2015 Transfers / Rumours and real

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  • RonB
    RonB Posts: 3,984
    Might have appeared before...

    @Cycling_tweets: Wout Poels signs with Sky http://t.co/cH6ZlFUnJa
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,252
    Norwegian Procycling say that Nordhaug is returning to Sky, which had been rumoured.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    RichN95 wrote:
    I'm a firm believer that there is enormous talent in Africa - enough to blow out of the water the ideas of human capacity spouted by the likes of Vayer.

    A little OT, but I was surprised by Africa's size:
    20101113_WOM943.gif
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,252
    Macaloon wrote:
    A little OT, but I was surprised by Africa's
    That'll be due to Meractor world maps which, by trying to put the surface of a sphere on a 2d rectangle, distort dimensions relatively shriking land the closer it is to the equator.

    We're used to seeing a world map like this. Look at Greenland. It's huge. But in reality, it's smaller than Algeria.
    Mercator_projection_SW.jpg
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Its not too far off. Sum of those those listed is 35.6m km sq. Africa is 30.2m km sq. However event then there is dead area in that mock-up which would be several m km sq.

    http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/popula ... yareal.htm
    Contador is the Greatest
  • dsoutar
    dsoutar Posts: 1,746
    Staying firmly off topic, surely the defining statistic in terms of ability to produce world class cyclists should be population, not area. Africa ~ 1 billion. The sum of those above must be approaching 4 billion

    In fact one could argue that it's China where the next explosion of cyclists could come from

    (cue some kind of Cheng reponse from ATC)
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,252
    dsoutar wrote:
    Staying firmly off topic, surely the defining statistic in terms of ability to produce world class cyclists should be population, not area. Africa ~ 1 billion. The sum of those above must be approaching 4 billion
    But, there's far more human genetic diversity in Africa than the rest of world put together. If you want to find someone extraordinary, Africa is the best place to look (or those with relatively recent African heritage)
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,461
    RichN95 wrote:
    TakeTheHighRoad wrote:
    Ah Alonso more likely, if he gets off the ground.

    MTN nailed on TDF and RCS race wild cards to be fair, so not fussed with going to Australia
    They certainly have ambition, but personally I don't really like them having it. They're moving away from being a team providing African opportunity to losing that character. I'm a firm believer that there is enormous talent in Africa - enough to blow out of the water the ideas of human capacity spouted by the likes of Vayer. I don't want raw talents being blocked my mediocre Europeans. Like seeing someone like Froome in 2009 (but black) being cast aside for the likes of Romain Feillu.

    But then, I'm not paying the bills.

    I agree with this. The signings seem to go against Brian S comments on here that they were keeping the team as African at heart. A real shame and takes away the team's USP to a large extent.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,543
    You can't take young African riders, with little or no experience of racing in Europe, and expect them to perform well in the kind of races MTN-Qubeka are invited too. It makes sense for them to have some more experienced riders to learn from as they adapt to European racing.

    Doug Ryder has been clear about this since the team started racing a predominantly European calendar.
  • BenderRodriguez
    BenderRodriguez Posts: 907
    Well, it looks as though Wiggins' days with Sky are about to come to an end...
    “We’re still all trying to make something work. It will not be your straight forward style of rider contract though because there’s the opportunity to do something different, which we hope will support Brad right through until the Olympic ambitions, the Hour Record and a chance to ride the Classics next year.

    “We want to build that all into a package that works for both Brad and for Team Sky. That’s why it has taken a little bit longer but we’re all working on it and it’s all positive and optimistic that we can sort something out.”

    “The clock is ticking and we have to make some decisions pretty soon but everyone is keen to get it to work.”

    http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vuelta- ... or-the-win

    Just translate Brailsford's management speak into plain English. :wink:
    "an original thinker… the intellectual heir of Galileo and Einstein… suspicious of orthodoxy - any orthodoxy… He relishes all forms of ontological argument": jane90.
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    BenderRodriguez wrote:
    Just translate Brailsford's management speak into plain English. :wink:

    SDB: "F*ck. Froome's winged again, it's deadline day, and I'm desperate to put a column in the son. Fran will kill me if I blow the Christmas special plot in September. Time for an Olympic distraction."
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,267
    Still off topic (sorry)
    The naievity about Africa is stunning (being an ex pat). Africa is huge except you have massive arid regions including the Sahara. The actual fertile areas which will support populations are relatively small.
    If we take football as an example, many clubs have imported African youths to European clubs with the hope of finding cheap talent. Some have even done it on the basis of promises and bribes. There have been horror stories of exploitation and failures.

    http://www.theguardian.com/football/2008/jan/06/newsstory.sport4

    The number of Africans who become top footballers is actually quite paltry in relation to the population.
    The problem is that so many African children do not get a proper education and rarely reach their potential. The other major factor is malnutrition. Research has found that up to the age of 2, African babies develop cognitively in tandem with their Western counterparts (mainly due to breastfeeding) but after that, the difference becomes marked and it is down to nutrition.
    The idea that 4 billion people can return a number of professional cyclists is probably far less likely than the number of top professional footballers given the need for decent equipment, proper roads, coaching, education, nutrition... and footballs are far cheaper than bikes.
    Realistically, there are small pockets of a higher standard of living and good education but this is only for a select few of the population (Froome, born in Kenya to white parents and moved to SA when he was 9). There are a few million Arabs of whom many are well educated and often affluent but cycling is not part of their culture.

