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Most Improved/Weakened team for '10

Now that most of the transfer saga seems to have blown over (although the future of Wiggins and RadioShack vis-à-vis Astana still are big question marks) I want you to rate the top 3 most improved teams and the top 3 most weakened teams following the transfer period. For obvious reasons don’t include new teams or teams that are going out of business. My take:

Most Improved:

1. BMC: Added some top veterans in Ballan, Hincapie, Kroon and Burghardt as well as some good domestiques in Schar and Morabito, and all of a sudden they are a top team for the classics. Especially on the cobbles, where they can rival the all-powerful Quick-Step.

2. Garmin: While the loss of Wiggins would take them out of this spot in a heartbeat, they’ve quietly added some very interesting riders. Kessiakoff and Vansummeren are top guys who can become important cogs in classics and in GTs (and stand more than a good chance of bagging a few wins for themselves) and Robbie Hunter is a good sprinter burdened by being on a team that was going nowhere slowly all season. Zirbel will be an good addition to their impressive complement of time-trialists and they’ve snapped up some good prospects in Bobridge, Kreder and Stetina. Only major loss is Chris Sutton, who is sprinting like a demon right now.

3. Katusha: Assuming the mid-season doping losses of Colom and Pfannberger are not counted against them here, the additions of Kirchen and Joaquin Rodriguez turn them into a potentially big player in the GTs, somewhere where they were by-and-large absent this year. Addition of Vladdy Gusev is interesting too. How much has he got to offer (hopefully) without the dope? Enough to help Pozzato to a Flanders or Roubaix victory, maybe?

Most weakened:

1. Astana: While we finally got some news of some potential additions to the team next year, even if all those guys do eventually come over they’ll still be left with a massive hole to fill to for next season. While I believe Contador will win le Tour next year even if his team consisted of eight circus bears riding on unicycles, it’ll seriously hamper their chances to win any race where Contador doesn’t decide to go all out.

2. Columbia-HTC: Certainly debatable this. They lose a potential superstar in Edvald Boasson Hagen, a very good talent in Lokvist, and some of their top veterans (as well as key pieces to their Cav train) in Hincapie, Henderson and Kirchen. Burghardt is gone too. They have added some talent as well like the Velits bros., Lars Bak and some top talents like Van Garderen and Matt Goss, but on the whole the losses are much greater. They better hope Martin keeps improving, or they will have no one left to win a GC.

3. Saxo: Tough call, but losing veterans like Arvesen, Bak, Kroon, McCartney and Van Goolen will hurt their Tour chances with the Schlecks. They’re bringing in Baden Cooke, who is obviously trying to get the ‘Most Teams Ridden for in Career’ Award, but I doubt is capable of winning a sprint in a major race or stage anymore.

If anyone wants a refresh of transfers so far, here is an excellent overview:
http://www.velo-club.net/article.php?sid=53140
 
Aug 6, 2009
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Moondance said:
3. Saxo: Tough call, but losing veterans like Arvesen, Bak, Kroon, McCartney and Van Goolen will hurt their Tour chances with the Schlecks. They’re bringing in Baden Cooke, who is obviously trying to get the ‘Most Teams Ridden for in Career’ Award, but I doubt is capable of winning a sprint in a major race or stage anymore.
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Clearly Saxo Bank is weaker in 2010 than in 2009, but the loss of strength is in relation to the classics not the Tour. The only guy they lost who was actually in the tour was Arvesen and Fuglsang is a more than adequate replacement. Bak actually left in part because he couldn't make the Saxo Bank Tour team. Voigt and O'grady and Nicki Sørensen will be older of cause, but so will Andy, Fuglsang, Chris Anker Sørensen and Matti Breschel who might make the team next year. The 2010 Saxo Tour team could easily be stronger than the 2009 one.
 
Astana of course for the most weakened with all the riders pirated away by Radio shack.

