Teams & Riders EF Pro Cycling

[Anderis]

someone at Cannondale maybe told Vaughters “you have to make an example of this kid.”

Now it looks like a plausible explanation after the "unfiring".

 

[Anderis]

It would be far better if contracts ran Nov 1 - Oct 31, but we say that every year

I actually don't think it would be far better.

If the contract ends Oct 31, but the season doesn't start until January and most riders aren't expected to make their first appearance until February then guess what happens. A lot of the teams will end up trying to sign riders as late as possible, so that they don't have to pay them wages in November and December. This is of course not a problem for big names, but every year there are a lot of riders who don't find a contract until very late. These riders would end up unemployed for a couple of months.

 

[tobydawq]

I actually don't think it would be far better.

If the contract ends Oct 31, but the season doesn't start until January and most riders aren't expected to make their first appearance until February then guess what happens. A lot of the teams will end up trying to sign riders as late as possible, so that they don't have to pay them wages in November and December. This is of course not a problem for big names, but every year there are a lot of riders who don't find a contract until very late. These riders would end up unemployed for a couple of months.

That, and it would also mean that all pro riders would get two months' less salary at the end of their careers.

 

[RedheadDane]

I actually don't think it would be far better.

If the contract ends Oct 31, but the season doesn't start until January and most riders aren't expected to make their first appearance until February then guess what happens. A lot of the teams will end up trying to sign riders as late as possible, so that they don't have to pay them wages in November and December. This is of course not a problem for big names, but every year there are a lot of riders who don't find a contract until very late. These riders would end up unemployed for a couple of months.

Good thing too, there was no rule like that last year. Just imagine the absolute mayhem on the morning of stage 12 of the Vuelta.

Yeah, I know, they'd probably just have extended the contracts for those particular riders for a few more days.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Good thing too, there was no rule like that last year. Just imagine the absolute mayhem on the morning of stage 12 of the Vuelta.

Yeah, I know, they'd probably just have extended the contracts for those particular riders for a few more days.

No, I choose to believe you would have been up all night worrying about their futures and the outcome of the race in such a scenario.

 

[yaco]

EF have gone slightly crazy - Now they are in discussions with Lawson Craddock who is moving to Bike Exchange in 2022 after he rode a Giant bike at a Grand Fondo last weekend in the USA - Considering that BEX currently ride Bianchi bikes in 2021 Even though there are rumors BEX will switch to Giant in 2022 this alleged breach has gone nowhere.

 

[Leinster]

Will Barta has received a series of threatening phone calls and text messages to not so much as take his Canyon out of the packaging it shipped in let alone ride it in public before New Years…

 

[jmdirt]

I assume EF wouldn't be upset with their departing riders if they weren't pictured on their new sponsors bikes AT EVNTS. Lawson, be smarter than that, don't post pictures of yourself on your new team bike (that's not even announced yet)!

 

[jmdirt]

It was a rookie mistake from Higuita as Will said.

Anyways, from EF-side it wasn't classy as well. I don't think this is an uncommon practice from cyclist switching teams and this means cutting two months wages from Higuita.

They could have fined him with two weeks salary and a public apology from Higuita or whatever without burning bridges with him and looking desperate to save some $$$.

Its not uncommon to ride the new team bike, but to participate in an even riding the new team bike is.

 

[PeterB]

I wouldn't be actually surprised if some riders were simply ignorant of the provisions in their contracts that they must continue riding only team sponsored bike until the very end of the contract. In their minds they are probably out of their old team anyway.

The way I see it is that obviously we are aware of such provisions because we are fans and so read everything related to cycling day after day, for years, so we read every story about when it happened before and therefore we know. But many pro cyclists simply do not spend their time reading cycling related information, they are probably glad they can think of something else in their spare time, so cases like this, which may seem inexplicable or stupid, are probably simple mistakes resulting from their unwillful ignorance...

 

[Leinster]

I would think most teams should have a debrief with each rider as he goes off-contract/rides his last race. My company does exit interviews as a matter of course, a similar sized organization like a cycling team (<100 employees) should at least be able to do something like that over the phone/zoom, and that would be the optimal time to bring up a rider’s remaining contractual obligations, such as, “you are to still ride our bike in our kit in public until 31/12.”

 

[jmdirt]

I wouldn't be actually surprised if some riders were simply ignorant of the provisions in their contracts that they must continue riding only team sponsored bike until the very end of the contract. In their minds they are probably out of their old team anyway.

The way I see it is that obviously we are aware of such provisions because we are fans and so read everything related to cycling day after day, for years, so we read every story about when it happened before and therefore we know. But many pro cyclists simply do not spend their time reading cycling related information, they are probably glad they can think of something else in their spare time, so cases like this, which may seem inexplicable or stupid, are probably simple mistakes resulting from their unwillful ignorance...

I don't don't know about top pro roadies nowadays, but back in the '90s USA pro road and dirt racers read everything cycling related. A big part of your life is letting your legs recover so reading is something to do while you're sitting/laying around.

 

[Leinster]

I don't don't know about top pro roadies nowadays, but back in the '90s USA pro road and dirt racers read everything cycling related. A big part of your life is letting your legs recover so reading is something to do while you're sitting/laying around.

There’s a difference between reading every edition of Bicycling or Cycling Weekly or l’Equipe cover to cover, versus regularly checking up on your personal thread on the CN forum.

