Lidl-Trek (no longer Radioshack-Leopard Trek)

[movingtarget]

Congrats to the team.
Locked the race a bit, but that's the job.
Well done, guys!

Yes the domestiques worked hard. Roulston, Devolder etc.... Great team performance.

 

[Afrank]

Yep, well done to the team. They finally got it together and did a great job for Cance.
Now to see if they can do it on the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix, having a strong and well-organized team will be key there.

 

[BillytheKid]

I just got the chance to what the last 30k of '13 Flanders. Well done teamwork and then only Sagan to beat. You could see it coming.

No Vasco for Chris Horner. Sad to see the last chance at it go by. I think Horner has another year in him, but who wants to sign on someone at 40 and with a knee issue? Hope to see him good at the Cali. I can attest to the knee problems with age.

Big congrats to Cancellara, the team and the riders again on a great win today.

 

[Forunculo]

The best result along Lombardia 2011. Something to celebrate, hopefully the team can find a new sponsor now the team works.

 

[Christian]

Yes the domestiques worked hard. Roulston, Devolder etc.... Great team performance.

I didn't see the race but this seems to be the prevailing opinion! Good for them, they have a very strong team but for various reasons never were really able to prove it. Nice to see that they could help Cancellara in such an important manner.

The best result along Lombardia 2011. Something to celebrate, hopefully the team can find a new sponsor now the team works.

Yeah it seems like the team finally works, but I fear this win might not have a big effect on sponsors... Cancellara is at the end of his contract and the chances that he should stay are pretty slim IMO. Then he will probably take some riders with him like Rast or Roulston... Then they are left with Devolder and a weak team

 

[HiCadence]

The best result along Lombardia 2011. Something to celebrate, hopefully the team can find a new sponsor now the team works.

They have found one already i believe.

 

[Christian]

They have found one already i believe.

Where did you hear this? Do you mean title sponsor?

 

[HiCadence]

Well they announced a new sponsor a few days ago http://www.wort.lu/en/view/radioshack-leopark-trek-announces-new-sponsor-51559390e4b0e18483ddf895

 

[Christian]

Well they announced a new sponsor a few days ago http://www.wort.lu/en/view/radioshack-leopark-trek-announces-new-sponsor-51559390e4b0e18483ddf895

Ah yes but that is only a very small sponsor... I don't think they will step up to save the team

 

[HiCadence]

Ah yes but that is only a very small sponsor... I don't think they will step up to save the team

Oh ok i wasn't sure at all how much money this new sponsor would inject into the team.

 

[Forunculo]

Oh ok i wasn't sure at all how much money this new sponsor would inject into the team.

Radioshack is a massive team:

Cancellara, Schlecks brothers, Horner, Kloden, Voigt, Monfort and many good riders. They lost some riders last winter to balance some small sponsor exit.

 

[Christian]

They lost some riders last winter to balance some small sponsor exit.

Are you sure? It looked more to me like they were trying to shed some "excess weight" after the unsuccessful merger... in the end regardless of why they did it I think it was a good thing to do to let some riders go. From a sporting point of view the only real loss would be Fuglsang IMO and he left because he was mad

 

[Forunculo]

Are you sure? It looked more to me like they were trying to shed some "excess weight" after the unsuccessful merger... in the end regardless of why they did it I think it was a good thing to do to let some riders go

Fuglsang, Bennati, Zaugg, Gerdemann and Posthuma left the team and had big wages.

Of course Fuglsang case is special but Devolder, Kiserlovski and Hondo wages don't match the others.


IMO what they tried was to shed some "excess weight" from GC pack and sign some classic helpers because of Guercilena/Cancellara rising status on the team while lowering the expenses.

 

[Parrulo]

hey christian do you think the shack could hire silvestre next year if he keeps delivering at the level he has been doing the last few weeks? sort of like they did with jungels

considering ofc they manage to find a sponsor at the end of the year.

 

[Pentacycle]

Silvestre could be a candidate for Movistar as he's performing very consistently, and they fancy Portuguese riders, but I don't think many riders are currently considering signing @ RSNT, with the chance of having nothing for 2014.

 

[Christian]

Fuglsang, Bennati, Zaugg, Gerdemann and Posthuma left the team and had big wages.

Of course Fuglsang case is special but Devolder, Kiserlovski and Hondo wages don't match the others.


IMO what they tried was to shed some "excess weight" from GC pack and sign some classic helpers because of Guercilena/Cancellara rising status on the team while lowering the expenses.

I think this is a good analysis... indeed I think the salaries of former LEOPARD TREK riders (so all the ones who left) were pretty bloaded, IINM they offered exceptional wages when they first started

hey christian do you think the shack could hire silvestre next year if he keeps delivering at the level he has been doing the last few weeks? sort of like they did with jungels

considering ofc they manage to find a sponsor at the end of the year.

