Who will be the new teams in Pro Team Category for 2012 ?

mr_goo

With HTC-Highroad shutting up shop, Quick Step and Omega Pharma Lotto merging, and now the possibility of Radioshack and Leopard Trek merging. And who knows what else could happen before the end of the season. It looks like there could be at least 3 vacancies in the Pro Team ranks. One of which is likely to be filled by Green Edge. Who will occupy the other 2 spots, bearing in mind the UCI have strict rules on funding etc etc.?
Could we see the return of FDJ or Cofidis to Pro Team or the promotion of Europcar?
My money is on Europcar and Cofidis.

Tusher

Would love to see Europcar up there.

Are Cofidis interested?

RichN95.

Mr Goo wrote:

With HTC-Highroad shutting up shop, Quick Step and Omega Pharma Lotto merging, and now the possibility of Radioshack and Leopard Trek merging. And who knows what else could happen before the end of the season. It looks like there could be at least 3 vacancies in the Pro Team ranks. One of which is likely to be filled by Green Edge. Who will occupy the other 2 spots, bearing in mind the UCI have strict rules on funding etc etc.?
Could we see the return of FDJ or Cofidis to Pro Team or the promotion of Europcar?
My money is on Europcar and Cofidis.

Quick Step and Omega Pharma Lotto aren't quite merging. The Omega Pharma bit is moving in with QS, but the Lotto bit is staying put. There will still be two teams.

Of the current teams, Europcar have had very good results, Skil have had some decent results from Kittel and are recruiting well. FdJ have done OK. GreenEdge need a few big names to get ahead of them.

Cofidis remain a disaster. It won't be them.

patchy

RichN95 wrote:

Of the current teams, Europcar have had very good results, Skil have had some decent results from Kittel and are recruiting well. FdJ have done OK. GreenEdge need a few big names to get ahead of them.

Fat Pat likes GreenEdge. They'll be WorldTour status next year no matter what.

andyp

patchy wrote:

Fat Pat likes GreenEdge. They'll be WorldTour status next year no matter what.

Assuming they can provide the financial guarantees first. Remember Pegasus?

rolf_f

RichN95 wrote:

Cofidis remain a disaster. It won't be them.

Why are they a disaster? They came 10th out of 22 teams in the Tour beating Astana, Radioshack, Liquigas, BMC, HTC etc. They were only 14 minutes behind FDJ who you do rate and they are currently two hours ahead of Skil in the Vuelta! Obviously, they were luckier than others in terms of losses in the tour but how does that make them a disaster?

rick_chasey

RichN95 wrote:

Mr Goo wrote:

With HTC-Highroad shutting up shop, Quick Step and Omega Pharma Lotto merging, and now the possibility of Radioshack and Leopard Trek merging. And who knows what else could happen before the end of the season. It looks like there could be at least 3 vacancies in the Pro Team ranks. One of which is likely to be filled by Green Edge. Who will occupy the other 2 spots, bearing in mind the UCI have strict rules on funding etc etc.?
Could we see the return of FDJ or Cofidis to Pro Team or the promotion of Europcar?
My money is on Europcar and Cofidis.

Quick Step and Omega Pharma Lotto aren't quite merging. The Omega Pharma bit is moving in with QS, but the Lotto bit is staying put. There will still be two teams.
.

You wonder what the kit will look like.

They'd better stick to the QS styling. Cosistently the best kit in the peloton.

afx237vi

Rolf F wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

Cofidis remain a disaster. It won't be them.

Why are they a disaster? They came 10th out of 22 teams in the Tour beating Astana, Radioshack, Liquigas, BMC, HTC etc. They were only 14 minutes behind FDJ who you do rate and they are currently two hours ahead of Skil in the Vuelta! Obviously, they were luckier than others in terms of losses in the tour but how does that make them a disaster?

You can't really use the team classification to quantify anything. Cofidis beating HTC in a team classification just means Cofidis have 9 really mediocre all-rounders, while HTC have world class sprinters who finish miles down the GC. Anyone with an ounce of common sense knows which is the better team.

calvjones

afx237vi wrote:

Anyone with an ounce of common sense knows which is the better team.

And this is relevant how?

afx237vi

calvjones wrote:

afx237vi wrote:

Anyone with an ounce of common sense knows which is the better team.

And this is relevant how?

Common sense helps with PTP picks - what's that Kr business all about!

RichN95.

Rolf F wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

Cofidis remain a disaster. It won't be them.

Why are they a disaster? They came 10th out of 22 teams in the Tour beating Astana, Radioshack, Liquigas, BMC, HTC etc. They were only 14 minutes behind FDJ who you do rate and they are currently two hours ahead of Skil in the Vuelta! Obviously, they were luckier than others in terms of losses in the tour but how does that make them a disaster?

They're a disaster because, apart from the occasional showing from Moncoutie, who is 36 and perpetually on the brink of retirement, they haven't won anything of note for years.

If coming 10th in the Tour team competition is the best example you can find to show their worth, then you're kind of proving my point for me.

calvjones

afx237vi wrote:

calvjones wrote:

afx237vi wrote:

Anyone with an ounce of common sense knows which is the better team.

And this is relevant how?

Common sense helps with PTP picks - what's that Kr business all about!

Good point. Be nice to imagine how Fat Pat would do at PTP

northstar

RichN95 wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

RichN95 wrote:

Cofidis remain a disaster. It won't be them.

Why are they a disaster? They came 10th out of 22 teams in the Tour beating Astana, Radioshack, Liquigas, BMC, HTC etc. They were only 14 minutes behind FDJ who you do rate and they are currently two hours ahead of Skil in the Vuelta! Obviously, they were luckier than others in terms of losses in the tour but how does that make them a disaster?

They're a disaster because, apart from the occasional showing from Moncoutie, who is 36 and perpetually on the brink of retirement, they haven't won anything of note for years.

If coming 10th in the Tour team competition is the best example you can find to show their worth, then you're kind of proving my point for me.

Are you myopic?

FJS

Rick Chasey wrote:

You wonder what the kit will look like.

They'd better stick to the QS styling. Cosistently the best kit in the peloton.

rolf_f

RichN95 wrote:

They're a disaster because, apart from the occasional showing from Moncoutie, who is 36 and perpetually on the brink of retirement, they haven't won anything of note for years.

If coming 10th in the Tour team competition is the best example you can find to show their worth, then you're kind of proving my point for me.

Hmmm, Rein Taaramäe seems to be pretty sound but what would I know?

As for 10th in the Tour team comp, that was just an observation on the last race result - I don't recall making any comment on whether that was the best that I could find but it certainly beats some of the other teams. And it is still rather more constructive than your completely uninformative 'point' (if you could call it that) don't you think?

prawny

Will Sun holidays have another go? 'Letting Ricco go' might have helped their cause, plus the possibility Hoogerland in all the big races would be an audience draw.