Liquigas will be the most improved with the continued maturity of Kreuziger, Nibali and Szmyd, the rising confidence that Pellizottio is exhibiting and the expected rising form of Basso, they're on the verge of being a grand tour juggernaut.:D
 
Aug 9, 2009
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Angliru said:
Astana of course for the most weakened with all the riders pirated away by Radio shack.

Liquigas will be the most improved with the continued maturity of Kreuziger, Nibali and Szmyd, the rising confidence that Pellizottio is exhibiting and the expected rising form of Basso, they're on the verge of being a grand tour juggernaut.:D

Me likey the LeakyGas.
 
In your list of most weakened teams I don't agree with the choice of Team Columbia. Instead I would put Lampre. They now have Pettachi, but his old, and besides Cunego, top riders simply don't exist. And if Tiralongo leaves the team, the situation will be worst for them.

&quot said:
the additions of Kirchen and Joaquin Rodriguez turn them into a potentially big player in the GTs

I'm most inclined to say they add depth to their classics team. They have a word to say in GTs, but they aren't top contenders.
 
A

Anonymous

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Given they both started with ZERO riders, I'd say RadioShack and Sky are the most improved...:D I'm just messing with ya;)

Seriously, I think Liquigas, Garmin have made some great improvements

Caisse have lost a few but gained some very valuable talent with Soler, Bruseghin and experience with Moreau

Silence Lotto (despite being a generally weaker team) continue to improve, and I think will field their best GC TDF team since Cadel arrived.

Teams as well off as before: HTC, SAXO, RABO, KATUSHA

Obviously Astana going downhill, but they may sign a tonne of spaniards if Contador stays
 
afpm90 said:
In your list of most weakened teams I don't agree with the choice of Team Columbia. Instead I would put Lampre. They now have Pettachi, but his old, and besides Cunego, top riders simply don't exist. And if Tiralongo leaves the team, the situation will be worst for them.



I'm most inclined to say they add depth to their classics team. They have a word to say in GTs, but they aren't top contenders.


Lampre to date are the most weakened team. Ballan, Bruseghin, Santabrogio and possibly Tiralongo, Gasparotto departing with only the past it Petacchi arriving. Without checking, name a few other Lampre riders other than Cunego. Struggling right? I know Furlan is the onky one I can think of straight away. I think there was a rumour a while back that recently busted Bosisio and some other ex-LPR guys were joining. Hopefully not.

Astana have lost out but if they get all the riders on that list that is circulating, it will not be so bad. Even with the team they had last year, without Contador, they would not have done much. They secured a lot more column inches than victories.

Without doubt BMC are the most improved team, I am really looking forward to seeing what they can do. They could potentially(but unlikely) win the big 5 spring classics. M-SR/Flanders-Ballan, Roubaix-Hincapie, L-B-L, Amstel-Kroon.
 
Jun 22, 2009
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Katusha are slowy becoming a very strong team.
Liquigas have so much GT talent.
Rabobank will improve each year, not through transfers but excellent youth coming through.
Team Columbia some excellent youth also coming through, despite losing some good riders. EBH the big loss.
Garmin becoming a great all round team. Some GT talents (wiggins and VDH. They obviously have some talent in the sprints with Farrar and the addition of Hunter. And with JVS co leading with Maaskant in the classics they could do well there. And they picked up some nice young talent with the likes of bobridge and Kreder.
BMC obviously look nice too. Great signings. Real tough classic team.
 
Comparing the 2009 to 2010 teams on paper ...

BMC is most improved. There are several teams that have made great improvements to their rosters or will just be that much stronger (Liqui), but BMC has just gone up a couple of levels.

Cantstandya looks to have the biggest loss of power support, but not sure if that will actually equate to a weaker team next year. I think they may even be a stronger one day team, and well, I'll wait and see what happens when the stage races get going. I am not so certain Conti can do it all alone without any support, but perhaps it's just cause I'm not a Conti fan.

Columbia looks to have watered down what they had going on in 2009 ...
 

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