Kittel

[dicanio_michael]

Re:

I don't see Kittel winning 4 stages consistently, and I think the Etixx train will be worse than the Giant Train was. I think it had more to do with attracting a Germand sponsor. I wonder how much cheaper than Cav Kittel he is, he was complete **** this year. Maybe they pay him the minimum + the hair products

This has never been about budget. Etixx is one of the big teams as well as Team Sky and BMC. The team was not happy Cav focusing on track. This was the sole reason he left. I don't know how much Etixx will pay Kittel, but they still need to buy out his contract. Obviously not less than Cav.

 

[TMP402]

Re: Re:

I don't see Kittel winning 4 stages consistently, and I think the Etixx train will be worse than the Giant Train was. I think it had more to do with attracting a Germand sponsor. I wonder how much cheaper than Cav Kittel he is, he was complete **** this year. Maybe they pay him the minimum + the hair products

This has never been about budget. Etixx is one of the big teams as well as Team Sky and BMC. The team was not happy Cav focusing on track. This was the sole reason he left. I don't know how much Etixx will pay Kittel, but they still need to buy out his contract. Obviously not less than Cav.

Their budget is going to reduced by a sizeable amount next year.

 

[Vasilis]

Re: Re:

I don't see Kittel winning 4 stages consistently, and I think the Etixx train will be worse than the Giant Train was. I think it had more to do with attracting a Germand sponsor. I wonder how much cheaper than Cav Kittel he is, he was complete **** this year. Maybe they pay him the minimum + the hair products

This has never been about budget. Etixx is one of the big teams as well as Team Sky and BMC. The team was not happy Cav focusing on track. This was the sole reason he left. I don't know how much Etixx will pay Kittel, but they still need to buy out his contract. Obviously not less than Cav.

When they got Cavendish from Sky, Lefevre wasn't prepared to buy out Cavendish, but Brailsford agreed to let him go without a fee, so I don't expect Lefevre to pay big money just to get Kittel out of his contract.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

Re:

I wonder if Giant are regretting their big Germanification this season since half their star Germans are left and recently Degenkolb is being overshadowed by Dumoulin.

But this "big Germanification" got them pretty much all of their big resuslts, didn't it. And yes, Dumoulin has had a much better second half of the season than Degenkolb, but you know that he letter won MSR and Paris-Roubaix in the spring?
Plus who knows if they had gotten Alpecin as a sponsor without the "big Germanification", so I really don't see how any bad ever happen to them because focussion on Kittel and Degenkolb. They won them 22 GT Stages, and a lot of classics and semi classics.
But of course maybe I don't exactly get what you mean by "big Germanification" - do you mean the 5 German Riders (of whom 2 are big stars) or the sponsor?

 

[TMP402]

Re: Re:

I wonder if Giant are regretting their big Germanification this season since half their star Germans are left and recently Degenkolb is being overshadowed by Dumoulin.

But this "big Germanification" got them pretty much all of their big resuslts, didn't it. And yes, Dumoulin has had a much better second half of the season than Degenkolb, but you know that he letter won MSR and Paris-Roubaix in the spring?
Plus who knows if they had gotten Alpecin as a sponsor without the "big Germanification", so I really don't see how any bad ever happen to them because focussion on Kittel and Degenkolb. They won them 22 GT Stages, and a lot of classics and semi classics.
But of course maybe I don't exactly get what you mean by "big Germanification" - do you mean the 5 German Riders (of whom 2 are big stars) or the sponsor?

I meant the new title sponsor and change of their country of registration from the Netherlands and Germany.

Unless Alpecin have a range for "moustache doping", their marketing opportunities are reduced with Degenkolb's current look.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

Kittel has so much to thank Giant for and he leaves them like they left him for dirt this season, while in reality Kittel was either injured or in really poor form all season. What was he expecting?

He will regret leaving Giant.

We don't really know what is going on inside of Giant-Alpecin, do we? Also I think Kittel leaving GA makes a lot of sense for the rider and the team.
GA will want to support Tom Dumoulin in the GTs (and Classics maybe) and to support John Degenkolb to win more of the spring classics and monuments, and probably do something good in GTs as well. But both ot this is more or less in conflict with Kittel being in the team. When Degenkolb and Kittel are in the same team, there will be tension. If they ride for one, they cannot ride for the other, and if they want to support Dumoulin, they cannot afford a goog sprint train at all.
Plus Giant-Alpecin will need money to afford better helpers for Dumoulin, if they let Kittel go, they don't have to pay his salary - which is probably rather large.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

Re: Re:

I meant the new title sponsor and change of their country of registration from the Netherlands and Germany.

Unless Alpecin have a range for "moustache doping", their marketing opportunities are reduced with Degenkolb's current look.

The question is if the registration really matters, and for the Sponsor: what's bad about getting a sponsor? I am guessing Alpecin aren't even doing this for the German market, they are market leaders I believe and have been very present with adds. Actually in the moment the doping topic surfaced in Germany, they jump on it and made a marketing campaign out of it, pretty much anyone knows who watches TV.

Moustaches btw, seem to be making a comeback (why I do not know).

 

[Breh]

Degenkolb to announce his arrival to EQS in september 2016

 

[TMP402]

Re: Re:

I meant the new title sponsor and change of their country of registration from the Netherlands and Germany.

Unless Alpecin have a range for "moustache doping", their marketing opportunities are reduced with Degenkolb's current look.

The question is if the registration really matters, and for the Sponsor: what's bad about getting a sponsor? I am guessing Alpecin aren't even doing this for the German market, they are market leaders I believe and have been very present with adds. Actually in the moment the doping topic surfaced in Germany, they jump on it and made a marketing campaign out of it, pretty much anyone knows who watches TV.

