Bahrain - McLaren

[King Boonen]

It's interesting that he'll ride the WC on a bike given to him by the federation without a brand name on it and not with a Merida bike.
Back to the team, nobody seems to know who was actually in charge before Rob arrived, Nibali and his group apparently had some tension with the Slovenian staff members and nobody seems to know what Copeland actually did. The team looks like a mess.

GB used to do that, it's possible that it's part of riding Australia. Are the other riders being given bikes?

 

[Mayomaniac]

GB used to do that, it's possible that it's part of riding Australia. Are the other riders being given bikes?

No idea, but I've heard that Viviani has been thinking about using that option at the Olympics for the Omnium. I would think that the team of the rider has to give them the green light before they can use that option, if it's road cycling.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

Bahrain Victorious????

Excuse me while I remove my fingers from the back of my throat.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Bahrain Victorious????

Excuse me while I remove my fingers from the back of my throat.

Carlton Kirby will be having a field year with that.

 

[pastronef]

Paris FC sponsored by Bahrain V.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

It is no less objectionable just because it exists elsewhere, although I would have thought football was in a better position to challenge sponsors than cycling is, and it was probably harder for the UCI to say no once that PSG shirt had been allowed. However, commentators are not expected to constantly recite the sponsorship names on shirts, nor are event organisers and reports committed to constantly repeating them.

This is the slippery slope that started with Israel Start Up Nation: unless they are actually believed to be promoting the book of that title, this is a slogan, not a product or an entity.

What next: Jumbo Top Value Local Supermarket-Visma? Sunweb:The Price Always Includes Ski Passes? Ag2R Citroen Surprisingly Reliable Even Though They Try Too Hard To Look Different Cars?

Commentators/organisers/journalists might be obliged to name products and organisations: they should not be expected to recite reviews or opinions or slogans about them.

 

[Sciatic]

It does get ridiculous. But announcers and fans can find fun acronyms to shorten them. e.g., Century Link Field (football stadium) in Seattle = the CLink.

 

[BlueRoads]

All the more successful teams have their shortforms and nicknames anyway, the Skybots, the Jumblebees, the Steppers - if you're unimportant enough to have your name told in full you shouldn't be proud.

 

[Armchair cyclist]

Have you ever come across commentators, results services, race reports etc referring to Jumbots or Steppers? I am talking about official communications being forced into not just naming products or entities, but having to repeat their slogans.

 

[BlueRoads]

Have you ever come across commentators, results services, race reports etc referring to Jumbots or Steppers? I am talking about official communications being forced into not just naming products or entities, but having to repeat their slogans.

I know what you mean, and I am also annoyed. On the other hand I have always found this name-sponsoring thing totally ridiculous. I think I'm still not over Team Milram, which sounds close to Team Pampers to me. The Wohninvest Weserstadion (football stadium in Bremen) kills me. I know, these are not slogans, and with Bahrain or UAE (or even Israel (or Astana)) there is the addition of a country, so not only a commercial but also a political meaning. All in all I can just laugh about these because it's sad and petty and nonetheless part of the sport.

 

[jarvo]

Ellingworth has left the team after 1 year?!? seems a strange one, anyone have any insight as to why? he seemed very keen to be top dog of a team stepping out of the shadows at sky/ineos, or has he left with the McLaren money?

 

[ice&fire]

Ellingworth has left the team after 1 year?!? seems a strange one, anyone have any insight as to why? he seemed very keen to be top dog of a team stepping out of the shadows at sky/ineos, or has he left with the McLaren money?

4th in the Tour, 5th in the Giro, 6th in the Vuelta... and he must have seen an obvious downward trend

 

[Blanco]

Ellingworth has left the team after 1 year?!? seems a strange one, anyone have any insight as to why? he seemed very keen to be top dog of a team stepping out of the shadows at sky/ineos, or has he left with the McLaren money?

Milan Erzen is top dog in that team...

 

[Publiuszam]

Landa meana infuriate me so much. He doesn't know how to be free, it seems.

 

[ice&fire]

Landa meana infuriate me so much. He doesn't know how to be free, it seems.

Perhaps he should wear a Pello Bilbao's face mask. Imitating his riding style would be harder, though.

 

[Publiuszam]

Even if he is set free, I doubt he would wanta be free. He likes being in shackles. He infuriate me so much with his riding that I am talking outta my behind.

 

[IndianCyclist]

“Obviously, after the Dauphiné, there was the temptation to take Mark Padun to the Tour. The same goes for Gino Mäder after his Giro and Tour de Suisse wins. However, these are young talents in the team with other goals this season, and the team has a responsibility to look at the longer-term project for these riders.”

Are you kidding? What other goals are as important as the TDF. Jack Haig is the GC leader and the guy who outshone him completely is not even participating.

 

[roundabout]

The goal is to help Landa finish 4th in the Vuelta, of course.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Without speculation as to whether they bore any truth, perhaps those comments from an anonymous DS have hit a nerve and they can't be doing with this sort of a distraction, especially with the spotlight the tour brings.

 

[tobydawq]

Without speculation as to whether they bore any truth, perhaps those comments from an anonymous DS have hit a nerve and they can't be doing with this sort of a distraction, especially with the spotlight the tour brings.

Which comments?

 

[Monte Serra]

Which comments?

Le Parisien ran an article quoting an anonymous French DS, who made unfavourable comments about Bahrain. I guess that's all that can be said in this subforum.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Which comments?

Apologies, here it is

Erzen defends Bahrain Victorious in face of anonymous doping suspicions

'I can be 110 per cent sure that we’re working by the rules' says team boss

www.cyclingnews.com

 

[ppanther92]

Unfortunate because I think Haig was very strong. So Bilbao for the GC now? Then the team should have waited for him yesterday. Only Teuns in his group. The rest, even if there is no business for them apart from Colbrelli, finished higher.

 

[sir fly]

Results matching the investment this season it appears.

 

[TomBonnen2005]

Their excellent management is even clearer if you take their 5 best riders (using PCS ranking):

• Only one rider was transferred in 2021, the rest were already part of the team in 2020
• None of them is <26 yo, meaning that they succeeded with experienced riders (where the competition outbids young talents)
• All except one will achieve their best career ranking ever, and most by far

Rider	2021 Ranking (ongoing)	Best career ranking	Age	2020 team
Colbrelli	5 (+15)	20 (2018)	31	Bahrein - McLaren
Mohoric	10 (+31)	41 (2018)	26	Bahrein - McLaren
Caruso	31 (+38)	66 (2017)	33	Bahrein - McLaren
Bilbao	45 (-2)	43 (2020)	31	Bahrein - McLaren
Haig	47 (+34)	81 (2019)	28	Mitchelton-Scott

But Colbrelli remains the most impressive one, at 31 yo his 10th pro season delivered him :

• 23% of his career wins
• 71% of his World Tour wins (including his first GC)
• His first two championships (NC and EC)
• His first win and top 5 in a monument
• His best ranking both in a grand tour and in a grand tour stage
• An average of 27 points per race day to be compared with 13 points per race day for the last 3 seasons

But still they may need to hire one or two young talents to get the same level of performance in the coming years because guys like Colbrelli/Caruso/Bilbao will probably start declining.