2015 Transfers / Rumours and real

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  • wombly_knees
    wombly_knees Posts: 657
    MTN, fast becoming Barloworld 2. Okay, that is an exaggeration, but signing European kids and WT failures? Hope the WCC thing provides a couple of good ones for them... if they do get a chance
  • smokey_bacon
    smokey_bacon Posts: 1,639
    EBH definitely leaving sky.

    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/edvald- ... e-team-sky
  • philbar72
    philbar72 Posts: 2,229
    Smokey Bacon wrote:
    EBH definitely leaving sky.

    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/edvald- ... e-team-sky

    Not a surprise. Hope the lad returns to 2011 form. if used correctly could definitely stage win, and act as a lead out for a top quality sprinter.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Robert Gesink, Wilco Kelderman and Steven Kruijswijk confirmed for two years at De Lotto.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • jimmythecuckoo
    jimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,718
    Good sign that the team is coming together.
    http://fendrieneu.home.blog
    My blog and pod...
    Beers of Belgium Cycling Club UK
  • cgrenn
    cgrenn Posts: 206
    frenchfighter wrote:
    It seems that Nicolas Roche could leave the team, with Team Sky apparently keen to sign the Irishman.

    "It's strange because we have three or four guys from Team Sky who are coming to us," Tinkov hinted mischievously.

    "It seems like we're on an opposite trajectory. We're going up and they're going down. So if I were him, I wouldn't jump ship. But it's his decision. He's Irish and so maybe he feels better on an Anglo-Saxon team."

    Hope He does go to Sky, I love Roche. Top guy.
  • specialgueststar
    specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
    jimmythecuckoo wrote:
    Good sign that the team is coming together.

    Shame they have lost Mollema though. Gesink still a way to go to become what he was.
  • squired
    squired Posts: 1,153
    I hope that Roche doesn't go for Sky for the same reason that I am glad EBH is leaving. Maybe they will change things, but their whole process of having every single rider dedicated to the designated leader is killing the individual winning instinct. If EBH gets that back he could get some big results, but he could just be a nearly man - I hope for the former. For me a classic example of the Sky "Team" approach was epitomised by Wiggo at Paris-Roubaix. I honestly feel he doesn't know how to attack to win a one day race because he is so used to being ridden to the finish by his team. Roche would get far fewer chances to show himself at Sky. For me he would be a great rider to have at a team like Garmin, or even part of the GC group at BMC.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    I agree with you although imo, Roche has been given opportunity at Tinkoff and shown to be lacking. A good rider certainly but I think he should just slot into some train and get a few chances here and there himself.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    @nicholasroche
    @richie_porte #castellar water stop! Great august training day!
    BumD3LzCAAA6Zkt.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Apparently Sepulveda has been approached by Cannondale. Not sure how this works with them and Garmin merging.

    Would love to see more of this clearly talented Argentinian.

    But he re-signs with BSE :cry:
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    stefano feltrin @stefelt · 17 t
    @tinkoff_saxo new announcement about riders for 2015 will be on August 18th at 12:00 cet! Stay tuned and be patient!!
    Contador is the Greatest
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,252
    madasahattersley wrote:
    "The next Eddy Merckx" they said! I guess he's still got a few more years left in him.
    The danger of judging riders on their debut season and extrapolating according to a standard career progression. The ones that start the brightest are often already almost as good as they'll ever be.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • mroli
    mroli Posts: 3,622
    Smokey Bacon wrote:
    EBH definitely leaving sky.

    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/edvald- ... e-team-sky

    Classic interview with EBH. Uses the words "very good" three times in one sentence. awesome. brilliant. fantastic.
    http://www.georgesfoundation.org
    http://100hillsforgeorge.blogspot.com/
    http://www.12on12in12.blogspot.co.uk/
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,283
    madasahattersley wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    madasahattersley wrote:
    "The next Eddy Merckx" they said! I guess he's still got a few more years left in him.
    The danger of judging riders on their debut season and extrapolating according to a standard career progression. The ones that start the brightest are often already almost as good as they'll ever be.

    A certain twenty nine year old Luxembourger comes to mind!

    ..and Damiano Cunego ?
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,252
    pinarello001 wrote:
    madasahattersley wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    madasahattersley wrote:
    "The next Eddy Merckx" they said! I guess he's still got a few more years left in him.
    The danger of judging riders on their debut season and extrapolating according to a standard career progression. The ones that start the brightest are often already almost as good as they'll ever be.