    Unless the basic standard of living and education vastly improves, all this is just sheer unfounded speculation.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • BenderRodriguez
    BenderRodriguez Posts: 907
    Macaloon wrote:
    BenderRodriguez wrote:
    Just translate Brailsford's management speak into plain English. :wink:

    SDB: "F*ck. Froome's winged again, it's deadline day, and I'm desperate to put a column in the son. Fran will kill me if I blow the Christmas special plot in September. Time for an Olympic distraction."

    More like...
    “I have given up trying to make something work. Any contract I would have given him would not have been your straight forward style of rider contract in any case, because there’s no way I want him on any of our grand tour squads. I had hoped that we might save face by supporting the bugger right through his Olympic ambitions, the Hour Record or anything else that doesn't involve him possibly upsetting Froome and his missus.

    “I hoped to be able to build that all into a package that works for both me and for Team Sky. That’s why it has taken a little bit longer and 'officially' I'm still working on it, although to be honest I have given up all hope that we can sort something out.”

    “The clock is ticking so I will be sticking the knife in for one last time very soon, and to be honest but I am dead keen to see the back of him.”

    Then again, perhaps Wiggo will just be happy to accept a couple of million in return for keeping his mouth shut!
    "an original thinker… the intellectual heir of Galileo and Einstein… suspicious of orthodoxy - any orthodoxy… He relishes all forms of ontological argument": jane90.
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Sky sign mountain goat who can TT ok shock.

    Can't help feeling DB needs to change his strategy now it isn't as effective.
  • Macaloon
    Macaloon Posts: 5,545
    pinarello001 wrote:
    Unless the basic standard of living and education vastly improves, all this is just sheer unfounded speculation.

    Our descendants will not look kindly on the master's of market forces, perched in luxury, squandering the potential of an entire continent. How many Plato's, Beethoven's and Bono's have we missed for want of a well fed kid & mosquito nets. Sick.
    ...a rare 100% loyal Pro Race poster. A poster boy for the community.
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,267
    Macaloon wrote:
    pinarello001 wrote:
    Unless the basic standard of living and education vastly improves, all this is just sheer unfounded speculation.

    Our descendants will not look kindly on the master's of market forces, perched in luxury on the back of exploiting entire continents. How many Plato's, Beethoven's and Betancur's(!?) have we missed for want of a well fed kid & mosquito nets. Sick.

    FTFY :D

    What's your gripe with DB madasahattersly? It's just a straight question not meant as antagonism.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • pinno
    pinno Posts: 52,267
    97dff92e1a1b6e6c5e48cc5eb5e74d5d2fa2161c.jpg

    Spooky.
    seanoconn - gruagach craic!
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Jacopo Guarnieri to Katusha for 2 years.
    David de la Cruz from NetApp to OPQS for 2 years.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • dsoutar
    dsoutar Posts: 1,746
    Guarnieri from Astana to Katusha for 2 years
  • dsoutar
    dsoutar Posts: 1,746
    De La Cruz from NetApp to OPQS for 2 years
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Did you read the last post on this thread before posting?
    Contador is the Greatest
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,647
    Not sure it has been posted yet...

    De La Cruz from NetApp to OPQS for 2 years
  • dsoutar
    dsoutar Posts: 1,746
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Did you read the last post on this thread before posting?

    I used the search function before I posted and as that returned nothing I decided that rather than read every single post it seemed that no-one else had posted same
  • dsoutar
    dsoutar Posts: 1,746
    dish_dash wrote:
    Not sure it has been posted yet...

    De La Cruz from NetApp to OPQS for 2 years


    You'll get told off in a minute...
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    dish_dash wrote:
    Not sure it has been posted yet...

    De La Cruz from NetApp to OPQS for 2 years

    Ha yes, three times in the space of a few posts.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • dsoutar
    dsoutar Posts: 1,746
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Looks like Bos to MTN is closer.

    “There is interest there,” Bos’ manager Rik van Dongen told the newspaper. “Theo is positive about it and they are just going over the finer points. We are at an advanced stage but there is yet to be a signature.”

    Confirmed

    http://www.supersport.com/cycling/sa-cy ... MTNQhubeka
  • SCR Pedro
    SCR Pedro Posts: 912
    BenderRodriguez wrote:
    Just translate Brailsford's management speak into plain English. :wink:

    "EBH wasn't winning anything, so we didn't want to pay him any more. Good luck to whoever wants him"

    Or am I being too cynical?
    Giant TCR Advanced II - Reviewed on my homepage
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  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,461
    Macaloon wrote:
    ....I'm desperate to put a column in the son.

    :shock:
  • above_the_cows
    above_the_cows Posts: 11,406
    dsoutar wrote:
    (cue some kind of Cheng reponse from ATC)

    What, um,whay, yes, err...

    CHENG!

    Will that do? Sorry I'm a bit late to the party, busy, busy, busy at work.
    Correlation is not causation.
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    Apparently De La Cruz from NetApp to OPQS for 2 years
    Team My Man 2018: David gaudu, Pierre Latour, Romain Bardet, Thibaut pinot, Alexandre Geniez, Florian Senechal, Warren Barguil, Benoit Cosnefroy

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