Moustaches btw, seem to be making a comeback (why I do not know).

The only German cyclist with a recognisable hairstyle leaves a team one year after it changes it's nationality because it gained a German hair product sponsor. It doesn't sound great to me.

 

[kirbygasm]

I'm not convinced it's a good move for Kittel. Etixx like being at the front while Giant strike in the last few Km's. They couldn't get the sprint train right for Cav and he can'd do small climbs like greipel, cav etc.
I suspect it's an up yours to Giant for not letting him race this year?

 

[King Boonen]

I think at best Etixx will be as good for Kittel as Giant, but I expect them to be worse as they will have to do all the work, especially now Cav has gone to Qhubeka and not another big team.

 

[Miburo]

Re: Re:

When Boonen retires and Martin/stybar leave the team, there isn't anything holding me back hating on this team.

What's hateable about the rest of it? Not disputing, just interested.

lefevre, terpstra, absolutely detest them.

And I heavily dislike Kittel

 

[robin440]

His manager said today that the rumors are untrue. lol

 

[TMP402]

Re:

His manager said today that the rumors are untrue. lol

His manager or his agency?

 

[robin440]

Re: Re:

His manager said today that the rumors are untrue. lol

His manager or his agency?

Jörg Werner, his manager.

 

[Andre.J]

Re: Re:

When Boonen retires and Martin/stybar leave the team, there isn't anything holding me back hating on this team.

What's hateable about the rest of it? Not disputing, just interested.

lefevre, terpstra, absolutely detest them.

And I heavily dislike Kittel

I like Kittel but I don't like Tepstra

 

[robin440]

Re: Re:

When Boonen retires and Martin/stybar leave the team, there isn't anything holding me back hating on this team.

What's hateable about the rest of it? Not disputing, just interested.

lefevre, terpstra, absolutely detest them.

And I heavily dislike Kittel

I like Kittel but I don't like Tepstra

Why are there so many Tersptra dislikers? He seems normal to me?!

 

[TMP402]

Re: Re:

When Boonen retires and Martin/stybar leave the team, there isn't anything holding me back hating on this team.

What's hateable about the rest of it? Not disputing, just interested.

lefevre, terpstra, absolutely detest them.

And I heavily dislike Kittel

I like Kittel but I don't like Tepstra

Why are there so many Tersptra dislikers? He seems normal to me?!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=85fH3y4ezdg

 

[Kwibus]

Kittel confirmed he's leaving.

Ungrateful guy, but if he's really like that then I'm sure Giant is happy he is leaving.

 

[Jancouver]

Re:

Kittel confirmed he's leaving.

Ungrateful guy, but if he's really like that then I'm sure Giant is happy he is leaving.

Are you saying that his narcissism is on par with Cavendish? Perhaps, at Etixx they know how to deal with narcissistic egomaniacs

I think Cav still has an edge in that area

 

[Red Rick]

Cav is great at being angry, but he's always been extremely gratefeul to his team and teammates. Kittel got big at Giant and then leaves as soon as he faces adversity and sees Dumoulin almost win the Vuelta. We've heard Dumoulin talk about the friend group that is Giant Alpecin, but Kittel for sure doesn't seem to care for that.

 

[Miburo]

Re:

Kittel confirmed he's leaving.

Ungrateful guy, but if he's really like that then I'm sure Giant is happy he is leaving.

I don't like kittel but why is he ungrateful? Do you ever know what exactly happened? We've no clue.

And it's not that giant gave him those sprinting legs, ridiculous statement.

 

[staubsauger]

Some people tend to believe that Kittel broke with Giant after his Tour non-selection. He was angry in first instance, of course. But I don't think that there was too much burned wood to go on together.

This deal just makes so much sense for everyone. Giant can shift it's focus to classics / heavy sprints with Degenkolb and gc action with Dumoulin / Barguil an receives a big check. Quick Step gets the best sprinter of the world and can concentrate on classics and sprints rather than having a lonely gc guy on board that they can't support strong enough. Kittel gets back absolute team leadership for the gt sprints and probably a bigger paycheck due to Lidl.

The only loser here is in fact Alpecin who lose their perfect posterboy. The question is, will Kittel become Lidl's male pendant to model Sophia Thomalla for their cosmetic and health food range.

 

[Kwibus]

Re: Re:

Kittel confirmed he's leaving.

Ungrateful guy, but if he's really like that then I'm sure Giant is happy he is leaving.

I don't like kittel but why is he ungrateful? Do you ever know what exactly happened? We've no clue.

And it's not that giant gave him those sprinting legs, ridiculous statement.

Ehm.. No they didn't give him those sprinting legs. They certainly made him discover his own sprinting legs, but most of all they gave him 100% support the last years. He had a complete team at his disposal which made sure he could win all those sprints.
Now that they can't promiss him that they will give him a complete team again he leaves and if he leaves for Etixx then that would be hilarious since he will never get full team support there. Etixx isn't sure yet so let's not get ahead of myself.

I don't think Giant wanted to change their focus away from the sprints of Kittel, but they had more riders that should get support so they can't promiss Kittel full team support anymore.

The way I see it is that Kittel gives up on Giant really fast. 1 bad year and he needs fresh air.. a new surrounding. He was pissed off about not being selected for the TdF while he couldn't follow the bunch in the Ster ZLM Tour.. what was he expecting? He would've been wrecked in the TdF.
He had absolutely no right to blame Giant for that.

 

[Miburo]

If you win so many stages in the tour you've the right to demand a full team dedicated to you or move to another team.

Don't see the issue.