2015 Transfers / Rumours and real

FJS

RichN95 wrote:

Now here's an idea.

Sky are paying Doull's salary at Europcar to give him more opportunity to race. Europcar have shown with Craven that they will take riders with personal backing

Just a theory. Maybe they have realised with Edmondson/Sadam Yates that GB talent is best nurtured elsewhere.


(I have no evidence for this. Just a guess)

In such a scenario, who would Doull ride for? Officially Europcar, of course. But cyclists make many decisions considering in the back of their head who pays ther bills (in the worlds for instance). Say, at the TdF Sky desperately needs someone to chase a break with Nibali and Contador in. Would it not be tempting for Doull to do a little turn on the front? Or he's in a break, a Sky rider attacks. Does he chase? It'd be a bit messy. Imagine Mr Tinkoff paying the wages of the whole Europcar team, as well as his own team.

lyn1

The_Boy wrote:

Re: Doull. I think it's a potentially a very smart move for him.

That will probably depend on how they use him. If he ends up carrying bottles for a load of French riders they wish to develop, he may have been better in a good PC team where he gets to race and learn more. Unless you argue he has joined a good PC team that rides under a WT license

Pross

r0bh wrote:

Wheelspinner wrote:

Pross wrote:

I can't understand why Sky continue with Sutton.

From Wikipedia...

"He is the son of NSW Institute of Sport's head cycling coach, Gary Sutton, and nephew of British Cycling track coach, Shane Sutton;"

I'm sure that has nothing to do with it though.

Amazing that some people think that the only riders of value are those who win races. Would recommend reading Domestique by Charlie Wegelius (who had a successful career without ever winning a race).

I'm perfectly aware of the value of domestiques, I just don't think Sutton does a particularly good job in that role either. He was initially there as a part-time sprinter but I can't recall seeing him near the front in a bunch sprint for a few seasons and in his years there they have brought in similar riders who are younger and better such as Rowe.

If he went to a Pro Conti team he could probably fulfill the domestique role whilst also getting the opportunity of riding to win at some smaller races.

Pross

Interesting move for Doull. Hopefully his road career will start to flourish now. It'll be interesting to see if he gets given the chance to fight for an Olympic spot or hopefully it is a sign he has committed to being a road rider. 4th in the U23 Ronde so has a bit of talent.

As for the development role for Sky / UK riders, I thought this new Fox team was supposed to be doing that?

Pross

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Did someone mention Viviani? (and Cobrelli, it seems)
http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/no ... p?id=75525

Velo UK saying on Twitter that Viviani was with Sky in Manchester today along with a few unidentified new signings (maybe those other Italians mentioned in the article?).

jscl

Pross wrote:

Blazing Saddles wrote:

Did someone mention Viviani? (and Cobrelli, it seems)
http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/no ... p?id=75525

Velo UK saying on Twitter that Viviani was with Sky in Manchester today along with a few unidentified new signings (maybe those other Italians mentioned in the article?).

No secrets in these corridors!

Paul 8v

I get the other two but not Viviani, Sky aren't really in to sprints (Maybe this is to combat that?) Three Italians makes sense though as the team is quite popular there

cal_stewart

Its not the team its the sponsor, Italy is a big market for sky

frenchfighter

Gaimon moves to Optum Pro Cycling for 1 year.
Short interview with him:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/q-and-a ... ro-cycling

R Plaza moves from Movistar to Lampre.

andyp

Fabian Wegmann leaves Garmin to join CULT Energy.

hommelbier

Haven't seen this elsewhere

Pierrick Fedrigo, Jonathan Hivert, Yauheni Hutarovich all going to Bretagne-Séché Environnement.

http://www.cyclingquotes.com/news/bretagne-sch_environnement_sign_cyclo-cross_champion/

tailwindhome

http://inrng.com/2014/10/2015-uci-pro-team-q-and-a/

17 teams 18 licences.

andyp

Have we had the Dombrowski to Cannondale confirmation yet? He's confirmed it himself in an interview with Velonews.

tailwindhome

andyp wrote:

Have we had the Dombrowski to Cannondale confirmation yet? He's confirmed it himself in an interview with Velonews.