    A certain twenty nine year old Luxembourger comes to mind!

    ..and Damiano Cunego ?
    Sagan may be another one. He's not really progressed much in the last couple of years. Gesink - 7th in the Vuelta at 22, not really kicked on. And wither Moreno Moser? And that's before we start on under 23 superstars like Sicard and Petrov.

    (Similarly while Adam Yates has had a great debut season, I expect in the long run Simon will be better)
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • mike6
    mike6 Posts: 1,199
    RichN95 wrote:
    pinarello001 wrote:
    madasahattersley wrote:
    RichN95 wrote:
    madasahattersley wrote:
    "The next Eddy Merckx" they said! I guess he's still got a few more years left in him.
    The danger of judging riders on their debut season and extrapolating according to a standard career progression. The ones that start the brightest are often already almost as good as they'll ever be.

    A certain twenty nine year old Luxembourger comes to mind!

    ..and Damiano Cunego ?
    Sagan may be another one. He's not really progressed much in the last couple of years. Gesink - 7th in the Vuelta at 22, not really kicked on. And wither Moreno Moser? And that's before we start on under 23 superstars like Sicard and Petrov.

    (Similarly while Adam Yates has had a great debut season, I expect in the long run Simon will be better)[/quote]

    How long is there current contract? Who may be waiting to sign them? Or would they be better in different teams to prevent a Schleck situation happening?
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,252
    mike6 wrote:
    (Similarly while Adam Yates has had a great debut season, I expect in the long run Simon will be better)[/

    How long is there current contract? Who may be waiting to sign them? Or would they be better in different teams to prevent a Schleck situation happening?
    Standard two year neo-pro contract I'd expect. Neither will be short of offers - not least from Sky. But Orica have served them well so far. Given that they took very different routes as juniors, I doubt they will need a Schleck style co-dependency. (It would be fun to see them race each other, although Williams v Williams at tennis is always underwhelming)
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,283
    Sagan managed a Green Jersey without a stage win and a proper lead out train. As someone else pointed out, he burnt his team in the TdF out because of his good engine. Saxo T would not have signed him if they didn't think he was capable.
    We cannot sum or judge up Sagan's career yet whilst he is so young with many seasons to go (hopefully).
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,252
    pinarello001 wrote:
    Sagan managed a Green Jersey without a stage win and a proper lead out train. As someone else pointed out, he burnt his team in the TdF out because of his good engine. Saxo T would not have signed him if they didn't think he was capable.
    We cannot sum or judge up Sagan's career yet whilst he is so young with many seasons to go (hopefully).
    Yeah, but he won the Green Jersey with no competition. Kittel didn't contest the intemediate sprints, Kristoff occasionally did. It's a big deal, but really the bare minimum for him. Elsewhere he's won E3 and a couple of stages. But lots of near misses. He was doing that in 2012, and 2011 mostly. Where's the progress? Maybe a new team will help.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,283
    RichN95 wrote:
    pinarello001 wrote:
    Sagan managed a Green Jersey without a stage win and a proper lead out train. As someone else pointed out, he burnt his team in the TdF out because of his good engine. Saxo T would not have signed him if they didn't think he was capable.
    We cannot sum or judge up Sagan's career yet whilst he is so young with many seasons to go (hopefully).
    Yeah, but he won the Green Jersey with no competition. Kittel didn't contest the intemediate sprints, Kristoff occasionally did. It's a big deal, but really the bare minimum for him. Elsewhere he's won E3 and a couple of stages. But lots of near misses. He was doing that in 2012, and 2011 mostly. Where's the progress? Maybe a new team will help.

    2014
    1st MaillotSlovakia.gif National Road Race Championships
    1st E3 Harelbeke
    Tirreno–Adriatico
    1st Jersey red.svg Points classification
    1st Stage 3
    Tour of California
    1st Jersey green.svg Sprints classification
    1st Stage 7
    1st Stage 4 Tour of Oman
    1st Stage 1 Three Days of De Panne
    Tour de Suisse
    1st Jersey polkadot.svg Points classification
    1st Stage 3
    Tour de France
    1st Jersey green.svg Points classification
    Held Jersey white.svg after Stages 1–7
    2nd Strade Bianche
    3rd Gent–Wevelgem
    6th Paris–Roubaix
    10th Milan – San Remo

