Teams & Riders EF Pro Cycling

[Ruudz0r]

Well done by Bettiol! Expected him to lose 1 or 2 spots in GC but instead he won 2. He was of course helped by the weather this race else he would not have made 3rd but he did great!
Bettiol is a solid rider but doesnt get much chances hope he gets a few chances in the 2nd half of the season. The Giro (his first GT) might have made him stronger!

 

[StryderHells]

It would be good to see at seasons end a proper clean out of the management at Cannondale and a reset with new staff coming in next season, it almost doesn't matter what happens with the rest of the season if it's successful as it would just be covering up the cracks that are obviously there. Of course this is just an opinion from the outside looking in but surely something is going wrong with the back of house staff, I know they don't have the rider quality of other teams but they are still under performing no matter what way you look at it.

 

[Anderis]

I think there will be some staff coming from Drapac for 2017, at least this is what I've read from one of the articles. They definitely need to change something training-wise. Maybe the team doesn't have the rider quality of Sky or Etixx, but they certainly have enough quality to grab some nice WT results and place themselves in the middle pack of WT teams. Riders like Uran or Slagter (I still remember how awesome he was in the first part of 2014) are definetely capable of much more than they show this year. I hope Uran will bring the team more results next year, when Olympics will no longer be a forcus for him.

They don't mention if Dombrowski's extension is for 2017 only, or beyond. I'm really interested to see when they'll announce first contract signed for 2018. The team shouldn't disappear after 2017 as announcing 5-years sponsorship deal with Drapac would make no sense.

 

[Billie]

easily the worst team in the Tour. Have even earned only half as much as Fortuneo

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Cannondale-Drapac renew with Dombrowski

“Joe has one of the highest VO2 maxes and highest IQs in the peloton,” Vaughters said. “And I’m happy to have those things on my side. There are some things he’ll get better at as he matures, but you can see just by watching the Giro, he’s starting to get a handle on how to use his physical gifts.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cannondale-drapac-renew-with-dombrowski/

Step 1) Make Joe go in breakaways on flat stages to teach him how to hold onto wheels
Step 2) Give him a decent tan
Step 3) PROFIT

 

[Anderis]

Re: Cannondale-Drapac

The lean 25-year-old American climber returned stateside did what many his age do during the summer — he hung out with friends, drank beer, and drooled over cars. He also signed a two-year contract extension with Cannondale-Drapac.

http://cyclingtips.com/2016/07/a-mid-season-chat-joe-dombrowski-talks-beer-cars-and-renewed-contract-with-cannondale-drapac/

So he is the first rider to have signed a contract for 2018 with the team, apparently.

 

[gospina]

I thought I had read that Uran won't be there next year. He already announced that the team wasn't planning on sending him to the Vuelta and wasn't sure about Lombardia. He will probably (my opinion) be stuck doing the Canadian races (which he loves, met his gf/wife there, I believe) and then maybe something like Emilia

 

[Anderis]

Re: Cannondale-Drapac

I was wondering why Cannondale are so poor in TTs recently. I was prone to conclude that Cannondale's TT bikes have to be part of the problem, because riders like Uran shouldn't have deteriorated their TT skills so much in such a short period of time just for human reasons.
But then I realised that the old, pre-merger Cannondale team did some very good TTTs with rather average set of riders, so their equipment couldn't be that bad.

Really weird how it works.

 

[Anderis]

Why they aren't in the break on a stage like today? :sad:

 

[Anderis]

Re: Cannondale-Drapac

For some reason Cannondale seem to have one stage at the end of every GT when they perform like a proper team.

Very good lead-out for Navardauskas from Koren and Van Baarle today, especially considering the fact they're not used to doing this kind of stuff. Van Baarle was working hard yesterday in the break so it's even more impressive considering this. Even Rolland was involved in helping Ramunas at some point.

This reminds me how of all sudden King and Bauer did great lead-out for Navardauskas in Champs Elysees in 2014 too.

Too bad it was the only stage of the last two weeks the team deserves some praise for.

 

[robin440]

look out for brendan canty next year!

 

[Anderis]

Re: Cannondale-Drapac

Well, Tour de France is over and the next race for Cannondale will not take place in the next few days so I would like to take the opportunity and speculate about possible transfers for 2017.

Following riders have contracts with the team for 2017: http://www.procyclingstats.com/team.php?id=1390&season=2017

So out of current riders, following riders don't:
- Jack Bauer
- Nathan Brown
- Andre Cardoso
- Davide Formolo
- Philip Gaimon
- Alan Marangoni
- Moreno Moser
- Ramunas Navardauskas
- Kristoffer Skjerping
- Michael Woods
- Ruben Zepuntke

If it was me to decide, I would certainly keep Cardoso, Formolo, Moser, Navardauskas and Woods. Brown too, perhaps. Certainly wouldn't keep Marangoni and I'm kinda undecided on others.
Bauer has been a solid domestique but if there was an opportunity to sign someone good in his place, I would consider it. He didn't make it into TdF roster for the first time since 2012, so maybe the team management doesn't trust him that much anymore.
Gaimon is not a WT level IMO, but I know he is in the team for marketing purposes and he is always a very good climbing domestique in those American races, so I can see why it would make some sense to keep him, eventhough I probably wouldn't if I was a team manager.
Skjerping and Zepunkte didn't show a lot as pro riders and I wouldn't be particularly sad to let them go, but they're still young riders and may improve in the future so it's for the team to decide if they believe they can extract more from there in the future.

