2019 Transfers - Rumours and Confirmations

Mad_Malx

^Who, at 18, was not far off Wiggins' hour record on Thursday (apparently wouldn't have counted though)

DeadCalm

Mad_Malx wrote:

^Who, at 18, was not far off Wiggins' hour record on Thursday (apparently wouldn't have counted though)

Think he's nineteen, but yep, second fastest time since the new rules I believe. An awesome prospect.

blazing_saddles

DeadCalm wrote:

Mad_Malx wrote:

DeadCalm wrote:

andyp wrote:

DeadCalm wrote:

A very shrewd move by Sky bagging themselves the latest Colombian 'Next Big Thing'. If they're lucky he'll go on to replicate the success of Uran, Quintana, Henao and Chaves.

So two GT wins and nine podium finishes, plus a dozen or so GT stage wins?

I reckon they'd be quite happy with that.

Really? They've given him an almost unheard of five year deal. If he goes on to have a similar career to Quintana I imagine they'd be reasonably disappointed. If he has no more than the success of the other three I suspect they will be very disappointed.

If he has the same results as Quintana had by the time he is 26 (ie 5 years older) it would make him easily the second most successful Sky rider in their history. Quintana hasn't been exciting for a long time but the Sky train would appear ideally suited to him - so it is very likely he would won more in that situation, as well as confirming our prejudices about Sky's boring approach to riding.

Maybe.

The fact that Sky have given Bernal a 5 year deal suggests to me that they have bought into the whole 'guaranteed to dominate the TDF for the next generation' nonsense that has been spouted, here as well as elsewhere. The guy is a very promising prospect and he may well turn out to be the next dominant GT rider but it is far from guaranteed, especially taken in the context of other Colombians showing early promise and fading later in their career.

Given the significance a decent TT seems to have in regards to winning the Tour (surely, what Sky care about more than anything else), I'd personally be much more inclined to throw the money at Mikkel Bjerg.

Nothing is guaranteed in this game, ever.
Who could have predicted poor Beñat Intxausti's predicament, or Cav's, or even serious injury from crash carnage?

A 5 year deal suggests to me that they already have a far better idea of his potential, than any of us and rather than let him slip through their hands, they have taken a bit of a long term gamble on him staying fit, healthy and performing to their expectations.

You already being a big Ivan Sosa fan, I'm surprised by your rather negative opinion of Colombian potential.

DeadCalm wrote:

Mad_Malx wrote:

^Who, at 18, was not far off Wiggins' hour record on Thursday (apparently wouldn't have counted though)

Think he's nineteen, but yep, second fastest time since the new rules I believe. An awesome prospect.

Didn't Mikkel Bjerg say during interview at the Worlds that he doesn't want to race at WT level until he feels ready?
So a couple of years at least.

ademort

Apparently Lefevere has done it again. He,s found a new sponsor for the Quick Step team to be announced at 18.00 on Monday. The sponsorship is for a number of years according to sources close to Lefevere.Its also been reported that Fernando Gaviria and Enric Mas will now be staying at QS and not joining other teams as was stated earlier.

jimmythecuckoo

I heard that on the Paris Tours commentary.

Any ideas on who?

joe_totale-2

jimmythecuckoo wrote:

I heard that on the Paris Tours commentary.

Any ideas on who?

Talk is of UAE Team Emirates. They certainly have the money and he'd be an upgrade on Kristoff.

shirley_basso

Joe Totale wrote:

jimmythecuckoo wrote:

I heard that on the Paris Tours commentary.

Any ideas on who?

Talk is of UAE Team Emirates. They certainly have the money and he'd be an upgrade on Kristoff.

???
I think they're talking about the title sponsor of EQS not a new sprinter.

Gaviria is staying at QS.

joe_totale-2

Shirley Basso wrote:

Joe Totale wrote:

jimmythecuckoo wrote:

I heard that on the Paris Tours commentary.

Any ideas on who?

Talk is of UAE Team Emirates. They certainly have the money and he'd be an upgrade on Kristoff.

???
I think they're talking about the title sponsor of EQS not a new sprinter.

Gaviria is staying at QS.

Soz, got myself all confused there with some old news!

inseine

ademort wrote:

Apparently Lefevere has done it again. He,s found a new sponsor for the Quick Step team to be announced at 18.00 on Monday. The sponsorship is for a number of years according to sources close to Lefevere.Its also been reported that Fernando Gaviria and Enric Mas will now be staying at QS and not joining other teams as was stated earlier.