    Are you sure?
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,252
    pinarello001 wrote:
    2014
    1st MaillotSlovakia.gif National Road Race Championships
    1st E3 Harelbeke
    Tirreno–Adriatico
    1st Jersey red.svg Points classification
    1st Stage 3
    Tour of California
    1st Jersey green.svg Sprints classification
    1st Stage 7
    1st Stage 4 Tour of Oman
    1st Stage 1 Three Days of De Panne
    Tour de Suisse
    1st Jersey polkadot.svg Points classification
    1st Stage 3
    Tour de France
    1st Jersey green.svg Points classification
    Held Jersey white.svg after Stages 1–7
    2nd Strade Bianche
    3rd Gent–Wevelgem
    6th Paris–Roubaix
    10th Milan – San Remo

    Are you sure?
    Sure, let's break that down into actual wins. This is a guy Tinkoff is allegedly paying 3-4 million euros a year and two or three years ago said was dominant rider of his generation. He's in his fifth year as a pro - when riders are expected to get results.

    Green jersey
    E3
    1 Tour of Switzerland stage
    1 Tour of California stage
    1 Tirreno stage

    It's not rich pickings.

    In 2012 he had
    Green Jersey
    3 Tour de France stages
    3 Tour of Switzerland stages
    5 Tour of California stages
    1 Tirreno stage

    (he was also top five of Amstel, Flanders, MSR and Gent-W, as opposed to just G-W)

    Where's the progress? He's gone backwards.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    Tough crowd
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,252
    ThomThom wrote:
    Tough crowd
    I'm not saying he's not a good rider - of course he is. It's just that he's an example of someone who was really good really soon and has basically stayed at that level.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,820
    pinarello001 wrote:

    2014
    1st MaillotSlovakia.gif National Road Race Championships
    1st E3 Harelbeke
    Tirreno–Adriatico
    1st Jersey red.svg Points classification
    1st Stage 3
    Tour of California
    1st Jersey green.svg Sprints classification
    1st Stage 7
    1st Stage 4 Tour of Oman
    1st Stage 1 Three Days of De Panne
    Tour de Suisse
    1st Jersey polkadot.svg Points classification
    1st Stage 3
    Tour de France
    1st Jersey green.svg Points classification
    Held Jersey white.svg after Stages 1–7
    2nd Strade Bianche
    3rd Gent–Wevelgem
    6th Paris–Roubaix
    10th Milan – San Remo

    Are you sure?

    This exactly proves Rich's point:
    RichN95 wrote:
    Elsewhere he's won E3 and a couple of stages. But lots of near misses. He was doing that in 2012, and 2011 mostly. Where's the progress? Maybe a new team will help.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Seems to me that Sagan is very like Sean Kelly as a rider and he won his first classic when he was 27.
  • philbar72
    philbar72 Posts: 2,229
    RichN95 wrote:
    pinarello001 wrote:
    Sagan managed a Green Jersey without a stage win and a proper lead out train. As someone else pointed out, he burnt his team in the TdF out because of his good engine. Saxo T would not have signed him if they didn't think he was capable.
    We cannot sum or judge up Sagan's career yet whilst he is so young with many seasons to go (hopefully).
    Yeah, but he won the Green Jersey with no competition. Kittel didn't contest the intemediate sprints, Kristoff occasionally did. It's a big deal, but really the bare minimum for him. Elsewhere he's won E3 and a couple of stages. But lots of near misses. He was doing that in 2012, and 2011 mostly. Where's the progress? Maybe a new team will help.

    Agree. Needs to focus on results and stop pulling no handed wheeleis when sprinting or whatever. also needs to be cannier tactically and work on other aspects of his game. having said that he is still a phenomenal bike rider!
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,461
    It's gone off topic but basically he is a victim of his own early success. In a bunch sprint there will be faster sprinters, he doesn't quite have the power of a Boonen or Cancellara at present for a long range solo effort that others can't bring back and when he is in a small group he is left to chase everyone down because they all know he has the beating of them in a sprint from that sort of group. I think he needs to effectively bluff riders in the smaller races by not doing any chasing and sacrificing wins in order to stop being so closely marked in bigger events. He's undoubtably a strong all-round rider but he is still tactically naive.
  • specialgueststar
    specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
    Gilbert signing for Europcar??
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Sagan's rankings for past 5 years: 30, 8, 5, 3, 3
    Upward progression.
    Consistently amazing performer.
    Poor team.
    Somewhat tactically naive or too brave but this is wonderful for the fans.

    Next year he will have a proper team, proper DS and experienced riders around him. He is going to be unstoppable and he will be still unstoppable in many years time. The guy is totally hors norms.
    Contador is the Greatest

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