Lidl-Trek (no longer Radioshack-Leopard Trek)

[luckyboy]

But as a classics team Canc is going to have to win on his own again.

Horrible cobbled team. Cancellara, Rast, Klemme, ???

 

[Cobblestoned]

Many thanks. I agree totally about the cobbled classics situation. But the truth is that there aren't many really good cobbled riders who are not contenders themselves.

Cancellara just doesn't have the power riders to blow the group to bits 50-60 km from the finish. That is what he needs, a lead group of around 30-35 before he can attack, and remaining 12-15 opponents look at each other. Otherwise there are too many domestiques to chase it down, which is what happened this year.

Gregory Rast, who finished fourth this year, in the same group as Cancellara and 19 seconds behind Van Summeren, will be a massive boost though. He has been signed just for this. Hopefully a rapidly improving Dominic Klemme will be another plus.

There is no doubt that Cancellara is the strongest cobbles rider, which marks him out and nobody cooperates (just as will happen to Gilbert next season as his honeymoon ends).

A yes, Rast. He signed for Leopard.
On a good day is can be a strong force.
I think Fabian will be happy enough if he will not end up alone with 50-60km to go. It is clear that he can't "make" the race.

Still working through all this fusions-confusion and doing team-building with help of this. Perhaps useful for everyone.

http://06.live-radsport.ch/details_...ProTeams__Alle_Transfers_auf_einen_Blick.html

 

[LarryBudMelman]

Another good thing that comes from this is it reduces the impact when Johan and lance get indictment. Previously they were principles. Indictments would likely mean the team would shut down and there would be even more chaos. Now Johan is an employee, paid to drive the car and sell jerseys. Far easier to make a surgical remove of Johan and have the team continue.

The reason for the "More info on September 15th" is that the UCI has 10 days to approve a merger. As of this weekend they had received nothing, but that likely changed yesterday.

Trek's deal with the U23 team was recently resigned for 3 more years so hopefully they continue.

What's the schedule on that?

 

[cfan_2000]

Tour Team

OK. Lets figure out starting from scratch who is in and who is out.

First the limit. It is 28 with 0 neo-pros, 30 with 2+ neo-pros. As Jesse Sergent and Ben King from Radioshack have already been mentioned in the official communique, that sets the upper limit at 30.

Now lets start with Radioshack. Those mentioned in the official announcement are 1) Kloden 2) Horner 3) Brajkovic 4) Busche 5) Zubeldia 6) Oliveira 7) Sargeant 8) King. That is 8. Plus Ben Hermans and Gregory Rast have been signed from Radioshack separately, so lets say they stay too. That is 10.

That leaves room for up to 20 more from the Leopard squad. Lets leave the final three seats open and pick 17.

Again, facts first. Those mentioned officially in either of two communiques are 11) A Schleck 12) F Schleck 13) Cancellara 14) Wagner 15) Bennati 16) Fuglsang.

So that makes 16. Now with the fiction, in a manner of speaking.

I think 17) Monfort 18) Zaugg and 19) Posthooma will walk in. 20) Denifl is way too talented a climber at 23 years to let go (he was their best rider in Colorado already), and 21) Jens Voigt is going to be on the team come what may (no way the Schlecks and Cancellara will accept his departure). He is leading the team in the Tour of Britain, for God's sake.

That makes 21. I think these 21 riders are pretty much certain to form the nucleus of the team.

Now comes the fictitious fiction. None of the remaining face guarantees, though I will proceed to pick the most likely.

22) Gerdemann is the kind of moody rider who may just walk, but he has grown very close to Frank Schleck and become his regular training partner, so I guess he could hang on too if he accepts to ride Giro and Vuelta (he has no Tour ticket in 2012 in this team). A rider who wont be nudged out in my opinion, but will not be pulled back either if he heads to the door.

23) Fabian Wegmann 24) Martin Pedersen
Both should stay put, though one cannot be sure. The Leopard backbone will probably want to keep them, but I am not so sure on what JB would want for these two. My guess is unless they volunteer to go, they will stay.

25) Will Clarke 26) Giacomo Nizzolo 27) Dominic Klemme
Clarke is a very talented Australian and Nizzolo an upcoming 22-year-old sprinter, neither of whom will be costing too much money. I don't see many names in favour of whom you would want to discard these promising lads. Cancellara may want to hang on to Klemme. At 24, he can time trial and ride the cobbles very well. Again, unlikely to be on a heavy contract. All three should be on the minimum 47,000, or a little more at best.