No doubt some of these riders will be approached by other teams. There are already rumours linking Formolo and Moser to other teams and I think these are the 2 most likely to leave. I have no doubt many teams would like to sign Navardauskas as well, but he seems to get along well with Vaughters so there's a good chance he will stay in the team IMO.

Who will join? There's already Brendan Canty from Drapac. What about other Drapac guys? To be honest, I don't see any of them being an asset to the current Cannondale team.
There's young Jason Lowdens who impressed during the last stage of Tour de San Luis, coming 3rd in the sprint, in front of Sagan and Richeze. But if you look at his other results, it looks very much as a one-off.
The rest of the guys isn't that young anymore and they don't really have results suggesting WT potential. Brenton Jones and Lachlan Norris seem to be the two getting the most consistent results this year but there's a question if there is enough in them to step up into the WT level.
Interestingly, there are many guys in Drapac who had strong links to the Garmin team in the past. Travis Meyer was their rider in 2010-2011 and Mannion and Scully were Garmin's trainees at some point as well.

You would think that with the arrival of a new co-sponsor, the team's budget should increase and they should have some money to bring someone decent for next year.

The only rumour I've seen so far was about Larry Warbasse. I like him and I think he would be a solid signing. 7th in Tour de Pologne recently and decent Vuelta last year. Could be an useful domestique and it's nice to have some decent Americans in the team.

But with IAM folding, there are some interestig options on the market. I would really like Sondre Holst Enger. He was linked to Garmin in the past and he would really improve team's prospect in flat races, since the team doesn't have too many currently. I know he has been linked to other teams in rumours, but you never know for sure until it's officially announced. For example Simon Clarke was linked in rumours to multiple teams for 2016 and Cannondale was not one of them, yet he has ended up here.
Another rider who would improve team's prostpect in flat races would be Haussler. Would he be willing to come back to the team he was riding for in 2011-2012?
Or maybe Pelucchi, who on a good day can beat very strong sprinting field?
Cannondale are very poor in TTTs and TTs in general recently. What about trying to improve this by signing Brandle or Coppel? Stef Clement would be an interesting additions as well considering his form in recent TdF.

Tinkoff folding as well. What about Jay McCarthy? I think he would fit in well with the team.

Maybe look for some prospect at Pro Conti teams? There's no doubt riders like Scott Thwaites or Hugh Carthy will attract interest from WT teams. Can Cannondale make the best offer? Or maybe Jose Goncalves? I know Gasparotto is not young anymore, but he had a monster spring as well.

They should give a chance to at least one Axeon rider IMO. Dunbar, Geoghegan-Hart, Ruben Guerreiro, Owen or Powless all look like potentially having WT future. Adrien Costa as well but he's maybe too young for WT in 2017.

Is there a possibility for signing any big name? I would really love Coquard or Vanmarcke. It's not very realistic, but Cannondale already surprised me with some transfers for 2016.

Maybe Dutch riders will persuade their fellow countryman Poels to join? Or at least Lars Boom?

Share your thoughts if you have. Or any rumours you may have heard, please.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

A very well-rounded analysis, Anderis, and it's a bit depressing. If Formolo and Moser leave and no-one good comes to replace them, the team will have lost a big chunk of its potential. Navardauskas is also a solid asset. As you said, IAM Cycling are folding this year, and although Cannondale is unlikely to attract many of their best riders, I'd try to pick up Coppel, Clement, Holst Enger, Haussler, Pelucchi and especially Pantano. Another team calling it quits is Tinkoff, and although I don't know where these riders are going, I'd try to fish Bodnar, Majka and Kreuziger, if possible.

As for Lars Boom, no, please no. His lacklustre performances do not justify his abrasive personality which just erodes team morale.

 

[Anderis]

Re: Cannondale-Drapac

I still think that the current Cannondale roster is theoretically the 2nd strongest they've ever had, after the 2011 roster (shows how much some of the riders are underperforming recently) so I wouldn't be too depressed after losing Formolo and Moser. Surely two very talented riders, but it's not like the team relied on them results-wise.

I don't think Majka would fit in with the team that already has Uran, Rolland and Talansky. I think they should be rather looking for a sprinter or classics specialist if they have money to compete for this kind of name.

I think Pantano's stocks have raised so high after last TdF (and TdS) that the team like Cannondale doesn't have realistic chance of signing him. But who knows? Maybe he would like to race with Uran.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Re: Cannondale-Drapac

I still think that the current Cannondale roster is theoretically the 2nd strongest they've ever had, after the 2011 roster (shows how much some of the riders are underperforming recently) so I wouldn't be too depressed after losing Formolo and Moser. Surely two very talented riders, but it's not like the team relied on them results-wise.