He's also complaining about the gravel roads, saying they'll never ride the race again!

carbonclem

Rapha backing Education First.

#hipsters

shirley_basso

inseine wrote:

ademort wrote:

Apparently Lefevere has done it again. He,s found a new sponsor for the Quick Step team to be announced at 18.00 on Monday. The sponsorship is for a number of years according to sources close to Lefevere.Its also been reported that Fernando Gaviria and Enric Mas will now be staying at QS and not joining other teams as was stated earlier.

He's also complaining about the gravel roads, saying they'll never ride the race again!

Or Strade-Bianchi?

gweeds

Because he didn't win?

inseine

Gweeds wrote:

Because he didn't win?

Apparently not............
''This will be the last time that Quick-Step do this race, even if we win," Lefevere tweeted while the race was still in progress. "[It has] nothing to do with road cycling."

gweeds

What a plum.

iainf72

Sosa to Sky....

timoid.

I assume Lidl becomes Quick Step title sponsor?

jimmythecuckoo

I thought that but wasn't there something about their profits in the business pages?

jimmythecuckoo

CarbonClem wrote:

Rapha backing Education First.

#hipsters

Interesting choice of supplier. Does that mean POC step down from eyewear as well?

inseine

iainf72 wrote:

Sosa to Sky....

I don't know much about him, but a quick search tells me he's another next big thing.
Already ranked higher than Chaves and both the Henaos, for what it's worth. He's won a s**t load of lower level races this year.

ademort

As of 2019 Quick Step will be known as Deceuninck-Quick.Step. The agreement is for at least 3 years.

shirley_basso

DeadCalm

inseine wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

Sosa to Sky....

I don't know much about him, but a quick search tells me he's another next big thing.
Already ranked higher than Chaves and both the Henaos, for what it's worth. He's won a s**t load of lower level races this year.

Won the Vuelta a Burgos ahead of Lopez. Agreed (and announced) a deal with Trek Segafredo who paid a bunch of money to Androni to buy him out of his contract. Got a new agent who seems to have persuaded him to renege on the deal with Trek and sign for more money with Sky. He's a young kid who is being manipulated by his agent but it's a mess and leaves a bad taste in the mouth. An ex 'my man' as soon as I can be bothered to edit my signature. Still, yet another reason to dislike Sky.

gweeds

I’ll put you down as a maybe then.

RichN95.

ademort wrote:

As of 2019 Quick Step will be known as Deceuninck-Quick.Step. The agreement is for at least 3 years.

Not by me they won't. I can't pronounce or spell that with any sort of consistency.

RichN95.

DeadCalm wrote:

inseine wrote:

iainf72 wrote:

Sosa to Sky....

I don't know much about him, but a quick search tells me he's another next big thing.
Already ranked higher than Chaves and both the Henaos, for what it's worth. He's won a s**t load of lower level races this year.

Won the Vuelta a Burgos ahead of Lopez. Agreed (and announced) a deal with Trek Segafredo who paid a bunch of money to Androni to buy him out of his contract. Got a new agent who seems to have persuaded him to renege on the deal with Trek and sign for more money with Sky. He's a young kid who is being manipulated by his agent but it's a mess and leaves a bad taste in the mouth. An ex 'my man' as soon as I can be bothered to edit my signature. Still, yet another reason to dislike Sky.

Trek didn't get him to actually sign a contract. It's their own fault. Do the basics before paying out money and making announcements.

ddraver

jimmythecuckoo wrote:

CarbonClem wrote:

Rapha backing Education First.

#hipsters

Interesting choice of supplier. Does that mean POC step down from eyewear as well?

Let's be honest there is a lot of crossover between POC and Rapha...

ademort wrote:

As of 2019 Quick Step will be known as Deceuninck-Quick.Step. The agreement is for at least 3 years.

You can now build a good part of a budget house with the sponsors of a single cycling team...

ddraver

Dumoulin holding a press conference tomorrow.

Guess away boys

shirley_basso

Sky?

bobmcstuff

RichN95 wrote:

ademort wrote:

As of 2019 Quick Step will be known as Deceuninck-Quick.Step. The agreement is for at least 3 years.

Not by me they won't. I can't pronounce or spell that with any sort of consistency.

Never heard of them either.

I guess I wouldn't have heard of Quick Step either, or at least I wouldn't be able to readily remember what they did.

gweeds

ddraver wrote:

Dumoulin holding a press conference tomorrow.

Guess away boys

Needs someone with a big budget - Bahrain-Merida?