Team Sky ‏@TeamSky · 6m6 minutes ago
Everyone at @TeamSky would like to wish @JoeDombro the very best of luck for the future at Cannondale.

tailwindhome

the Inner Ring ‏@inrng · 18m18 minutes ago
Lampre-Merida have a made an offer to Samuel Sanchez says his agent Michel Gros in L'Equipe

frenchfighter

TailWindHome wrote:

the Inner Ring ‏@inrng · 18m18 minutes ago
Lampre-Merida have a made an offer to Samuel Sanchez says his agent Michel Gros in L'Equipe

I hope he stays at BMC.

Paul 8v

If only for sartorial reasons!

tailwindhome

Sticky Bottle ‏@sticky_bottle · 8h8 hours ago
Top junior Eddie Dunbar signs for UK Continental team NFTO

frenchfighter

Nice.

blazing_saddles

Sonny Cobrelli openly talking about a move to Sky:

http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/no ... p?id=75722

Something like:

Now I want to concentrate only on the end of the season. Rimagno Lap of Emilia and Trophy Beghelli to win the Coppa Italia. I will be at the start of the Beghelli. To win it. Then think about the eventual transfer. But we need to find an agreement, friendly if not affectionate, with the reverb. The Bardian team gave me a lot, and i much i gave the Bardian team. But Sky would be a great opportunity

frenchfighter

It would be a good catch for Sky. He has 5 x.1 wins this year. Latest was yesterday in Coppa Sabatini.

RichN95.

Who is the better sprinter - Cobrelli or Viviani? I can see them combining with Puccio to form a pretty useful sprint unit.

andyp

Viviani is probably faster, but Cobrelli is able to handle the hills better. He's more in the Swift mould, which makes me wander why Sky want him.

RichN95.

andyp wrote:

Viviani is probably faster, but Cobrelli is able to handle the hills better. He's more in the Swift mould, which makes me wander why Sky want him.

So they could work a Kittel/Degenkolb dynamic then.

As for Swift, there's always plenty of sprinters races available. The likes of Giant and Orica have loads of sprinters.

blazing_saddles

andyp wrote:

Viviani is probably faster, but Cobrelli is able to handle the hills better. He's more in the Swift mould, which makes me wander why Sky want him.

Pretty much this. Viviani, I would say is significantly faster, but Cobrelli gets over the hills far better.
He gets so many results in one day races, I see him as a major asset for the hilly classics and some of the punchy stage races.

The thing for me is that both are able to operate with minimal team support.
Maybe Sky are looking to them for an operational plan "B".
Hunting stages, to supplement their GC aspirations and returns.

Pross

TailWindHome wrote:

Sticky Bottle ‏@sticky_bottle · 8h8 hours ago
Top junior Eddie Dunbar signs for UK Continental team NFTO

Not a huge surprise, he would have caught the attention of NFTO at the Tour of Wales which they sponsor if they weren't already watching him. Not sure if domestic UK racing will suit him particularly though.

gsk82

sean yates and bobby jullich likely off to tinkoff according to cycling news

Art Vandelay

Conti Belgian team 3M announced their team for 2015 which includes Elliott Porter and Jack Sadler of Rapha Condor JLT.

takethehighroad

Pross wrote:

TailWindHome wrote:

Sticky Bottle ‏@sticky_bottle · 8h8 hours ago
Top junior Eddie Dunbar signs for UK Continental team NFTO

Not a huge surprise, he would have caught the attention of NFTO at the Tour of Wales which they sponsor if they weren't already watching him. Not sure if domestic UK racing will suit him particularly though.

You can get odds on Dunbar winning the Tour before 2020, off the top of my head something like 250/1.

RichN95.

Dan McLay is joining Bretegne Seche. I bet none of you guessed that one.