Your own sugar daddy team, so to speak
rick_chasey
Posts: 66,362 Lives Here
in Pro race
So by now almost all the top teams are backed by various rich men who are enthusiasts of the sport.
So, imagine for a moment you’re one of those men. Your team has a top third budget (but not limitless).
What sort of cycling team would you be looking to create? And what talent would you try to go after?
So, imagine for a moment you’re one of those men. Your team has a top third budget (but not limitless).
What sort of cycling team would you be looking to create? And what talent would you try to go after?
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Cobbles are important. A classics rider with a bit of a sprint and another with a diesel engine.
And an Italian sprinter who can do the Giro and not want to do the Tour. Maybe a punchy Italian to.
If I'm Sylvan Adams I'd be looking at struggling teams and people underrated by their teams. My shopping list would include Trentin, Haig, Knox, Dunbar, Colbrelli, Moscon, Zakarin and Kelderman.
Haig and Knox would probably be on my list too for GC and GT backup.
Pat Bevin and Fausto Masnada would be my other pick ups from the Cheap Cheerful Chaps as they have lots of mileage left in them.
Ben O'Connor from NTT.
Tim Declercq, Jannik Steimle and Mikkel Frølich Honoré from DQS. A couple of work horses and a classics dark horse.
Luke Rowe: a man for all seasons.
Matteo Trentin, Nils Politt, Marc Hirschi, Kasper Asgreen, Alberto Bettiol, Magnus Cort and Mike Teunissen would be my middle price tagged classics shopping list.
Splashing out the cash: Max Schachmann
Sprinter/classics: Jasper Philipsen
GT Leaders: Primož Roglič and Egan Bernal, if I could afford a third: Tadej Pogačar
That lot should break the bank so the rest of the team would have to come from PC, conti or neo.
Roglic or Bernal, Haig, de Plus, Agreen, Politt, Teunissen or Trentin, Rowe, DeClerc.
So imma be realistic and Bernal has just signed a long deal with Ineos so that’s off the cards. Will be rough to prize anyone big from Jumbo either.
I’d probably try and get Uran because I’m a big big fan and maybe Mas to be mentored by him. That’s my GC options who can also be stage hunters as required. If I can get Nibali on the cheap he’s an obvious target.
I’m obviously going to try to go toe-to-toe with quick step. Assuming I have no chance for MvdP or van Aert...
I’d like to get Gilbert on a veteran eat-what-you-kill deal and I’d love to take the world champ on too. I could get Degenkolb on the cheap and I would splash out to get Trentin. If my budget allows I’d as Asgreen too. Would take Kristoff too.
My big money spend would be on Groenewegen obvs. I’d take teunissen too.
If I had any money for bigger riders left over I’d have De Plus
Whaddya think?
If we exclude the deleted Armstrong years, of the last 24 Tours two thirds have been won on a Pinarello
Of course Canyon could deliver van der Poel to the roster
If I can't get Bernal cos of contract, I'd be happy to take 2 for 1 with Tadej Pogačar and say Pavel Sivakov, or Sergio Higuita.
My thinking is go all in for long term youth, as opposed to old dogs and a pupil.
Zakarin (30) and Keldermann (29) have talent and seem to have lost their way
I'd try and steal Pidcock away from Brailsford who expects to sign him. I'd have mentioned Naesen, but he's just signed up again to AG2R
Then staff. I'd break the bank for Matt White if Mitchelton folded. Max Sciandri in the car. Pinotti from CCC. Get Julich back involved. Get one of Sky's old nutritionists.
Give G a lucrative 2 year deal. Maybe one or both Yates. Knox, Pidcock, Dunbar. Tiernan Locke (just kidding).
Bikes will have to be Genesis or Orro I suppose.
Seriously though James Shaw is decent, I'd like to see Scott Davies in better team with focus, Jon Dibben was discarded to soon (back with Lotto). And where are Josh Edmondson and Alex Peters these days?
*Joke stolen from twitter
(the above may not be entirely serious. Or is it?)
Obviously a few are already spoken for but it's an interesting list to work from.
https://www.procyclingstats.com/teams/no-team-next-year
Surprised by the number of names we selected that are on that list.
The list of PC riders out of contract.
https://www.procyclingstats.com/teams.php?s=no-team-next-year&year=2020&teamlevel=pct&nation=&team=&sort=career_pnts&younger_then=&filter=Filter
One or two there to be considered, too, but it's noticeable that the majority are aging blokes on their way down.
GT GC boys: Miguel Ángel López, Simon Yates, Rigoberto Urán, Pavel Sivakov
Stage racers and super doms: Maximilian Schachmann, Jack Haig, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Laurens De Plus, Pierre Latour, Sam Oomen, Ben O'Connor
Sprinters: Jasper Philipsen, Max Walscheid, Matteo Moschetti
Classics/All rounders: Bob Jungels, Sep Vanmarcke, Alexey Lutsenko, Michael Valgren, Jens Keukeleire, Gianni Moscon, Alberto Bettiol, Nils Politt, Patrick Bevin, Iván García Cortina, Xandro Meurisse, Amaury Capiot, Anthony Turgis
@DrHeadgear
The Vikings are coming!
Besides, I'm not sure what you mean by real winners.
Simon Yates has won a GT, Lopez already has 2 GT podiums and 2 WT stage race wins. There's also a recent Flanders winner, a recent LBL winner and an Amstel winner, all of whom are still quite young.
Max Schachmann won Paris-Nice this year and has a string of impressive stage wins.
I had it in my mind that he had already agreed a transfer, but it turns out he's just another on Israel's shopping list.
Rod E is keen to keep him at Bahrain.
Who would you have a DS for that? Lotta egos to manage.
Schachmann is on my list to buy. I just don't want to go obvious with Bernal.
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