But Oleg wasn\u2019t completely wrong, Contador used to be able to attack all day, and now he just seems to get tired like everyone else. It\u2019s definitely possibly<\/em> because he\u2019s not training hard enough.<\/p>\n

Despite all this I\u2019m sure all of the Tinko riders will be motivated and in great spirits, knowing their new boss is following their performance so closely.<\/p>\n

At least Tinkov seems to have improved his opinion of his star. This week he tweeted<\/a>: \u201cExited to see my new @tinkoffsaxo team\u00a0 on the roads. And @albertocontador leading Tour de France in 2014. Wow.\u201d<\/p>\n

This has been going on for at least a few weeks. On November 23 he tweeted a photo of Contador<\/a> out training: \u201cConta is getting ready to kick ass of Froome))) and I am behind it YET\u201d<\/p>\n

\"BZxc2p5CAAENskz\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Oleg has also had some issues with his new general manager and former team owner, Bjarne Riis, who was reported to have told him to take a long walk off a short pier just a few months ago.<\/p>\n