I sure hope so... my guess is as good as yours but I would assume with a couple more wins he will have a good chance. Getting well-qualified, cheap youngsters with experience of winning is the purpose of their feeder team I assume, so this far Silvestre definitely fits the description. Plus they have a portuguese contingent and DS, so that should help!

Since he didn't show much last year I have a hard time defining him as a rider - what would you say? Seems like he has a good sprint and TT, but can also ride hills because Normandie and Triptyque are somewhat hilly races IINM?

 

[Parrulo]

he is a sprinter that can get over hills pretty well and do a decent time trial.

he has been portuguese u23 champion in both the time trial and road race when he was like 20/21

imo i think he will develop into a cobble classics rider with a good finishing sprint, he already rode very well in the u23 paris tour last year after being injured most of the year.

 

[Christian]

According to Cyclingnews Trek wants to take over as title sponsor next year. Becca wants out, but is trying to get the highest price from Guercilena and Trek for his license. Cancellara and A. Schleck to stay with the team.

First off - kudos for CN for being the first to report this (I think)! I could not find it at any other sources. Usually it's the other way around, so that was a pleasant surprise.

This would be great for the sport because it would mean one less team to fold. Also it would be good to finally get rid of Becca. What a cluster**** that guy has been. Guercilena would be able to continue rebuilding the team, which he has already started but still has a long way to go IMO. Get rid of the last Bruyneel left-overs and start building a group that can actually race as a team. Let's hope Becca is not too much of a stick in the mudd and this will actually go through.

 

[pastronef]

According to Cyclingnews Trek wants to take over as title sponsor next year. Becca wants out, but is trying to get the highest price from Guercilena and Trek for his license. Cancellara and A. Schleck to stay with the team.
First off - kudos for CN for being the first to report this (I think)! I could not find it at any other sources. Usually it's the other way around, so that was a pleasant surprise.

This would be great for the sport because it would mean one less team to fold. Also it would be good to finally get rid of Becca. What a cluster**** that guy has been. Guercilena would be able to continue rebuilding the team, which he has already started but still has a long way to go IMO. Get rid of the last Bruyneel left-overs and start building a group that can actually race as a team. Let's hope Becca is not too much of a stick in the mudd and this will actually go through.

Schlecks: really Andy will let Frank go away?

Old left-overs: Popo, Kloeden, Horner, Zubeldia: I don't think they will be left stranded

 

[Christian]

Breaking news

Breaking news: Tageblatt confirms that Flavio Becca will sell his license to Trek for next season.

Unclear is the future of the four luxembourgish cyclists - the Schleck brothers, Laurent Didier and Bob Jungels. All have contracts until 2014.

Andy Schleck and Laurent Didier are said to be taken over by Trek. The situation is different for Fränk Schleck. Tageblatt writes that it is well possible that he will be sacked in the next days or weeks due to "faute grave" - gross missconduct. This would be possible due to a clause that exists in every pro cyclist's contract, that he can be dismissed in case of a conviction.

Fränk Schleck could thus be out of a job by mid july. In any case according to Tageblatt they will not be in the same team next year. Trek is said to be firmly convinced to continue without Fränk Schleck.

Remains the question of Bob Jungels. According to Tageblatt it is not excluded that he will quit Trek if his contract allows it.

http://sport.rtl.lu/cyclissem/news/441019.html

 

[Ferminal]

Wonder who will buy Andy out then.

 

[notrolfsorensen]

Breaking news: (...)Trek is said to be firmly convinced to continue without Fränk Schleck.

Remains the question of Bob Jungels. According to Tageblatt it is not excluded that he will quit Trek if his contract allows it.

http://sport.rtl.lu/cyclissem/news/441019.html

That's some news. Schlecks finally seperated for real. Smart move be TREK, seeing as Fränk will become a domestique on another team, like Tiralongo for Contador.

Seriously though, great to see the team isn't folding, although I would have liked to see Cancellara on IAM or back at Saxo

 

[Christian]

Fabian Cancellara will stay with the team. Trek has promised the swiss powerhouse to build the team's focus around the classics. The grand tours will be more of a UCI-duty than a team goal.

It is unclear whether Becca is allowed to dismiss Fränk Schleck under Luxembourg labour laws. On the one hand, he quietly accepted Schleck's conviction so far. On the other hand he could argue to have received moral and financial damage.

Jungels is wanted by several teams. His decision might likely depend on the financial aspect, where Trek could probably not match the offers of the competition.

Finally the future of LEOPARD TREK Continental Team is also in doubt.

http://www.tageblatt.lu/sport/story/Becca-verkauft-WorldTour-Lizenz-18201951

 

[pastronef]

I think we'll know a bit more by the end of the Tour, or by September 5th

I am curious about who will be the new Cance cobbles teammates. Flecha? Stannard?

 

[Roude Leiw]

Finally the future of LEOPARD TREK Continental Team is also in doubt.

http://www.tageblatt.lu/sport/story/Becca-verkauft-WorldTour-Lizenz-18201951

Beccas spokesperson just denied the content of this article on national radio (RTL)