I don't think Majka would fit in with the team that already has Uran, Rolland and Talansky. I think they should be rather looking for a sprinter or classics specialist if they have money to compete for this kind of name.

I think Pantano's stocks have raised so high after last TdF (and TdS) that the team like Cannondale doesn't have realistic chance of signing him. But who knows? Maybe he would like to race with Uran.

I don't think there are any good sprinters left on the market. Matthews would have been a nice addition, but I think his move to Giant-Alpecin is a done deal.

 

[Anderis]

Re: Cannondale-Drapac

According to procyclingstats, these sprinters don't have contracts for 2017:
- Bryan Coquard (I mentioned him earlier)
- all of the IAM guys
- Daniel McLay
- Moreno Hofland
- Elia Viviani
- Caleb Ewan
- Juan Jose Lobato

Take one of those, add one good cobble rider or puncheur with strength on the flat and the team's capability of taking results in various terrain increases much more than after taking Majka, whose skillset I find very simillar to Rolland's. With Majka you would also have 4 riders with GT-leadership aspirations, forcing some of them to rearrange their goals could cause tension within the team. Majka will find a better offer elsewhere anyway, IMO.

 

[Cannibal72]

Hofland's got a reasonable chance of leaving now Groenwegen looks good.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Re: Cannondale-Drapac

According to procyclingstats, these sprinters don't have contracts for 2017:
- Bryan Coquard (I mentioned him earlier)
- all of the IAM guys
- Daniel McLay
- Moreno Hofland
- Elia Viviani
- Caleb Ewan
- Juan Jose Lobato

Coquard's simply not that good once you take him out of the French calendar. Caleb would be worth a shot, I was unaware he's out of contract.

 

[GenericBoonenFan]

Re:

Hofland's got a reasonable chance of leaving now Groenwegen looks good.

Yeah but with Wippert Cannondale already has a promising dutch sprinter.

 

[CheckMyPecs]

Hofland also seems to have hit a bump since the end of 2014.

 

[liamito]

Re: Cannondale-Drapac

According to procyclingstats, these sprinters don't have contracts for 2017:
- Bryan Coquard (I mentioned him earlier)
- all of the IAM guys
- Daniel McLay
- Moreno Hofland
- Elia Viviani
- Caleb Ewan
- Juan Jose Lobato

Take one of those, add one good cobble rider or puncheur with strength on the flat and the team's capability of taking results in various terrain increases much more than after taking Majka, whose skillset I find very simillar to Rolland's. With Majka you would also have 4 riders with GT-leadership aspirations, forcing some of them to rearrange their goals could cause tension within the team. Majka will find a better offer elsewhere anyway, IMO.

Ewan already signed a new contract.

 

[StryderHells]

Re: Cannondale-Drapac

According to procyclingstats, these sprinters don't have contracts for 2017:
- Bryan Coquard (I mentioned him earlier)
- all of the IAM guys
- Daniel McLay
- Moreno Hofland
- Elia Viviani
- Caleb Ewan
- Juan Jose Lobato

Coquard's simply not that good once you take him out of the French calendar.

How would we know how good Coquard is outside of the French calendar? He races for a French PCT squad so 90% of his races are in France. Coquard would be an exellent signing for a team like Cannondale if he was available and would bag them plenty of good results

 

[Anderis]

Re: Cannondale-Drapac

Coquard's simply not that good once you take him out of the French calendar.

How would we know how good Coquard is outside of the French calendar? He races for a French PCT squad so 90% of his races are in France. Coquard would be an exellent signing for a team like Cannondale if he was available and would bag them plenty of good results

I agree.

Amstel Gold Race is not held in France AFAIK and Coquard did very well there.

 

[StryderHells]

Re: Cannondale-Drapac

Coquard's simply not that good once you take him out of the French calendar.

How would we know how good Coquard is outside of the French calendar? He races for a French PCT squad so 90% of his races are in France. Coquard would be an exellent signing for a team like Cannondale if he was available and would bag them plenty of good results

I agree.

Amstel Gold Race is not held in France AFAIK and Coquard did very well there.

Also came pretty close to winning Dwars door Vlaanderen this year and won the sprint just behind the leading three in De Brabantse Pijl.

 

[yaco]

Re: Cannondale-Drapac

According to procyclingstats, these sprinters don't have contracts for 2017:
- Bryan Coquard (I mentioned him earlier)
- all of the IAM guys
- Daniel McLay
- Moreno Hofland
- Elia Viviani
- Caleb Ewan
- Juan Jose Lobato

Take one of those, add one good cobble rider or puncheur with strength on the flat and the team's capability of taking results in various terrain increases much more than after taking Majka, whose skillset I find very simillar to Rolland's. With Majka you would also have 4 riders with GT-leadership aspirations, forcing some of them to rearrange their goals could cause tension within the team. Majka will find a better offer elsewhere anyway, IMO.

Ewan already signed a new contract.

100% correct. Being pushed towards some of the less hilly Classics.