 

[RedheadDane]

I don't don't know about top pro roadies nowadays, but back in the '90s USA pro road and dirt racers read everything cycling related. A big part of your life is letting your legs recover so reading is something to do while you're sitting/laying around.

Doesn't necessarily have to be cycling-related, though.

Well, anyway... Craddock hasn't been fired either...

EF won't fire Craddock for riding the wrong bike either - CyclingTips

 

[Libertine Seguros]

And there you have it, four news stories about his team during the off-season, two on them enforcing discipline because this isn't Nam, Donny, there are rules; and then two on them acquiescing because they're apparently nice guys willing to look the other way and to make sure that they don't look unattractive to future prospects by being too draconian. But hey, we're talking about them and their bike brand at a point where they aren't racing or unveiling new signings or in fact really doing much of anything in the post-season break.

Vaughters' PR machine in full effect.

 

[Anderis]

So Padun is set to sign with EF- just as I thought they don't really have more space for new signings and are about to conclude a transfer period that was below my expectations. Now that's a first transfer by the team in a while that's impressed me a bit. I think Vaughters said in the interview for Cyclingnews a few days ago that the budget is back to normal after the covid hit so I didn't really understand why they only signed "under the radar" type of riders when their 2019/2020 roster was so much stronger. This signing takes the team one step closer to where I wanted it to be, although I still think their roster next year is no match to that of 2020 and at the time I thought the peak of this generation in the team was still ahead of us so bleeding top riders due to covid left me salty for quite a while.

Apparently 12 new riders for 2022, quite an overhaul, but overdue since EF decided to offer contract extensions to all riders last year due to covid, which meant some riders probably stayed a year too long.

 

[IndianCyclist]

I think Padun is a scoop. He is the new Ullrich. Looking forward to the new EF season. Will Vaughters doom him or set him onto the path of greatness

 

[Leinster]

I think Padun is a scoop. He is the new Ullrich. Looking forward to the new EF season. Will Vaughters doom him or set him onto the path of greatness

I think Padun is a talent, but if he was Ullrich level Bahrain wouldn’t be letting him go.

The obvious plan for Padun is to win high mountain stages, similar to Chaves, and help Rigo/Carthy on GC, situation-depending. They’ll have a lot of stage-winning options next year (Padun, Cort, Valgren, Bettiol, Powless, Bisseger) and will have to work out a) how best to create chances for them and b) what their priorities are between GC and major classics.

 

[Mayomaniac]

And there you have it, four news stories about his team during the off-season, two on them enforcing discipline because this isn't Nam, Donny, there are rules; and then two on them acquiescing because they're apparently nice guys willing to look the other way and to make sure that they don't look unattractive to future prospects by being too draconian. But hey, we're talking about them and their bike brand at a point where they aren't racing or unveiling new signings or in fact really doing much of anything in the post-season break.

Vaughters' PR machine in full effect.

"Sergio my friend, you're entering a world of pain"

 

[Bolder]

I don’t know how I feel about Padun. He had two eye catching wins at the dauphine but was pretty invisible in the vuelta. I expected more.

His reputation seems to be big, but very inconsistent talent. Does Vaughters want him as a domestique or will he just be allowed to freelance?

 

[Anderis]

I think he is a bit too high profile of a talent to be signed just for the domestique role in a low budget team. This team barely has any dedicated domestiques anyway, no big leaders and everyone who is good enough to ride with the best in any type of a race gets an opportunity to ride for themselves.

If he was consistent, he would perhaps be out of EF budget range. You can still hope he will either get more consistent with experience or even if he provides some big results inconsistently, it will still be worth it to sign him.

 

[triley36]

I hope that EF has done their homework here. They’ve let a lot of talent leave for budget reasons in the past year and a half. If their first big signing with a newly bolstered budget turns out to be a bust, or ends up as a famously long clinic thread, sponsors may run.

If on the other hand, Padun’s exploits at the Dauphine are a glimpse at the future, then this could be a great signing for a small budget team like EF. Let’s hope this is the case!

 

[Leinster]

I hope that EF has done their homework here. They’ve let a lot of talent leave for budget reasons in the past year and a half. If their first big signing with a newly bolstered budget turns out to be a bust, or ends up as a famously long clinic thread, sponsors may run.

If on the other hand, Padun’s exploits at the Dauphine are a glimpse at the future, then this could be a great signing for a small budget team like EF. Let’s hope this is the case!

Without wanting to get too clinicky, Slipstream have an ok track record of avoiding signing guys who had a suspicious breakout season (JTL). They're not the sort of squad who sees a guy win one race, go "OOOH, SHINY" and break the bank for him; Ben Healy has said the reason he picked them over other teams who talked to him, was that EF were in touch with him before he won his Babygiro stage this year. TLDR: I think Vaughters is the kind to make sure they've done their homework on a guy before signing him.

 

[IndianCyclist]

I think Padun is a talent, but if he was Ullrich level Bahrain wouldn’t be letting him go.

my context was more from the weight struggles of ullrich

 

[Salvarani]

I think Padun is a scoop. He is the new Ullrich. Looking forward to the new EF season. Will Vaughters doom him or set him onto the path of greatness

Good signing but so far he hasnt shown any type of consistency.