That just about takes it to 27, and it would be a very strong 27. As I said at the start, I am leaving the final three seats open.

It will be a mad dash right here with Stamsnijder and Anders Lund leading the race. Of course, more spots could open up if the likes of Gerdemann or even Fuglsang decide to look elsewhere. So there, you have it! Watsay!

To add to my post, I'd say 1) A Schleck 2) F Schleck 3) Brajkovic 4) Fuglsang 5) Monfort 6) Kloden 7) Horner 8) Cancellara and 9) Voigt will almost certainly form the Tour de France team. If Horner is not in shape, or for some unthinkable reason Jens is not re-signed, one spot opens up, maybe for Zubeldia.

Personally, I think the team is strong but has too many similar riders in Monfort, Fuglsang, Kloden and Brajkovic. One of them could be sacrificed for a tiny little Spanish dynamite who will loose 6 minutes in a TT but can dance his way half-way up the climb setting a furious pace. None of those four are get-out-of-the-saddle climbers, which is why they disappear very quickly once the pace is upped, or at best manage to hang on at the back for a bit.

 

[eleven]

JV's Comments





On contracts, riders will get paid. They will either get paid to not race or will get the difference between their contract with their new team and what they would have been paid with Leopard. Chris Horner had this deal after Saturn folded.

you left out the part of JV's quote that states "I think". That's because JV knows no more about this deal than people in this thread - less in fact, some might say. He stated his opinion, his speculation on the matter, not a fact.

 

[Race Radio]

you left out the part of JV's quote that states "I think". That's because JV knows no more about this deal than people in this thread - less in fact, some might say. He stated his opinion, his speculation on the matter, not a fact.

No offense, but I trust JV's opinion over yours. He is head of the Pro Teams and has combined teams in the past.

It is a fact you cannot merge licenses. Johan's team has folded.

 

[Cobblestoned]

Yeah, the RadioShack riders are getting ****ed too, aren't they? I have less sympathy with them though, they had to know they were signing a contract with the devil (figuratively, I don't think even Bruyneel is quite on that level )

Fumiyuki-san has signed for GreenEdge one week ago.
His contract had expired.

 

[Cloxxki]

No way I can read up 76 pages.

Anyone already mentioned that Trek puts their internal communication specialists towards training Johan on how to approach and deal with potential sponsors?
I got that pretty first hand, and I don't think it's all that much of a secret.

 

[spalco]

Fumiyuki-san has signed for GreenEdge one week ago.
His contract had expired.

Good for him, but he probably has friends at RS who aren't as lucky.

 

[Cobblestoned]

No offense, but I trust JV's opinion over yours.

It is a fact you cannot merge licenses. Johan's team has folded.

Thats also a way to paint your world how you like it.
Like Pipi Langstrumpf.

trallari trallahey tralla hoppsasa

Mergers are not possible. Johan is insignificant and toxic. Thats why he will lead the team.

 

[Race Radio]

Thats also a way to paint your world how you like it.
Like Pipi Langstrumpf.

trallari trallahey tralla hoppsasa

Mergers are not possible. Johan is insignificant and toxic. Thats why he will lead the team.

It is the UCI's rules not mine, sorry if you do not like them. You can take it up with the UCI if you like.

Not my fault they went from team owners to employee and commissioned sales person.

 

[just some guy]

Bits cut

Mergers are not possible. Bits cut

In cycling they are not.

The world tour licence is everything a team of 30 riders, management and team by whatever name can not have 2 licences, so 1 team needs to give up their licence and therefore will fold.

 

[Cobblestoned]

Good for him, but he probably has friends at RS who aren't as lucky.

There are unlucky riders and stuff, expiring contracts, changes, new teams, teams gone or renamed, fusions, etc. every year.
It's called business. It's planet earth and our society.
Cycling is not a holy place that acts or reacts different to others in worlds business and society, you know.
Your focused moaning is somehow hypocrisity and doublestandarding. Anyway, no surprise.
It's RS, and you even pointed out your own hypocrisity. Heartbreaking that you care about them now anyway.

But please do me a favour and update yourself before you keep on moaning.
The list I posted earlier may help you to spread your moaning over all teams in a fair manner.

Every year I think : "Wow, season with a lot of changes! The season of changes !"
Now I got used to it.

 

[eleven]

No offense, but I trust JV's opinion over yours. He is head of the Pro Teams and has combined teams in the past.

Then why did you feel the need to cut short his quote, leaving out the part that makes it clear it's his speculation?

Surely he didn't combine teams in the past - one of the teams folded, right?

 

[pastronef]

Originally Posted by elf1978
More of a specifics query, but does the new merger go with Shimano or Sram setup?

Sram .............

how do you know it's SRAM?

they keep Bontrager helmets or Giro?

 

[Race Radio]

Then why did you feel the need to cut short his quote, leaving out the part that makes it clear it's his speculation?

Surely he didn't combine teams in the past - one of the teams folded, right?

Given JV's position in the sport as head of the Pro Teams his view is a good one to believe. Yes, CTT folded. JV took a few riders, staff, and sponsors into his team....just like Leopard will do.

Don't worry. I am confident the guys in Austin will hit their sales quotas and keep their jobs. If they do really well maybe Becca will give them a set of steak knives.

 

[eleven]

Given JV's position in the sport as head of the Pro Teams his view is a good one to believe.

Yet you felt the need to remove the part of his quote that made it clear it's his own speculation.

Yes, CTT folded. JV took a few riders, staff, and sponsors into his team....just like Leopard will do.

Don't worry. I am confident the guys in Austin will hit their sales quotas and keep their jobs. If they do really well maybe Becca will give them a set of steak knives.

The "guys in Austin" and JB will both have an ownership stake, not steak knives. They brought the money to the table that allowed Becca to stop paying out of his own pocket.

 

[pastronef]

Maybe but so it was for this year on paper.

I hope the ASO put in a long TTT with some cobbled sections and and Long ITT and a a few short shape hill finishes as predicated.

are you kidding ? it is just not real. and i would never want to see a TTT with cobbles. is it a circus or a bike race?

 

[spalco]

There are unlucky riders and stuff, expiring contracts, changes, new teams, teams gone or renamed, fusions, etc. every year.
It's called business. It's planet earth and our society.
Cycling is not a holy place that acts or reacts different to others in worlds business and society, you know.
Your focused moaning is somehow hypocrisity and doublestandarding. Anyway, no surprise.
It's RS, and you even pointed out your own hypocrisity. Heartbreaking that you care about them now anyway.

But please do me a favour and update yourself before you keep on moaning.
The list I posted earlier may help you to spread your moaning over all teams in a fair manner.

Every year I think : "Wow, season with a lot of changes! The season of changes !"
Now I got used to it.

I'm absolutely hypocritical in what riders and teams I support, no doubt, but this I'm not hypocritical about. My sympathy for the ordinary people (minimum wage cyclists, mechanics, masseurs, drivers, etc) who suffer most in the games the bigwigs play is sincere.

 

[ulrikmm]

@Radioshacknissantrek leaders: You treat your riders like s h i t . Thumbs down to you all.

 

[thehog]

'It'll be even more fun to beat them. That's how I look at it. I still have the best man,' Riis added.

The merger might result in several cyclists losing contracts, but Riis said he would wait to see how events unfold before possibly signing any new cyclists.

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/n...expresses-surprise-over-merger-between-rivals

 

[LaFlorecita]

Originally Posted by elf1978
More of a specifics query, but does the new merger go with Shimano or Sram setup?



how do you know it's SRAM?

they keep Bontrager helmets or Giro?

Oh YES! Giro! More Alberto-Andy commercials...

 

[Dr. Maserati]

Then why did you feel the need to cut short his quote, leaving out the part that makes it clear it's his speculation?

Surely he didn't combine teams in the past - one of the teams folded, right?

He didn't.

Here is the full tweet:

@DrMaserati @dimspace @gerardvroomen But again. There is no merger. Team Radio Shack is shutting its doors. RS the co is now sponsoring LEO

As for JV combining teams -one was a ProConti team the other ProTour, so its not the same as here.

 

[eleven]

'It'll be even more fun to beat them. That's how I look at it. I still have the best man,' Riis added.

That's a great quote from Riis. Good on him.

I'm just a bit concerned that he won't "have the best man" after the next hearing.

 

[LaFlorecita]

'It'll be even more fun to beat them. That's how I look at it. I still have the best man,' Riis added.

The merger might result in several cyclists losing contracts, but Riis said he would wait to see how events unfold before possibly signing any new cyclists.

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/n...expresses-surprise-over-merger-between-rivals

True that. Andy will fail again and again and again. I think him having a super-awesome team might put to much pressure on him.